1. Narrative/Descriptive Essay
This essay is informal and it should tell a personal story from the past.
This means the Essay will be mostly in the past tense.

2. Requirements Informal Tone Five paragraphs, 2 ½-3 typed pages
The story must have a beginning, middle, and end.
One final copy, typed and double spaced
You can choose your own topic, but topic suggestions are offered at the end of the slides.

3. Development Ideas Introduction Paragraph
Setting: Physical surroundings,
Who is involved in the story? Vital Characters
What is the mood?
Thesis Statement: Hint at the action
Ex. “This day changed my life…” This should be the last sentence of the Introduction.
Typically, narratives are not written in a Five paragraph format. We have to make the story fit into this format. Use the outline given to help you achieve all the parts of the format.

4. First Body Paragraph Start the Action!
Use your five senses: Sight, Sound, Scent, Taste, Touch
Intensify the Action: Consider if your story is physical or emotional.
Tell the story in the past tense consistently!
Try not to be seduced by Setting. Start the action!

5. Second Body Paragraph Escalate the Action
Use Action words to intensify the action!
Vary Sentences to keep the interest of the reader
Inject your feelings about the actions that are transpiring in your story
Move toward the Climax of the story
Each Essay will use these elements differently. Some will need more space to build actions and to describe feelings, while others may need more room to fully develop the Climax of the story. Consider using some flexibility with the outline to help you. You may need a little of the top of paragraph three to finish up the escalating action. That is fine.

6. Climax: The highest dramatic point of the story
Remember this will be a different point for everyone
For example, for some if your Essay is about a car accident, then the climax may be when the crash occurs, or it may be when you realized you were hurt. For an emotional story, the climax may be when you realize that you have decided to change the course of your life with an important decision (a break up, attending college, moving out of your parent’s house, etc.)

7. Climax: Third/Fourth Paragraph
Be prepared to slow down the action. It creates tension/suspense.
Be sure the climax is tied to the overall meaning of the story.
Show the action! Put your reader in the action seat.
We will see some examples of this in our readings.

8. Conclusion Resolution/Outcome of your story
Tell only a story that has a true purpose in the telling.
Your reader should see how you have been impacted
What did you learn about yourself, others, this experience?
At this point you can use the present tense to show how you have been impacted by the experience. Example: “Looking back, I now know that a I am a stronger person because of this experience because…”

9. Topic Suggestions Loss of a Loved one Family Trip
Living alone for the first time
A disappointing experience
A very happy time (graduation, birthday, birth, etc.)
A marriage/or a divorce
A life change (health, wealth, or location)

10. Topic Suggestions Con’t
A first love
A first job
A prized possession (jewelry passed down from a loved one, something you’ve made.)
A lesson you learned