1. With your theme song lyrics…
Find and HIGHLIGHT 3 lines which specifically represent you – Explain what they mean in your own words.
Find or decide on the song’s TONE – Highlight words which support your decision.
IDENTIFY the song’s THEME – What do you take away from this song that is so special?

2. Personal Narrative - Introduction
Attention Grabber/Introductory Element: Initial sentence needs to catch the audience’s attention – Remember: You are one of MANY essays.
Use of Quote
Interesting Statement/Statistic/Fact
Allusion to later events
**Do not ask a question to the reader!!**
“I thought I had life figured out; I thought I had settled down, created a family, and earned the predictable routine where I could find comfort. Life had other plans.

3. Personal Narrative - Introduction
Topic Sentence: A statement which introduces the essay as a whole- the MAIN IDEA of your essay
Think GENERAL: Overall what do you want your reader to know?
What is the meaning of the song?
Why is the song important to you?
What is special about the song’s lyrics?
Desiree’s words in her song “You Gotta Be” speak to me as I reflect on this past year’s events. She challenges us to challenge life and all the unknown obstacles the future holds. Her message of optimism and persistence is one I am trying to follow daily.

4. Personal Narrative - Introduction
Thesis Statement: A statement which introduces the specific elements of your paper. When read, it should guide the reader through what they should expect to see in the upcoming paragraphs.
Be specific – Remember, when you write your thesis, the rest of your essay should support or refer back to this statement.
Much like the lessons I have learned through my struggles, she teaches me that with a positive attitude and bold confidence, I can overcome any unpredictability in my quest for the predictable.

5. Now, to Start your paper…
1. Go back to the song lyrics and find the lines you highlighted.
2. Now, take those lines and transfer them to a sheet of paper.
3. Underneath each, brainstorm what story, situation, event, description, or idea you will connect with that line based on your paraphrasing yesterday.
**In a sense, you are telling me what the body paragraph will be about as it is specified by the quote.
Think to yourself: Do I have enough to interest the reader? Can I give an accurate portrayal of myself through these words?
This does not need to be in complete sentences, but I do need to have an idea of where the specific quotes will lead you

6. Example:
Example:
“Herald what your mother said Reading the books your father read Try to solve the puzzles in your own sweet time”
Deciding on a major – my parents wanted me to pursue medicine – I changed half way through freshman year to English – I learned I have to make my own mistakes and follow my own course while using the lessons my parents taught me as a foundation.

7. Body paragraphs
Show, Don’t Tell – Don’t tell the reader what he/she is supposed to think or feel; let the reader see, hear, smell, feel, and taste the experience directly. INCLUDE SENSORY DETAIL.
Tense: Once you decide on a verb tense (past vs. present) you must remain consistent. Make sure all of your verbs match!
Tone: Look over the subject you are presenting and think of what you are trying to get across. How do you want your audience to feel when they finish? Careful DICTION will help.
Figurative Language: Using figurative language helps you place an image in a concise manner. It allows for you to be SPECIFIC in your description.

8. Body Paragraphs
I was seventeen, but I remember it like yesterday. It was my freshman year at East Carolina University, and I was sitting in the training room surrounded by athletes, ice, tape, and trainers when I witnessed my first deep tissue massage. I heard a scream that sounded like a wounded animal and looked to find a 200 pound baseball player on his knees. He was wrenching in pain, and the trainer simply continued the therapy indifferently. That scream ripped into me like a serrated knife into a crisp, cold apple. I felt a horrible sinking feeling that seemed to possess my whole body—a feeling so terrifying that even the bravest person alive could not possibly endure it. I would be that trainer one day; I would inflict that pain on someone in the name of therapy. I knew immediately I was in pursuit of the wrong profession.

9. Body paragraphs
I was seventeen, but I remember it like yesterday. It was my freshman year at East Carolina University, and I was sitting in the training room surrounded by athletes, ice, tape, and trainers when I witnessed my first deep tissue massage. I heard a scream that sounded like a wounded animal and looked to find a 200 pound baseball player on his knees. He was wrenching in pain, and the trainer simply continued the therapy indifferently. That scream ripped into me like a serrated knife into a crisp, cold apple. I felt a horrible sinking feeling that seemed to possess my whole body—a feeling so terrifying that even the bravest person alive could not possibly endure it. I would be that trainer one day; I would inflict that pain on someone in the name of therapy. I knew immediately I was in pursuit of the wrong profession.

10. Conclusion
The conclusion paragraph should summarize the main idea of the essay. You do not want to restate this previous sentence, but you do need to remind the reader of the overall purpose of the essay.
Bring the reader to a close – a place of satisfaction that the essay is over.
Should include a THEME or REFLECTION.
REMEMBER: This is the last element your reader will review. What is the most important idea you want them to remember??

11. Conclusion strategies
Question: Close with a question that involves the reader – rhetorical questions help the reader draw their own conclusions.
Strong Statement: Close with a statement that forcefully states your opinion or moral
Summary: Close with a summary of your main ideas. Careful – be sure not to just repeat what you have said; rather, offer a reflection on these ideas.
Personal Comment: Comment or respond to what you have written as if you are the reader. You are drawing the conclusion for the reader and stating explicitly what you want them to take away from your essay.