1. Remembering Essay
Techniques

2. Remembering Essay: Writing a Focused NARRATIVE
Show Don’t Tell—observing techniques
Topic Choice—focus on occasion and cultural context.
Limit and Focus—create a specific scene in TIME and SPACE
Avoid monotonously summarizing
Cliches— “My life will never be the same”
Subjective vs. Objective Details

3. Note: Changes, Contrasts & Conflict
Changes—in people and places
Contrasts—between memories or appearance vs. reality
CONFLICT = TENSION
Connections—between past events, people, places, and the present
Insight—Main Idea
Why is the memory important?

4. Other Techniques to Consider:
TIME ORDER
In medias res = “in the middle”
Flashback
Chronological
POINT OF VIEW and TENSE
First person
Past verse Present

5. Topic Choices Avoid the dreaded “Top 40”
Boyfriend/Girlfriend
Spring Break
Death
Focus on the smaller moment, for you can discover great insight.