1. Writing a Personal Narrative
From Prewriting to Final Copy

2. STAAR NARRATIVE WRITING
Analyze The Prompt
STAAR NARRATIVE WRITING
Look at the picture below.
Remember! The “Write” is the actual prompt; the rest is just fluff!
Be careful! Based on the picture and the prompt, what do you think EVERYONE will be writing about?
We’ve all been on journeys, whether they are big in scale or on a more personal level.
Write a personal narrative about a journey you’ve taken. Be sure to write in detail about the major aspects of your adventure and describe the significance of the journey.
Lesson learned
Main events

3. Brainstorming (Topic)
Parents’ divorce
The death of my grandmother
Starting at a brand new school
Remember: It doesn’t have to be an actual journey, just a life experience you’ve been through.
The birth of my baby brother
Journeys I’ve taken
Moving to Texas
Getting my new dog

4. BRAINSTORMING (Main Events)
In a narrative, the numbers indicate what order the events will occur in the story. 1
Picking him out 2
The first night
Dexter today
Getting a new dog
Remember: Try not to pick more than two main events because it gets difficult to provide enough detail with the space you are given for your paper.
Meeting my other dog

5. Tree Map Getting my new dog Apps: Alliteration Personification
Power of 3
Simile
Getting my new dog
Scenes:
Key People:
Main Events:
Lesson Learned:
Personification
Power of 3
Alliteration
Simile
Bring in your two from Circle Map
Make sure it ties in with “the journey”
1. The breeder’s house
“The wood floors cried out in pain as dogs sprinted everywhere.”
(Personification)
2. Our bedroom
Cozy, immaculate, fragrant
(Power of 3)
1. Me
2. Dexter
“Cute, clumsy, curious creature”
(Alliteration)
3. Lily
“She was snooping around Dexter like a detective.”
1. Picking him out
2. The first night
When you add a new member to your family, you have to realize that there are going to be the highest of highs and the lowest of lows; the only thing that will ever stay consistent is the fact that you are always there for one another.

6. Flow Map Introduction: Start at the climax!
“What-in-the-name-of-all-that-is-holy?!”…
Shrieking like a teenage girl who has just arrived at a One Direction concert, I flopped awkwardly out of bed, landing flat on my horrified face. Writhing on the floor in repulsion, and whimpering like some kind of abused animal, I had no idea of the journey I had accidentally embarked on. (Little did I know; I never could have guessed; Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought)
It all started when
Transitions!
Later that day
1. We went to pick up Dexter, our new puppy dog, from the breeder.
2. At the house, we practically fell into our beds.
1. We were nervously wringing our hands as we arrived at the breeder’s house.
2. All around us “the wood floors cried out in pain as dogs sprinted everywhere.” (Personification)
3. My mind was racing; I kept trying to decide if this truly was the right fit for our family.
4. I had felt an emptiness for a long time, and I hoped that this dog would help to fill a void in our home.
5. As the sound of barks and voices faded, I rounded the corner to see a “cute, clumsy, curious creature” (Alliteration) that I instantly fell in love with. He sat, curled like a pig’s tail on a luxurious dog bed. It was at that moment that I knew we had to take this little guy home.
1. Padding softly into the bedroom, I cradled little Dexter in my arms. Gently, I lowered his miniature body onto the cool duvet.
2. Our other dog, Lily, “was snooping around Dexter like a detective.” (Simile) She seemed about as excited as we were!
3. As I drifted off to sleep, my mind was imagining the many fun days ahead that we would have with our new puppy.
4. My heart soared with happiness. I knew that the hole in our family had finally been filled.
5. So, it was there, in our cozy, immaculate bedroom, the fragrance of a candle saturating the air, that I first felt the growing dampness on the flannel sheets. Little did I know at the time, it is never a good idea to have a non-potty-trained canine sleep in the bed with you!
Conclusion: Restate the prompt; Lesson learned
(All in all; So as you can see; Looking back I’ve realized) From that day on, life with Dexter has been quite a compelling journey, but one I wouldn’t give up for anything in the world. When you add a new member to your family, you have to realize that there are going to be the highest of highs and the lowest of lows; the only thing that will ever stay consistent is the fact that you are always there for one another.

7. Rough Draft (Introduction)
Introduction: Start at the climax!
“What-in-the-name-of-all-that-is-holy?!”…
Shrieking like a teenage girl who has just arrived at a One Direction concert, I flopped awkwardly out of bed, landing flat on my horrified face. Writhing on the floor in repulsion, and whimpering like some kind of abused animal, I had no idea of the journey I had accidentally embarked on. (Little did I know; I never could have guessed; Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought)
If you want a title, put it outside the box so you don’t use up space.
“Devil Dog”
“ What-in-the-name-of-all-that-is-holy?!”
Pinkie Space
Done!
Shrieking like a teenage girl who has just arrived at a One Direction concert,
I flopped awkwardly out of bed, landing flat on my horrified face. Writhing
on the floor in repulsion, and whimpering like some kind of abused animal,
I had no idea of the journey I had accidentally embarked on.

8. Rough Draft (Body Paragraph)
“Devil Dog”
Rough Draft (Body Paragraph)
“ What-in-the-name-of-all-that-is-holy?!”
Shrieking like a teenage girl who has just arrived at a One Direction concert,
I flopped awkwardly out of bed, landing flat on my horrified face. Writhing
on the floor in repulsion, and whimpering like some kind of abused animal,
I had no idea of the journey I had accidentally embarked on.
It all started when
we went to pick up Dexter, our new puppy dog,
from the breeder.
We were nervously wringing our hands as we arrived at
DONE!
the breeder’s house. All around us the wood floors cried out in pain as dogs
sprinted everywhere. My mind was racing; I kept trying to decide if this
truly was the right fit for our family. I had felt an emptiness for a long time,
and I hoped that this dog would help to fill a void in our home. As the sound of
barks and voices faded, I rounded the corner to see a cute, clumsy, curious
creature that I instantly fell in love with. He sat, curled like a pig’s tail, on a
luxurious dog bed. It was at that moment that I knew we had to take this little
guy home.
1. We were nervously wringing our hands as we arrived at the breeder’s house.
2. All around us “the wood floors cried out in pain as dogs sprinted everywhere.” (Personification)
3. My mind was racing; I kept trying to decide if this truly was the right fit for our family.
4. I had felt an emptiness for a long time, and I hoped that this dog would help to fill a void in our home.
5. As the sound of barks and voices faded, I rounded the corner to see a “cute, clumsy, curious creature” (Alliteration) that I instantly fell in love with. He sat, curled like a pig’s tail on a luxurious dog bed. It was at that moment that I knew we had to take this little guy home.
It all started when
1. We went to pick up Dexter, our new puppy dog, from the breeder.

9. NOW YOU TRY YOUR BODY PARAGRAPH NUMBER TWO!
Just transfer word for word from your flow map!

10. Rough Draft (Conclusion)
Conclusion: Restate the prompt; Lesson learned
(All in all; So as you can see; Looking back I’ve realized) From that day on, life with Dexter has been quite a compelling journey, but one I wouldn’t give up for anything in the world. When you add a new member to your family, you have to realize that there are going to be the highest of highs and the lowest of lows; the only thing that will ever stay consistent is the fact that you are always there for one another.
From that day on, life with Dexter has been quite a compelling journey,
but one I wouldn’t give up for anything in the world. When you add a new
member to your family, you have to realize that there are going to be the
highest of highs and the lowest of lows; the only thing that will ever stay
consistent is the fact that you are always there for one another.