Your first essay will
be a reflection about an event that has left a meaningful impression on you or made an impact on how you view
yourself or your life. The main event must be an anecdote that is no longer
than 24 hours; you will have to include build-up so that the event makes sense,
but the essay should be focused on a small moment that reveals a particular significance. A personal
event essay will follow the following basic narrative structure:
Build-up–events leading up to the main event that are important to
understanding the significance Main event–the climax or main moment where
the change happens Significance–explanation of
how the main event affected your life, especially in the long-term. Make sure
to show the reader how your life afterwards is different than your life
revealed in the build-up. (See sample essays that we will discuss in class for more information). The event does
not have to be the most important or life-changing experience in your life. In
fact, avoid the usual topics (the birth of a child, death of a loved one, your
wedding or engagement, senior prom, spring break,
etc.). Think back through your experience and pick a memory that is vivid and
unique, and ask yourself why you remember that event in particular opposed to
all the other experiences in your life. Perhaps, the event is significant
because it made your appreciate someone
or allowed you to see some small truth about yourself or the world-a strength,
weakness, hope, etc. Your goals are to: ***** ***** your experiences as vividly
as possible using naming, detailing, and specific narrative action, explain the
significance of the event in your life, use at
least five lines of dialogue, and apply MLA Manuscript format. Audience Address
the essay to people like your classmates who do not know your background but
who are intelligent and interested and who will be able to learn something about your growth as individual.
Remember that I and some of your classmates may read your essay, so choose a
topic you are willing to share with others. Technical Requirements Design your
document in MLA format (see pgs. 479-481 in LB Brief).
Write 3-5 pages double-spaced in 12-point Times
New Roman font. As you prepare to write about your significant event, please
pay careful attention to the invention strategies, narrating techniques, and
sample essays presented in the Reading and Discussion Board Assignments. Objectives: Demonstrate your
ability to create a coherent, cohesive college-level narrative Demonstrate your
ability to analyze your subject Demonstrate your ability to use direct dialogue
in an essay Demonstrate your understanding of description strategies Understand and apply organization
strategies for a narrative essay Understand and apply Standard American English
and a college-level writing style.
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