Autobiographical Narrative Introduction A Writer’s Checklist Choosing a meaningful experience Selecting events and details Arranging the events and details Reflecting on the experience A Writer’s Model Your Turn: Write an autobiographical narrative 1

Introduction What are the most important events of your life? This question would receive many different responses from different people. Your answer might point to taking a memorable trip, winning an important game, or meeting a close friend. 2

Introduction Others may point to less definite moments in their lives, such as time spent visiting a family member or friend. An autobiographical narrative allows you to reflect on these important moments in your life and explain their significance to your readers. 3

A Writer’s Checklist When you write an autobiographical narrative, you should: Choose a specific meaningful experience about which you can write convincingly. Select events and details that will bring your experience to life for your reader. Arrange the events and details in a way that makes the narrative most effective. Reflect on the experience and how it has affected you. 4

Choosing a meaningful experience What will you write about? Your autobiographical narrative should focus on a single experience from your life. Select an experience that is especially significant to you and that you remember well. 5

Choosing a meaningful experience Identify a number of potential topics by considering how you might complete these statements: I realized _______ on the day that I _______. The experience of ______ helped me learn that ____. Things changed for me because of ______. I realized that I had a greater appreciation of nature on the day that I left my grandparents’ cottage. 6

Choosing a meaningful experience Narrow your list of potential topics by asking yourself: Which experience do I recall most clearly? Which experience feels most significant to me? Which experience has had the greatest effect on me? Which experience shows the “real me”? From the remaining experiences, choose the one you would most like to write about. 7

Selecting events and details Record the events of your experience–the large details that carry your narrative from beginning to end and provide the core of your essay. The events in your autobiographical narrative should answer the question: What happened next? For instance: the trip to my grandparents’ house -long drive to their home -grandparents greet us -we take bags inside -walk around to the back of the house, see huge lake, take walk around the lake 9

Selecting events and details Narrative and descriptive details expand upon the events of your experience and provide your readers with a clearer picture of the action. Adding narrative and descriptive details to your autobiographical writing will enhance your audience’s understanding of your experience and its significance. 10

Selecting events and details Narrative Details Example Describe specific events and actions When we arrived at the cottage, my grandparents greeted us warmly. Can reveal the thoughts and feelings of people in your narrative I wondered where the people went to shop, eat, and visit with their friends. My grandfather said, “It’s about time we got you out of the city, Madelyn.” Can often include dialogue 11

Selecting events and details Descriptive Details Example Provide factual and spatial information about people, places, and objects The cottage was located several hours away from our home. We listened to the sounds of the lake lapping against the shore, the calls of birds in the trees, and the soft crunch of our footsteps below us. Include sensory language (which describes sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch) 12

Selecting events and details If you are writing about an experience that occurred months or years in the past, details may be difficult to recall. Try the following strategies: Reflect on the event and attempt to visualize it in your mind. Discuss the event with others who experienced it along with you. If possible, return to the place where the event occurred and take notes about your observations.

Selecting events and details As you recall details about your experiences, record them in a chart like the one below. This will help you organize your thoughts as you prepare to write your narrative. Events in the experience Narrative and descriptive details Thoughts and feelings about events My mother decided to take me on a trip to visit my grandparents. My grandparents live in a cottage several hours away from my home. The cottage is located in a remote area, far from the nearest city or town. I am dreading spending time away from my friends during the summer. I want to be able to participate in my favorite summer activities. 14

Arranging the events and details Most authors use chronological order when writing narratives, including autobiographical narratives. The author arranges events in the order in which they occurred, moving from the first event of the narrative to the last. I begin to appreciate our walks through the areas around the cottage. My mother and I begin our trip to my grandparents’ cottage. I am surprised by the surroundings at the cottage. Beginning End 15

Arranging the events and details Skilled writers find ways to generate tension and excitement about the action taking place. For instance, you might begin your narrative with an especially dramatic moment and then describe the events that led up to it. As I prepare to leave, I look at my surroundings and think about how much I will miss the cottage. I am surprised by the surroundings at the cottage. I begin to appreciate our walks through the areas around the cottage. My mother and I begin our trip to my grandparents’ cottage. 16

Arranging the events and details Another strategy is the use of flashbacks (jumps back in time) and flash-forwards (jumps forward in time) to create a more exciting narrative arrangement. Flash- forward to my new feelings about the importance of this trip. Flashback to my worries about being bored prior to making this trip. My mother and I begin our trip to my grandparents’ cottage. 17

Arranging the events and details At times, authors can even change the way they arrange their details in a particular passage or section of text. For instance, when providing the description of a person or place, the author may decide to arrange the details in order of importance or in spatial order. 18

Arranging the events and details The chart below shows how a writer might arrange the events and details in her narrative. Notice the techniques that add interest to the chronological arrangement of information. Begin with dramatic scene in which I am leaving the cottage. Explain that I have undergone an important change. Start to describe the events that led up to this moment. Describe thoughts and feelings prior to the trip. Event 1: My mother and I take the trip to the cottage. Add dialogue here as I begin to take in the setting. Reflect on the importance of the trip. Explain how these lessons have remained with me in the years since. Event 2: I begin to recognize the beauty of this location. Add dialogue with my grandmother. 19

Reflecting on the experience Through the events and details in your narrative, you have already given an up-close view of the people, places, and things that were part of your experience. Reflecting means taking a step back to think about the larger meaning of all of these things. My trip to visit my grandparents helped me to understand the beauty and value of nature. The trip inspired me to work to preserve natural areas. 20

Reflecting on the experience To help reflect on the big-picture view of your experience, ask yourself the following questions: What have I learned about myself and others from this experience? What feelings does this experience bring out in me? How did the experience change me or the way I think about things? 21

A Writer’s Checklist Use the checklist as you look at the following Writer’s Model and as you evaluate your own autobiographical narrative. Choose a specific meaningful experience about which you can write convincingly. Select events and details that will bring your experience to life for your reader. Arrange the events and details in a way that makes the narrative most effective. Reflect on the experience and how it has affected you. 23

As I stood in the driveway of my grandparents’ cottage, I thought back over the past week. Things had turned out so differently than I had expected when this trip began. I already knew, as I prepared to head home, that the trip had changed my views in several important ways. My mother and I loaded our suitcases into the trunk and climbed into the car as my grandparents waved goodbye. As we began the long drive home, I felt like a different person than the girl who had arrived just a few days earlier. Starts with a dramatic moment and describes the events that led up to it. hint at significance of experience

A week earlier, my mom had taken me on a summer trip to visit my grandparents’ cottage. I had never been to the cottage, which they lived in during the summer months. I dreaded spending a week at the cottage, which was located several hours away from our home, away from my friends and my favorite summer activities. I wanted to be swimming, riding my bicycle, and playing baseball—not driving out into the middle of nowhere, where I knew there would be nothing to do. narrative details—event descriptive details—factual and spatial information narrative details—thoughts and feelings

As we approached the cottage in my mother’s car, I was surprised at how remote the location seemed. “Where do people go to shop, eat, and meet their friends?” I wondered. Upon our arrival, my grandparents greeted us warmly. We carried our bags inside and walked around to the back of the cottage. I was shocked to see a huge lake! My grandfather must have noticed my surprise, as he said with a grin, “It’s about time we got you out of the city, Madelyn.” narrative details—event narrative details—thoughts and feelings descriptive details—factual and spatial information narrative details—dialogue

Later that afternoon, we all took a walk through the nearby woods Later that afternoon, we all took a walk through the nearby woods. Rarely speaking, we strolled along the dirt paths. As we walked, we listened to the sounds of the water lapping against the shore, the calls of birds in the trees, and the soft crunch of our footsteps below us. I began to feel myself relax more and more as we wound our way deeper into the woods. I thought about how different this place was than my street at home, and I finally began to understand why my grandparents liked it there. narrative details—event descriptive details—sensory language narrative details—thoughts, feelings and reflection

As the week progressed, I found myself looking forward to our walks through the woods or along the lake more and more. On our final day, I told my grandmother how much I had enjoyed my stay. As our conversation ended, I said that I thought I might even like to live in a place with so much natural beauty one day. She smiled and said, “I’m so happy to hear that, dear. It’s important that we appreciate and take care of places like this, so that we can still enjoy them in the future.” narrative details—event narrative details—dialogue

Long after my visit, my grandmother’s words echoed in my mind Long after my visit, my grandmother’s words echoed in my mind. The trip to the cottage had given me a new appreciation for the beauty of nature, and I became determined to do my part to help preserve it. To this day, I volunteer to help clean up natural areas, such as parks, forests, and beaches, so that others can enjoy them as much as I have, now and in the future. I never would have thought that a dreaded trip to visit my grandparents would have such a lasting impact on my life. reflection lasting impact of experience

Your Turn : Write an autobiographical narrative Choose one of the prompts below and write an autobiographical narrative about it. Write about a setback or disappointment that ultimately proved to be a valuable learning experience. Tell about an event in which you learned through the actions—either positive or negative—of another person.

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