Essay One: Personal Narrative
Your first formal essay is a Personal Narrative. During Weeks 3, 4, and 5, you will use the
writing process and strategies discussed in Chapter 8 to plan, draft and write a Personal
Narrative Essay of 500 words. The final Essay is due at the end of Week 5.
A Personal Narrative Essay is a good exercise in writing to learn. In the process of recreating
your experience or telling your story, you really are dipping into analysis and discovering
something about yourself and the experience.
Your Topic for Essay One—Personal Narrative:
Choose one of the following prompts:
1. Think of a personal experience or event that impacted the way you view the
world. Share the experience in a personal narrative.
2. Share a story recalling when you gained a great appreciation or lesson from a
parent, sibling, close relative, or co-worker.
Schedule for Essay One:
Week 3—Prewriting: You will engage in pre-writing during Week 3 to arrive at topic
and main idea—with a little help from discussion with your classmates in the discussion board.
To Prewrite and generate ideas for Essay One:
Brainstorm about potential ideas for your narrative;
Try some of the strategies on p. 215 to recall details;
Jot down those details;
Consider sights, sounds, thoughts, feelings to “recreate” the experience or
memory;
Share two potential narrative topics you are considering for your first essay in the
Week 3 discussion board with a brief 100-word explanation of each topic and
why the experience changed you and/or what kind of impact the person or
experience had on you.
You will post your ideas in the Discussion Board of Week 3 by Friday at 8:00 a.m. for
feedback from your peers.
Use the discussion board exchanges in Week 3 to choose your best topic for the Personal
Narrative Essay.
Week 4—Drafting: You will compose a first draft for review and provide feedback to
your classmates on their drafts during Week 4.
To Draft Essay One—Personal Narrative Essay—See p. 217 in your text for guidelines:
Opening:
o Set the stage
o Start immediately with enticing detail
o Offer an interesting reflection
Middle
o Include sensory details (Think all five senses)
o Add realistic dialogue
o Share personal reflections/feelings
o Use transition words to indicate time
o Organize logically so reader can follow
Closing
o Offer your final analysis
Why are you sharing this story?
What did you learn?
What should reader take away from the narrative?
You will post your First Draft in the Discussion Board by Friday at 8:00 a.m. of Week 4 for
feedback from your peers.
You will upload your First Draft in Week 4 Assignment folder for your instructor’s
feedback by end of Week 4 (Monday at 8:00 a.m.).
Your Personal Narrative Draft should be your “best effort” at a final product so you can gain the
most from both your peers and your instructor. Doing so will give you excellent tips for what to
improve on before the final submission. Your instructor will grade the draft using the Rubric
criteria as the Final Narrative Essay —only with adjusted weights–so you know where to
concentrate next week.
Week 5—Revising & Editing: You will revise, edit, and submit Essay One—Personal
Narrative Essay at the end of Week 5. In addition, you will reflect on the experience in your
Week 5 Journal Entry.
To Revise and Edit Essay One—Personal Narrative Essay:
Use checklists on pp. 219 and 222 in your text
Consider both peer and instructor feedback
Compose an enticing title
Once again,
o Does opening grab the reader’s attention?
o Does the middle share interesting and sufficient details, including sensory
language, dialogue, and reflection?
o Does ending provide wrap up the experience and the main idea?
Read essay aloud to “hear” what you have written and check sentence rhythm
and flow (even the dog or cat will listen!)
And finally, check proper formatting for your essay.
You will upload your final Essay One—Personal Narrative in Week 5 Assignment folder
for your instructor’s feedback by end of Week 5 (Monday at 8:00 a.m.)
Attached is my rough draft.
