Personal Essay 250 words

What can you carry?  Brainstorm: make a list of all the things you can carry— think both literally and figuratively. You have to have at the very LEAST 15 things on your list, but you should brainstorm for 3 minutes without talking to anyone—only writing.

Characters  Those who struggle with the conflict  PROTAGONIST (main character)  ANTAGONIST (the person in direct conflict with the main character)

Characterization  Direct Characterization: when the narrator describes a character directly and tells us his/her qualities. Examples?  Indirect Characterization: when the author does not tell us what the character is like. We learn about the character from his speech and actions and dealings with other characters.

things How do these things characterize people? Indirectly? Directly?

The Things they Carried Tim O’Brien

Character Case study  Character’s name:  What does the character carry?  How does the object indirectly characterize this character? What does it tell us about him?

Indirectly characterize yourself.  Think of an object/idea (or several) that represents you. What is it? Describe it in detail.  Describe how this object/idea indirectly characterizes you. What does it tell others about you?  Name some personality traits associated with your object/idea 

Narrative Essay 1. What you can Carry Topic 2. What are some of your life time goals and what makes them valuable to you? 3. You have just completed your 300-page autobiography. Please submit page Think about something you never did in high school but wish you had. Discuss why you didn’t do this, why you wish you had, and what you think/hope the difference would have been. 5. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.

Now, turn your responses into a NARRATIVE essay…Some ways to start-- -but make sure you are creative!  For ________ years I have carried ___________.  I have had to carry______________.  I proudly carry _______________.

Indirectly Characterize yourself  Let’s look at the sample… For more than ten years I have carried “Forever” in my wallet. While literally I only carry a worn pink piece of eight by ten paper with faded black ink that whispers the song by the Beach Boys in my mind, what I really carry is a promise. The room is colder than I remember. I can hear the air working overtime trying to maintain the temperature while the heat intensifies outside. I sit in the simple, black rubber chair staring at my hands and wondering if I made a mistake. The tiny gift box sits beside me and I feel the nervous butterflies tap-dancing in my stomach. When he walks in, I can’t help but smile. He sits down next to me and says three words, but not the three you might expect. He says, “I’ll remember forever.” I hand him the box and thank him, while trying to fight back the tears and he barely has time to grasp it before we are interrupted by a flood of people and I walk away feeling the loss acutely. The card, a thank you for the tiny box, is waiting for me in my cubbyhole the next day, and as the pink slip of eight by ten paper flutters out I know I’ll remember forever too. Occasionally, I will unfold this promise and slowly trace the worn creases of the paper and remember a time of innocence, love, and excitement. I will remember who I was, who I am and who I want to become and I will whisper a prayer for the human race to hold onto the gift of promise forever like I do. Let’s look at you… What does this tell you about the writer? How does this SHOW you rather than TELL you about the person?

Writing Handbook Page 8  Step 1: Read the two paragraphs.  Step 2: Identify the major differences b/t the two by creating a T chart.  Step 3: form an opinion  Decide which is better  Have a SPECIFIC example to back up your response

SHOW don’t Tell Page (Writing Handbook)

Writing Handbook Page  Linking verb  Passive  Connect the subject of the verb to additional information about the subject (see pg. 11)  Helping verb  Passive  help the main verb in a sentence by extending the meaning of the verb  Action verb  Active!  Show that the subject is doing something, not just existing. Keila is a shopaholic. Ising isn't something that Keila can do. Is connects the subject, Keila, to additional information about her, that she will soon have a huge credit card bill to pay. We are running in a race. What is the helping verb here? Notice that many helping verbs can also be linking verbs… Jackie ran a race last weekend What is the action verb here? Notice that action verbs help you be more concise

Action verbs SHOW rather than TELL.  The man is a monster.  Does this show or tell?  Not very vivid…in fact it’s dull.  So…change it to action to show he is a monster. The man ripped off the sheep’s head and ate the eyeballs with a sickening squishy crunch.

List at least 4 action verbs you can use in your essay  Turn your list in  Remember the rough draft is due tomorrow!!!

Group work The best essays…

Step I: individual work  Read the each essay to yourself and write your opinion about the writing and style in the boxes below.

Step II: Individual work  CIRCLE ALL THE ACTION VERBS IN EACH ESSAY

Step III: Group work  Discuss with your group the pros and cons of each essay and compile two separate pro/con lists.

Step IV: Group Work  Decide in your group which of the two applicants you would accept to your university (you may only choose one) and back up your response using examples form the essay and the advice given to you.

Step V: Individual Work  Draft the acceptance letter to the student and cite something from their essay that led you to the decision.