Personal Narrative

Personal Narrative A form of writing in which the writer tells of an event, incident, or experience in his or her own life To narrate means to tell a story - in writing a personal narrative, the writer presents a detailed account of a personal experience in narrative form The incident should be of great significance to the writer, perhaps one that taught you something or changed you in some way As a writer, your purpose is to show readers how the event affected you and why it was important in your life The events of a personal narrative are most often presented in chronological order, the order in which they actually occurred in time The personal narrative incorporates vivid descriptive details as well as the thoughts, feelings, and reactions of the writer

Characteristics of the Personal Narrative It tells a story Focuses on one experience Shows the purpose clearly in that the importance of the event is clear to the reader Contains narrative details placed in chronological order Expresses the writer’s thoughts and feelings throughout Is written in first person point of view (“I”) Has many relevant sensory details (for the reader to see, hear, feel, smell, and taste) Must have dialogue in order for the reader to feel like they are there Must explain why the event is important and/or how it affected the writer

Parts of a Personal Narrative A beginning that grabs the reader’s interest and sometimes gives background information and a hint about the meaning or importance of the event A middle that tells about important events, describes people and places, and tells the writer’s thoughts and feelings An ending in which the writer explains the outcome and shows the meaning of the experience and what he or she learned from it

Why do people write about themselves? Why do people feel the need to write about themselves? Why do we feel the need to read about other people’s lives and experiences? People keep diaries to record their daily thoughts and actions, or to make sense of their lives and come to terms with themselves. They write memoirs and autobiographies to explain themselves to others, or to entertain, or even to make money! We read diaries and autobiographies for several reasons. We are relieved to find that someone has had the same experience as us or has suffered as we have. We like finding out about famous people. We like to be entertained. We want to know about people from different backgrounds, historical periods, and different cultures. When we write about ourselves, sometimes it is intended purely for our own reading and sometimes it is for others to read.

Helpful hints when writing a personal narrative: PICK A GOOD LEAD You can use the lead, or opening of your personal narrative to do two things: First, grab the attention of your audience Second, establish the tone of the story One way to develop a lead is to do a quickwrite (we will be doing some pre-writing activities). Suppose you decide to write about a contest you entered. It’s boring to begin like this: Last year, our town held a snow-sculpture contest. Instead, you could begin like this: I was surrounded by opponents and almost blown over by frigid gusts, but I was determined to win. My snow sculpture was going to win the prize for most creative idea.

Helpful hints when writing a personal narrative: ORGANIZATION Here are some ideas to consider as you decide how to organize your story. Why not imagine your experience told in each of these three ways, to see which would work best. Organizing by time: You can narrate events in the order in which they happened. You could vary this organization a little by using a flashback, which is an interruption presenting a scene from an earlier time. Organizing by space: You can describe what is happening in one location first, and then you can describe what is happening in another location. You could also alternate between two or more locations. Organizing by importance: You can begin with the least important event and end with the most important. You could also organize in the reverse order, starting with the most important idea and then follow with less important ideas that support or explain the main idea.

Helpful hints when writing a personal narrative: “SHOW” YOUR EXPERIENCES As you write, you may find it helpful to recall the advice often given to writers to “show, not tell.” One way to “show” is to describe concrete details about a place, a time, or a person. Try to let your readers see what you saw and hear what you heard. You can also try to show your feelings instead of simply telling what they were. “I was inspired by the competition” could become “All around me, shapeless white blobs were turning into people, animals, and miniature ships and castles. My hands began to work faster and faster, as if fueled by magic.”

Helpful hints when writing a personal narrative: THE LAST WORD What is the final idea you want to leave with your reader? You might choose an ending that allows different interpretations or leaves the reader to imagine what happens next. You could also let readers know how you felt about your experience or how your experience might affect your future.

The use of transitions in narrative writing You can make the sequence of events clear in a personal narrative by using transitional words and phrases. Transitions are words and phrases that carry a reader from one thought to the next. Here are some transitional words and phrases often used in narratives: Sometimes, you may want to use more specific transitions. For example, you may use such phrases as three o’clock, a month later, or next June. Try to use a variety of transitions whenever you write a narrative. first then next finally by while soon later when but at the beginning in the middle afterward at the end however before after by the time at the same time even though

The use of transitions in narrative writing Using transitions, improve this excerpt from a personal narrative: This spring I decided to try the low hurdles. I didn’t know how I’d do. I hoped I wouldn’t fall flat on my face. I got into the starting block. I took off. I knocked down the first hurdle. Sailing over the second and third hurdles, I had room to spare. The fourth hurdle came up. I felt like I’d learned to fly.