Lesson 1

Introduction: 

For your first unit, we will be writing a narrative essay. We will use the words below throughout this unit!  

Vocabulary:

• Description: a rhetorical mode that emphasizes eye-catching, specific, and vivid portrayal of a subject. Often integrates imagery and thick description to this end.

• Narration: a rhetorical mode involving the construction and relation of stories. Typically integrates description as a technique.

• Reflection: a rhetorical gesture by which an author looks back and thinks deeply about past events.

• Rhetorical Situation: the circumstances in which rhetoric is produced, understood using the constituent elements of subject, occasion, audience, and purpose. Each element of the rhetorical situation carries assumptions and imperatives about the kind of rhetoric that will be well received. Rhetorical situation will also influence mode and medium.

Narrative Writing: 

The below was written by Suzanne Davis on her blog (https://www.academicwritingsuccess.com/writing-a-personal-narrative/)

I dreaded writing personal narrative essays. I cringed when teachers assigned a personal narrative essay. I couldn’t think of an interesting story about myself. And even if I chose a fascinating personal narrative story, I struggled with how to write about it. But when I was in college that changed because I realized writing a personal narrative essay isn’t like writing any other kind of essay. No, it’s writing a story that reveals some piece of myself. 

And I love stories.  A personal narrative is a story about you. It’s the same as any other story: it has a beginning, middle, and end.  The difference is that it’s from your life. Through that story, you show your reader something that is unique to you. 

It can be a story that conveys your humor, your sensitivity, what scares you, excites you, angers you, or makes you sad.  A personal narrative essay lets other people connect with you.   There are 3 key things you need to know about writing a personal narrative essay:

1. How to choose a good personal narrative essay topic.

2. How to develop your personal narrative essay ideas.

3. How to write a compelling personal narrative essay.

Choosing a Personal Narrative Topic 

There are 2 steps to choosing a good personal narrative essay topic.  The first is brainstorming stories from your life, and the second is evaluating the stories you list. Brainstorming: Choose a place where you can focus. Then answer these questions:

• What are some significant stories from your life?

• When did you face a challenge or obstacle in your life?

• What are some funny things that happened to you or funny things you did?

• What stories are your most important memories?

• What are some sad events and what are some happy events from your life?

List as many ideas as you can for each of these questions. Don’t stop and erase any of your ideas. You want as many as choices as possible. Another way to discover a personal narrative essay topic is to select a writing prompt for personal narrative essays.  Search online for personal narrative essay prompts.  

Evaluating a personal narrative topic:

Now that you have several ideas, decide which stories are most interesting to you. If your story bores you, it will be hard to write a story that grabs your reader’s attention. Once you’ve narrowed your list, follow these steps to analyze your stories:

1. Check to see if there is a beginning, middle, and end to each story. Does the middle of your story have one important moment or event in the story?  This important moment is called the climax of a story. Which narrative essay topics have a climax?

2. Go over your list and look for stories you remember well. What stories can you describe in detail?

3. Consider whether a story is one you want to share with other people. If it makes you uncomfortable to have other people know about this event then select another personal narrative essay topic.

4. Analyze your personal narrative essay ideas again and choose a story you really want to write about and share with other people.