Beginnings, Middles and Ends Oh my!

The Big Picture How you might best structure your personal essay really depends on several factors that will be specific to the story you intend to tell.

The Beginning Your story’s beginning should draw readers in, establish the tone of the piece and set up some aspect of the conflict or problem. Try several different first lines: Start at the beginning Try the middle Work your way back from the end Always choose the most surprising.

The Middle The middle needs to keep the tension, created by the conflict, going. Build the relationship between internal and external conflict. Types of Conflict: Person vs. Person Person vs. Nature Person vs. Society Person vs. Machine Person vs. Self

The End Where you resolve the conflict in some way and draw your final connections and conclusions. You’ll need to show character (meaning your own) growth or give a reason there wasn’t any. It should be a progression It should not just magically happen in the last paragraph You do not have to present events as they happen, but rather show the character moving through events.

Narrative Arc Personal Essay or Short Story Play or Novel