Mini-Essay One – Personal Narrative

Mini-Essay One – Personal Narrative DUE via the dropbox by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, 8/30. Tell me a story, plain and simple. Think about your life, the things you’ve done in the past—from your first memory to today. What are some of your favorite memories? What are some of your worst memories? What INSTANTLY comes to mind when you think of your proudest moment? What INSTANTLY comes to mind when you think “Worst Day Ever?” In this essay, explore one or a small combination of related events. When choosing your topic, try to think of those moments in time where you felt changed—for the better or the worse. Think of those moments when, perhaps, you realized you wouldn’t live forever, when you realized that Rosati’s pizza is the greatest pizza on the face of the earth, when you realized what you were willing to do for someone you loved. Or think about the stories you tell your friends and family over and over again. What makes that story worth telling? Is it funny? Sad? A close call? Consider why you tell this story to everyone you know. What does it say about you? Or rationalize why you do a particular thing, why you are the way you are. Why did you stop believing in the Tooth Fairy? Why do you wear a red hoodie on the first day of winter? Why do you love watching basketball? A good place to start can be with firsts: The first argument you ever had with your best friend. The first time you went to a NASCAR race. The first time you dealt with an emergency without the help of your parents. Basically, give your readers a slice of you. Let them experience what you experienced. Let your readers see, feel, taste, hear, and understand the moment you were in—the surroundings, how you felt when it all started, what happened, how you felt when it was all over. Remember: Keep to the specifics; show, don’t tell; and have fun. Above all, write something that you CARE about. It will come through to your readers and make any paper infinitely more interesting. Length: 500 words (minimum) Audience: Friends and Peers Format: 12 pt. font, Times New Roman, Double-Spaced Include: A Title Of course, if you have any questions or problems, DON’T hesitate to contact me. It’s what I’m here for. Breakdown for Personal Narrative, Mini-Essay One What I’m looking for: Exceptional (A) Paper: Will have clearly defined characters, setting, and plot. The narrative flows from beginning to end, with carefully crafted paragraphs, transitions between them, and little to no punctuation or grammatical errors. There is a point that is thematically shown through imagery and content. Competent (C) Paper: Has characters, setting, and plot—though these might not be fullydeveloped or clearly defined. For the most part, the narrative flows; however, the “C” paper has some stumbling blocks, where the reader trips over words, awkward phrases, and rough transitions. There are a few grammar and punctuation errors. A point is hinted at, but might not be fully present in text—meaning, the additional material does not fully support the “point.” Or the point is explicitly told to readers. Unskilled (F) Paper: Is nothing more than a rant, with no real characters, setting, or plot. There is no point to be had. Writing contains a gross amount of punctuation and grammatical errors. Narrative does not flow, and paragraphs are thrown together without any rhyme or reason. This paper is worth 100 pts, which will break down as follows: 20 pts. for Grammar and Punctuation 20 pts. for Organization and Transitions 20 pts. for Characters 20 pts. for Setting 10 pts. for Plot 10 pts. for Point