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Personal Narrative Writing Guide

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The document provides guidance on writing personal narratives, including the purpose of narratives to entertain and tell stories, fictional or non-fictional. It lists requirements for a pers…

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  • Narrative Writing Notes
  • Personal Narrative Checklist
  • Introduction Types
  • Sample Introduction
  • Conclusion Types
  • Sample Conclusion

NARRATIVE WRITING

NOTES
The purpose of narrative writing is to:

•Entertain
•To tell a story
•Can be fictional or non-fictional
PERSONAL NARRATIVE
CHECKLIST

 Covers a 3-5 minute experience


 Must be multi-paragraphed (2+ paragraphs)
 All verbs are in the past tense
 Uses one of the four introduction types (listed below)
CHECKLIST CONTINUED:

 ACTIONS (events) are written in CHRONOLOGICAL


ORDER
 TRANSITIONS, especially TIME transitions, are used between
ACTIONS (events)
 REACTIONS (emotion/feeling words) are used between actions
(events)
 IMAGERY is STRONG (sensory words)
 Reader SEES and “FEELS” everything the writer did
 Conclusion is strong--wraps up the story with a QUESTION
shows a CHANGE in the writer, ends with a FINAL
THOUGHT, or ends with an INTERESTING ACTION
INTRODUCTION TYPES:

1. COMMON INTRODUCTION:
EX: When I was your age...
EX: When I was on vacation...
EX: When I was on a rollercoaster...

It’s BORING!! Don’t use this intro at all!!!!


INTRO TYPES CONTINUED:

2. ACTION (HERO) INTRODUCTION

example: Hesitating, I held my breath and


jumped off the dock into the frigid water.
INTRO TYPES CONTINUED:

3. “DIALOGUE” INTRODUCTION

example: “Dad! Dad! Watch my cannonball!” I screamed


to my father, who was watching from the cabin’s porch.

***refer to handout in writing binder for


how to punctuate dialogue
INTRO TYPES CONTINUED:

4. IDEA/THEME STATEMENT (DIFFICULT!)

example: I deeply regret the day I took my grandmother’s


generosity for granted.

It’s like a lesson/moral learned.

It’s like a Chicken Soup for the Soul intro.


Sample Intro:
“Wow,” I whispered as I scanned the room for the first time. We had
walked past it many times, even ordered take-out, but we had never ventured
into the Dragonfly. I couldn’t help but notice the blood-red walls with cryptic
characters emblazoned in gold, high-backed chairs without sitters, and a
small, raised dining area. “I thought the place would be bigger,” I said
skeptically as the hostess showed us our table. The restaurant had opened
probably five minutes before the cab dumped us out on State Street.
CONCLUSION TYPES:
 PREDICTION: an insight into how the future
could be different, better, or worse.
CONCLUSION TYPES CONTINUED:

 POINTED QUESTION: leaves the reader


thinking about your experience
CONCLUSION TYPES CONTINUED:

 FULL-CIRCLE ENDING: circles back to the


introduction
CONCLUSION TYPES CONTINUED:

 IDEA/THEME STATEMENT: a brief


explanation of lessons learned from your
experience

ALSO: Please do not start your narrative with an


onomatopoetic word as a single sentence.
Ex: BANG! I ran into the wall.
AND…
Please no rollercoaster stories!!
Sample Conclusion:
But that wasn’t the case. After a few frustrating
moments, and telling my brain to stop over-analyzing the
situation, I began to relax and the chopsticks began to feel as
normal as a fork. I enjoyed good conversation and excellent
food. Not only had I been successful taking risks with eating
utensils, but that the Dragonfly chef can make a darn good
radish-sculpture of a fish. The rest of the meal wasn’t that
bad either. Besides, I always look good in what I eat.

NARRATIVE WRITING NOTES NARRATIVE WRITING NOTES The purpose of narrative writing is to: •Entertain •To tell a story •Can be f
PERSONAL NARRATIVE CHECKLIST PERSONAL NARRATIVE CHECKLIST Covers a 3-5 minute experience Must be multi-paragraphed (2+ pa
CHECKLIST CONTINUED: CHECKLIST CONTINUED: ACTIONS (events) are written in CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER TRANSITIONS, especially TIME
INTRODUCTION TYPES: INTRODUCTION TYPES: 1. COMMON INTRODUCTION: EX: When I was your age... EX: When I was on vacation... EX:
INTRO TYPES CONTINUED: INTRO TYPES CONTINUED: 2. ACTION (HERO) INTRODUCTION example: Hesitating, I held my breath and jump
INTRO TYPES CONTINUED: INTRO TYPES CONTINUED: 3. “DIALOGUE” INTRODUCTION example: “Dad! Dad! Watch my cannonball!” I scre
INTRO TYPES CONTINUED: INTRO TYPES CONTINUED: 4. IDEA/THEME STATEMENT (DIFFICULT!) example: I deeply regret the day I took
Sample Intro: Sample Intro: “Wow,” I whispered as I scanned the room for the first time. We had walked past it many times,
CONCLUSION TYPES: CONCLUSION TYPES: PREDICTION: an insight into how the future could be different, better, or worse. PREDI
CONCLUSION TYPES CONTINUED: CONCLUSION TYPES CONTINUED: POINTED QUESTION: leaves the reader thinking about your experience

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