Writing Your Oral History Everything You Need to Know

Introductory Paragraph (YOU) 3 rd person point-of-view Interesting hook Adequate background information –Who –Why chose –Your connection to person –Personality? Statement of purpose 3- to 5-sentence* minimum

Exemplary Introductory Paragraph Tara Hamilton was the “new kid on the block” when she arrived at the ESPN X Games (the “Alternative” or “Extreme Olympics) in San Diego, California, in June Not only was she young – just fifteen – but she had been wakeboarding for only nine months. In that amazingly short amount of time, with the help of her coach, Darin Shapiro, and the support of her family, she made it to the X Games. She did not know it then, but she was on the verge of a major victory.

Give Enough Background My mom grew up in a large family. She was the oldest and had two younger sisters and four younger brothers. With all the commotion of six younger kids, dating was very difficult as you can imagine.

What do you know already? There were some bad times at the University of Puget Sound in My dad and his friends were attending the school. They were good students and athletes, but they liked to pull pranks, get in trouble, and goof off. There were many stories about them but this one stood out in particular. And it was one of the few that is appropriate.

Narrative (THE STORY) Here are some hints for telling the story or narrative. Remember, first paragraph you introduce. Now it is time to hear from the interviewee.

Point-of-View First Person Point-of-View –Sounds like interviewee is telling the story –Sounds like interviewee is talking to the reader –Use “I” and “me” and “my”

First-Person –For example: Surprisingly, I wasn’t intimidated by the competition. I told myself that the X games were just like any other tournament and that I needed to focus on what I had to do. I tried to keep in mind how many other sporting events were going on there, so I could put my upcoming performance into perspective.

Third-Person Point-of-View Third Person Point-of-View –Sounds like the interviewer is telling the story –Sounds like you, the writer, are telling the story as it was it was told to you –Use “he/she” and “him/her” and the character’s name, for example, my mom.

Third Person For example, On the night of the dance, my mom was getting dressed, ignoring the teasing of siblings, calling friends, and enjoying the scents of Christmas, when DeWayne knocked on Mom’s door.

REMEMBER For the narrative (story), the point- of-view is your choice. However, you MUST stay consistent. Once you’ve established the point-of- view, stay with it, do NOT switch back and forth.

The Plot Make sure the narrative (story) has a well-developed plot. What makes up a plot?

Sensory Details Make sure to include sensory details for at least four of the five senses. How did it look? Feel? Taste? Smell? Sound? Show don’t tell! Paint a picture in the reader’s mind.

Character Development Make sure the reader understands the interviewee’s personality. Include: »Actions »Thoughts »Feelings »Words »Appearance

Concluding Paragraph Revisit your statement of purpose –Why is this story worth sharing? –How were you able to connect to the story? –What did you learn from the story or the interview experience? –What can the reader learn from the story? What will you remember most about this experience?

Concluding Paragraph End your concluding paragraph by incorporating a direct quotation from you interviewee that leaves a lasting impression on your reader.

Quote Example “Winning first place made me realize just how far I had really come. It was great knowing that all of the training, falls, and frustration of learning new tricks had paid off.”

Another example “It is funny to tell these stories to you now, and it was even funny to me back then, but I don’t think my boyfriends liked it much. Maybe that is why I didn’t have many dates. No one ever wanted to come back.”

Overview Introductory Paragraph YOU explain background, purpose Narrative –Interviewee’s story told Concluding Paragraph –YOU and INTERVIEWEE (quote) –Combine your thoughts with your interviewee’s quote to finalize the narrative and leave your reader with a lasting impression

How long? Introductory Paragraph –3 to 5 sentences Narrative (story) –3 to 5 PARAGRAPHS Conclusion Paragraph –3 to 5 sentences Completed Oral History –1-1/2 to 2 typed pages (double spaced)