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PERSONAL NARRATIVE Revising III: Playing With Time – Slow Motion

Personal Narrative Pacing is an important consideration when writing a personal narrative. With pacing, we control the way readers move through our writing. One way writers accomplish this is by slowing down time so readers can visualize and live in the scene.

Personal Narrative When watching sports on TV, an amazing play might be shown again to slow motion. This allows the viewers to closely see how great the play was frame by frame. The viewers are treated to all the minor details and can fully appreciate the play.

Personal Narrative Here are several ways writers can slow down time….

Personal Narrative  Let’s analyze how some of our authors demonstrate these techniques.  Jack Gantos slowed down time using many techniques.  Roald Dahl used a different technique to slow down time in his chapter from Boy: Tales of Childhood called “Mr. Coombes.”  How does Roald slow down the scene? What technique does he use?

Personal Narrative However, good writers don’t overuse this technique. If you were to slow down every scene, readers would be frustrated with the pace of the story and unnecessary details. Both Roald and Jack chose scenes that are suspenseful or contain some action.

Personal Narrative Read through your story and select one or two sentences that you could expand. Discuss with a partner an appropriate place to slow your readers down in order to elaborate, create a sense of suspense, or evoke another type of emotion. Share what words you might use to accomplish this. Draw a box around that part and write it on your handout. Replay the scene in your head in slow motion. Then, using at least one of the techniques from our chart, slow down time so the readers can almost hear a clock ticking.

Personal Narrative There are many techniques writers use to connect with their readers. Slowing down time allows the readers to visualize and fully experience the scene. Continue doing this important work during writing workshop today.