1. What incident makes a good personal narrative?
Criteria for choosing a story to tell
from all the incidents that have happened to you.

2. Make a list of EVERYTHING
You can sort all your ideas out later but remember...
the story should NOT be about just a strong memory.
The key to choosing a story for your PN is
CHANGE

3. Consider these things:
What did you discover or realize from this incident that you didn’t understand before?
How did the incident change you?
How was your future changed by this incident?
What do you know now that you did not know before?

4. Reject or Consider? Reject the incident
If you were not changed, or you cannot explain a change that happened as a result of the incident, it is not a good idea for a PN.
Consider using the incident
If you DID experience a personal change because of this incident, it may be a good idea to develop into a PN.

5. When thinking over your ideas for your PN, make sure they meet these criteria:
Did this happen to you, not someone else?
Will the story be interesting to a reader? ( Do you remember enough detail for the story to come alive for your reader?)
Does the story have a clear beginning, middle, and ending?
Did the incident have an effect on you – change you - in a significant way?