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The Personal Narrative
A personal narrative is a telling of a specific incident from your
life. It will probably be a strongly negative or positive incident
that is dramatic in some way and that you can remember in detail.
Experiences that caused you intense pain, joy, frustration, relief,
etc. would be good choices. The incident should cover a fairly brief
span of time. Your personal narrative should not attempt to describe
a year, or even a week of your life. The best personal narratives
describe in detail a span of minutes or hours or perhaps a few days
when something dramatic occurred. If you like, your story could
also be organized around a few smaller events that reveal a kind
of pattern in your life. Hopefully your story will show how you
developed insight and understanding at some time in your life, and
how your experience connects to the broader picture.
REQUIREMENTS:
1. 20 page (10 on computer) rough draft - 100 points
2. Peer conferencing sessions - 10 points
3. Experimental vignettes - 20 points
4. Significant revisions - 20 points
5. Final copy - 50 points
THE WAY TO A GOOD GRADE:
1. Come to class every day ready to write.
2. Ask for help when you feel stuck and be willing to try my suggestions.
3. Keep trying.
4. Keep trying even when you don’t feel like it.
Grad Standard Checklist:
___ The narrative connects individual experience to a broader human
situation or event
___ The information contributes to the significance of the human
situation
___ The information contributes to the significance of the individual
experience
___ The narrative is sequenced and organized
___ Details support and enhance the narrative story line
___ The pace is varied to condense less significant action
___ The pace is varied to blend action and description
___ The narrative creates a clear picture of who is involved
___ The narrative creates a clear picture of where the events occurred
___ The narrative creates a clear picture of what happened
___ The event or situation comes to “life” by use of
the five senses
___ The “voice” behind the story is clear and believable
___ Vocabulary and sentence structure are varied
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