Narrative

This week, work through the writing process for our next essay which is based, in part, on the previous descriptive writing. The narrative, as you know from chapter 2, takes description to the next level. You have to use what you already know in terms of strategy and technique to create a structured essay. That essay needs a particular beginning, middle, and end. Your overall essay structure stays the same but, again, how you compose those sections is clearly informed and led by the genre and necessary tools. Here, you must describe, appeal to the senses, just as before, and also apply figurative language again to ensure that your plot has integrity. 

Please read the  prompt and brainstorm. How can you transform the gist of your descriptive essay to the next level? You must have description AND figurative language. A narrative must follow a certain organizational structure and incorporate both description and figurative language. This creates imagery and without both, the narrative can't achieve it's purpose: to express emotion and elicit empathy (the same emotional experience) from the reader(s). 

Then, outline using the prompt and draft. 

Finally, proofread, edit, revise, and publish by or before Friday. 

Narrative Prompt

Question: What specific moment/event exemplifies your most influential moment with your role model? How has that moment/event changed your life?

This essay is taking what you started to write about generally and challenging you to make it specific and structure/organize your thoughts more effectively. 

Orientation and Explanation : Pick  one moment in time, a snapshot if you will, that has influenced you to become the person you are today. Focus on that one specific event and describe it in such relevant detail that you paint a picture in the mind of your audience. This is about how well you can use your words to create empathy and craft a story that will move from conflict to resolution. 

Objective : In this first essay, you have to, again, write three full pages (with a corresponding title page and fifth References page if applicable) that include the following characteristics in your beginning, middle, and end:

An introduction in which you “set the scene” and provide context applying imagery, figurative language, etc. for the one moment in time that is the foundation for your story. Stylistically, I know that many will want to give a lot of back-story but save that for the evaluation. Jump right into setting the scene for the complication so you can focus and develop your description of the place and time. You must create a picture in your audience’s mind appealing to their senses so that there is an immediate and purposeful emotional connection. At the end, insert a closed thesis which identifies the problem/complication.

Body Paragraphs

Description of the Complication (Problem): Continue, for as many body paragraphs, as necessary, describing the complication. Focus on the moment, the time at which the problem became a problem. This is where/where you introduce characters, dialogue, additional figurative language (metaphor and simile, hyperbole, personification, etc.), and abstract language. Try not to talk about how you felt but allow the way in which you are using description create the emotion in your reader.

Evaluation of Complication: What happened? Why was the problem a problem? This is basically a mini causal analysis. What were the causes and effects of the problem? This is where you can discuss anything that led to the complication or immediately arose from the problem. However, keep in mind that the complication should remain the focus of the narrative. Without the complication, the ultimate lesson would not have been learned. This section is essentially forcing you to consciously and carefully reflect upon the complication so that your readers can feel the same resolution that you did.

Dialogue

Description (adjectives and relevant imagery: "showing" and not "telling") 

Figurative language

Action

Character developmentLinks to an external site.  

Resolution of Complication: How did you overcome? How did you solve the problem? How did you turn the complication into an opportunity?

Conclusion: Restate your thesis. Summarize and paraphrase your topic sentences (look back and say again, in a different way what you experienced). Discuss the lesson that you learned and what your audience ought to get out of your personal experience for themselves. In other words, what’s the takeaway for your readers? 

Assessment/Point Distribution :

30 points:        The essay has a developed and properly formatted introduction that includes creating an emotional tone (since the purpose of a narrative is to convey and evoke emotion) with the proper techniques of description and figurative language in communicating the location of the problem/setting and clear thesis at the end.

50 points:        The essay displays a clear body and subsequent conclusion that show your understanding of not only description and figurative language but also of narrative plot structure: problem, evaluation of the problem, resolution of the problem and how you can communicate your personal experience to your chosen audience in a way that will be powerful and meaningful for them too---demonstrating your understanding of genre, purpose, and audience expectations. Show me that you understand the purpose of creating a story and how to use that story to build empathy and trust with your readers. They are reading your essay to get to know you more and on a deeper level so don't focus on your other character, your role model. Here, you're using them to focus on yourself. 

20 points:        The essay shows a clear attempt at APA-style general formatting and basic citation (if necessary).