1. Recalling an Experience
The Bedford Guide for College Writers Ch. 4

2. Learning by Writing
When writing about recalling an experience there is a major challenge writers confront, which is focusing their ideas on a main idea.
When writing about a familiar—and often powerful– experience, it is tempting to include every detail that comes to mind and equally easy to overlook familiar details that would make the story’s relevance clear to the reader.

3. What to show to Readers:
Answer the following questions:
What was important to you about the experience?
What did you learn from it?
How did it change you?
How would you reply to a reader who asked “So what?”

4. Generating Ideas Brainstorming Freewriting Doodling/Sketching
Clustering
Reporter’s Questions:
Who was involved?
What happened?
Where did it take place?
When did it happen?
Why did it happen?
How did the events unfold?

5. Planning, Drafting, Developing
Establishing Your Main Idea Or Thesis
Topic idea + slant= reunion in Georgia + really liked meeting family
Working Thesis= When I went to Georgia for a family reunion, I enjoyed meeting many relatives.
Work up to stating your thesis by completing these two sentences: The most important thing about my experience is________________. I want to share this so that my readers _________________.

6. Planning, Drafting, Developing
Establishing Your Chronology
Retelling an experience is called “Narration,” and the simplest way to organize is chronologically.
Events in order as they happened.
You can also start an account of an experience in the middle and then, through flashback, fill in whatever background information the reader needs to know.
Introduction to Experience and Significance
Introduction to Experience and Significance
Event 1
Event 2
Event 3
Event 4
Conclusion
Event 1
Event 2
Flashback to Past
Event 3
Conclusion

7. Planning, Drafting, Developing
Show Your Audience What Happened
Show instead of Tell
Pg. 71
Show your readers exactly what happened, where it occurred, what was said, who said it. Use details and words that appeal to all five senses—sight, sound, touch, taste, smell.

8. Practice
With the photo you have brought in today, write a short 2-paragraph (introduction and 1st body paragraph) essay recalling your experience.
Make sure you include an introduction describing the photo or setting the scene of the photo. In addition, you will need to include a thesis statement at the END of your introduction.
In your body paragraph, make sure you include a topic sentence and descriptive “Showing” language that helps your reader visualize what is going on.
Ideas to think about: How did this moment make you feel? Why is this photo important? Why do your readers need to know this information?