Light Bulb Moment
Sometimes we have moments in which we are suddenly illuminated with truth and clarity by an unexpected realization or experience. At other times, the “everyday” moments subtly provide light and guidance about our personality, our aspirations, our values, etc. You have a treasure trove of stories just waiting to be told, some sad, some happy. In this 3-4 page essay you will narrate one experience in your life and explain its significance. Include a thesis in the essay that explains why this event is/was significant and how it has impacted you. Often our most powerful writing stems from our strongest emotional experiences.
Prewriting: Choosing an Event
Questions to consider to choose an event:
Explore possible topics by creating a word web or cluster.
- What significant events have occurred thus far in my life (births, deaths, accomplishments, travel, self-reflection, friendships, tragedies, miracles, etc.)
- How did the experience influence me?
- What did I gain or learn?
- Am I happier? Wiser?
- Can I find a lesson or moral?
- How might the narrative affect someone else?
- Does the experience remind me of an event in the public eye?
Explore possible topics by creating a word web or cluster.
Prewriting: Generating Ideas for Writing
After you have chosen your event, complete the prewriting outline to help you identify the Setting, Conflict, Characters, Plot Structure, and Theme.
Details are important in this type of writing. Rather than tell the reader something vague and broad (“I was poor,” “It was a hard experience”) show the reader the gritty details, for instance, how did being poor affect you, and how was it a hard experience? Use specific details to bring the scene to life, but be sure to make certain that the details in your essay are there for a reason –that they add up to a significant point.
Use the prewriting outline to organize the ideas for your narrative.
Details are important in this type of writing. Rather than tell the reader something vague and broad (“I was poor,” “It was a hard experience”) show the reader the gritty details, for instance, how did being poor affect you, and how was it a hard experience? Use specific details to bring the scene to life, but be sure to make certain that the details in your essay are there for a reason –that they add up to a significant point.
Use the prewriting outline to organize the ideas for your narrative.
Prewriting Outline | |
File Size: | 58 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Drafting Your Narrative Essay
There are no hard, fast rules for organizing the narrative essay, no formulaic outline into which you can plug in topic sentences. For many, that is the appeal of this mode; for other, the frustration. What we can offer here are some general guidelines. Each story lends itself to a different order.
Getting Started..."It was a dark and stormy night..." Perhaps more so than in other modes of writing, it is essential to draw your reader in with an engaging opening line. When people hear "narrative," they think story; they want to be engaged. Jumping right into the action or conversation often works in narrative essays, then stepping back to give more of a context.
Begin with a catchy hook…
Have a clear thesis statement. It should be the last sentence of your first paragraph. (Your first paragraph should be short!)
Organization and Chronology: Think in terms of climactic sequence: What is the most important part of the experience? Put that toward the end, right before the resolution and thesis, and work backward from there. If you want to set the stage with a general summary, background, or descriptive writing, that should go toward the beginning.
Paragraph Structure/Paragraph Changes: Separate events clearly into paragraphs. In general, authors of narratives start new paragraphs when something changes:
Wrapping Up: In the narrative essay, the thesis is generally re-introduced at or toward the end of the paper, after the reader has had a chance to experience the event through the lens of the narrator. Summary of the story should be limited to that which is necessary to effectively deliver the thesis. Try to end with a punch, with a sense of finality. Bring back the hook to form a circle.
This may or may not be your actual thesis statement.
Getting Started..."It was a dark and stormy night..." Perhaps more so than in other modes of writing, it is essential to draw your reader in with an engaging opening line. When people hear "narrative," they think story; they want to be engaged. Jumping right into the action or conversation often works in narrative essays, then stepping back to give more of a context.
Begin with a catchy hook…
- Sometimes my imagination gets the best of me.
- In my gymnastics career, fear is something I deal with every day.
Have a clear thesis statement. It should be the last sentence of your first paragraph. (Your first paragraph should be short!)
- I never thought I could switch gymnastic teams.
- I didn’t know it, but today I was going to learn an important lesson.
Organization and Chronology: Think in terms of climactic sequence: What is the most important part of the experience? Put that toward the end, right before the resolution and thesis, and work backward from there. If you want to set the stage with a general summary, background, or descriptive writing, that should go toward the beginning.
Paragraph Structure/Paragraph Changes: Separate events clearly into paragraphs. In general, authors of narratives start new paragraphs when something changes:
- speaker changes
- characters change (especially entrances of new people)
- place of action changes (characters move to a new setting)
- time of action changes; time passes, leaves a gap
- action changes (purpose or focus of action)
- mode changes (from retelling to reflecting on action)
Wrapping Up: In the narrative essay, the thesis is generally re-introduced at or toward the end of the paper, after the reader has had a chance to experience the event through the lens of the narrator. Summary of the story should be limited to that which is necessary to effectively deliver the thesis. Try to end with a punch, with a sense of finality. Bring back the hook to form a circle.
- Sometimes I should listen to my imagination
- I don’t know why I was so frightened of changing gyms.
This may or may not be your actual thesis statement.