2. Choose one of the following essay topics: A risk that paid off An event that changed your view of yourself An unforgettable event you witnessed

3. Write a list of at least 10 brainstormed ideas about your topic making sure to think of specific, concrete examples, details, and events about a single time and place. For example, if you chose the topic, "My Response to September 11th," you could create a list like this: watching the jet liner crashing into the south tower seeing people jump from the buildings waking up because the phone was ringing turning on the TV to see the World Trade Center buildings, and the North Tower is billowing smoke switching from station to station to see coverage of the disaster calling my wife when the North Tower fell counting the number of firetrucks on the TV screen as they responded to the fires covering my daughter's eyes with my hand as the South Tower fell noticing that the sun was shining on the TV, but it was still dark out where I was watching in California listening to the news announcer state that it was not an accident but an act of terrorism

4. Organize these ideas into chronological order. For example, the list above could be organized like this: waking up because the phone was ringing turning on the TV to see the World Trade Center buildings, and the North Tower is billowing smoke switching from station to station to see coverage of the disaster noticing that the sun was shining on the TV, but it was still dark out where I was watching in California watching the jet liner crashing into the south tower seeing people jump from the buildings counting the number of firetrucks on the TV screen as they responded to the fires listening to the news announcer state that it was not an accident but an act of terrorism covering my daughter's eyes with my hand as the South Tower fell calling my wife when the North Tower fell

5. Organize these ideas into paragraph groups. For example, the list above could be organized like this: Finding out about the tragedy waking up because the phone was ringing turning on the TV to see the World Trade Center buildings, and the North Tower is billowing smoke switching from station to station to see coverage of the disaster noticing that the sun was shining on the TV, but it was still dark out where I was watching in California Watching the disaster unfold and learning that it was terrorism watching the jet liner crashing into the south tower seeing people jump from the buildings counting the number of firetrucks on the TV screen as they responded to the fires listening to the news announcer state that it was not an accident but an act of terrorism Responding with sadness and terror to the carnage covering my nine-year-old daughter's eyes with my hand as the South Tower fell

6. Write three possible thesis statements for your organized list. Be sure each is a complete sentence, includes a controlling idea, and is specific. For example, here are three possible thesis statements you could create from the organized list: The morning of September 11th, 2001, I watched America lose its innocence. After my wife's frantic call awakened me on the tragic mornng of September 11th, 2001, I watched with horror as an act of terrorism was broadcast live on national TV. After being suddenly awakened on the fateful morning of September 11th, 2001, I watched with horror as the tragic events unfolded on national TV.

7. Write a topic sentence and organize (and add, if necessary) at least three specific details for your first paragraph group (use the checklist for writing narrative paragraphs on page 83). For example, the topic sentence might be, "When my wife called me from work in the pre-dawn hours of September 11th, she told me turn on the news because a terrible accident had occurred in New York City." The details would be waking up because the phone was ringing turning on the TV to see the World Trade Center buildings, and the North Tower is billowing smoke switching from station to station to see coverage of the disaster noticing that the sun was shining on the TV, but it was still dark out where I was watching in California

8. Write a topic sentence and organize (and add, if necessary) at least three specific details for your second paragraph group (use the checklist for writing narrative paragraphs on page 83). For example, the topic sentence might be, "As I flipped from channel to channel and recoiled in horror as another jet struck the landmark, I was stunned to realize that the tragedy was a vile act of terrorism." The details would be watching the jet liner crashing into the south tower seeing people jump from the buildings counting the number of firetrucks on the TV screen as they responded to the fires listening to the news announcer state that it was not an accident but an act of terrorism

9. Write a topic sentence and organize (and add, if necessary) at least three specific details for your third paragraph group (use the checklist for writing narrative paragraphs on page 83). For example, the topic sentence might be, "As the grim reality sank into my numb mind, I tried to process the true scope of the event." The details would be covering my nine-year-old daughter's eyes with my hand as the South Tower fell calling my wife when the North Tower fell

10. Write a topic sentence and organize (and add, if necessary) at least three specific details for any more paragraph groups (use the checklist for writing narrative paragraphs on page 83). Organize the thesis statement along with the topic sentences and events and details you have chosen for each paragraph into an outline or plan.

11. Choose at type of order (time, space, or order of importance) and revise the outline or plan to reflect the ordering. For example, I have chosen chronological order in order to make the narrative clear. Write a first draft of the essay, paying particular attention to transitions in and between the paragraphs (use the examples from the box on page 78). After going back and rereading your first draft for organization and clarity, proofread for grammar and spelling errors.