Personal Narrative

1. Personal Narrative Melissa Noël Cleveland High School

2. Starting: The Topic • The “ah ha” moment • An epiphany • A time when you learned a lesson. You are the narrator and the focus of this story.

3. Ideas • A trip • A disagreement • When you won or loss a game or match • An event while at a meeting • An incident at work or while babysitting • Overcoming a weakness • Doing something with a parent or sibling or friend • Taking a risk

4. More Ideas • Learning something (a skill, a hobby) • A family tradition, an event at a holiday get-together • Climbing a mountain, hiking, etc. • Looking at old pictures • Breaking something • Getting in a wreck • Riding a bike, driving an ATV, etc. • Getting a pet

5. Introduction • Start with action • Open with an event • Keep the story lively and active

6. Verbs • Use active verbs • Keep things in motion • Use the past tense

7. Dialogue • Have people talk in your story • I will help you with the punctuation of the dialogue later

8. Pronouns • You can use: I, me, us • Don’t use the pronoun “I” too often. It’s annoying. • You may not use YOU unless it’s a part of the dialogue when people are talking.

9. Scene vs. Summary • Paint a lively scene instead of summarizing the event. • Use descriptions by including all of the senses – what do you see? Hear? Smell? • Put the reader in the moment. • Keep the story ALIVE by painting a picture like an artist.

10. Your Purpose • Don’t brag and try to impress anyone • Be honest • You’re just trying to share a part of yourself

11. Tone • Keep the language appropriate for school • Avoid excessive slang and “teen” terms • Don’t use abbreviations or texting code for school assignments

12. The Conclusion • End with action • Make sure the reader understands what you LEARNED from the event. What did you understand from the incident?