NARRATIVE ESSAY: I’d like you to write your own narrative essay on a topic of your choice.
MLA formatted – typed, double-spaced, 12-point font of choice (as long as I can read it)
- Well organized
- Clearly tells a story (beginning, middle, climax, end)
- Includes specific details (think “show, not tell”)
- Includes some reflection/makes a point at the end (what did you learn from this…answer the “So what?” question)
- Essay is free of grammatical errors
The narrative essay is one that you’ve probably had the most experience with because it essentially is telling a story. We tell stories every day. But, some stories are more detailed than others; for example, if you’re telling a friend how you went to the grocery store, you’re probably not going to give every little detail (only the significant details that relate to the main point of the story). The narrative essay is also very common in the publishing world, whether it be in newspapers, journals, or books (both fiction and non-fiction). So, if you have an interest in publishing some of your writing, this assignment will be a great choice to send out into the publishing world in hopes of getting your name in print!
RUBRIC:Clearly tells a story — 50 points
Well-organized, cohesive paragraphs & essay; transitions are used effectively — 50 points
Includes specific details — 30 points
Free of grammatical errors, punctuation, and spelling errors — 20 points
Includes some reflection about the point of the story — 10 points
TIPS:
Often times, students have trouble coming up with significant moments in their lives to transcribe for the narrative. I suggest thinking of something that a) you remember well and b) that was significant in your life (Otherwise, the reflection part will be difficult.). Once you have that narrowed down, think about the most significant part of that story. If you want to write about the first time you traveled out of the country, you do not need to include every detail from boarding the plane to returning home. Rather, decide what was the most significant part of that trip to you (and why) and zoom in on that (with lots of descriptive & sensory details).
