UofM Personal Narrative Essay

Prompt

Now that we have read and analyzed example narrative essays by Asao Inoue, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and Octavia Butler, you will write your own personal narrative. In this type of essay, the first-person pronoun “I” is acceptable. Remember that a narrative tells a story, and a narrative essay tells a story that makes a point. This essay form requires that we shape our story to emphasize the point we are making by choosing illustrative details.

Your personal narrative essay needs to be at least 3 full, properly formatted pages (the revised version will be 4 full pages)and detail a story about your experience(s). It needs to make a point that answers the question: What should your readers learn from your meaningful experience(s)?

To write a successful personal narrative essay:

Choose one or two specific moments to write about in detail.

Plan and draft to ensure the details are illustrating a clear main point.

Revise and edit to create a cohesive and readable essay.

Tips and Suggestions

You are welcome to use pieces of previous assignment *from this class* as long as you improve and revise them while incorporating them into your narrative essay.

1. Some writers start with the point they want to make and then look for illustrative examples and moments. Some writers start with meaningful moments and then analyze them to draw out a relevant point. Both methods can be productive.

Choose Specific Moments:

1. If you want to tell the story of the best class you took, tell me about the best day or the best assignment in that class, describe the classroom, describe the weather, give people names, tell me what happened, how did different people react, what did you think, why do you remember this particularly moment, etc. Include visual, auditory, and tactile sensory details.

“Show, Don’t Tell!” Instead of telling your reader “this happened in September,” consider showing them with something like: “As I walked to class, I felt a chill in the quiet, still morning air and saw the leaves in front of the big purple house on the corner show hints of their fiery, orange fall foliage.”

1. Plan and Draft:

Introduction

Start specific and set the scene with descriptive and sensory details. Include a thesis statement that states the point or lesson that the reader will learn.

Body Paragraphs

• Your experiences are evidence that support your overall point.
• Detail your experiences in the body paragraphs and consider whether you will tell the story chronologically or whether you want to include flashbacks and play with time a bit.

Each new paragraph marks a change or transition. Consider how each paragraph leads into the next.

Conclusion

• The conclusion is a moment for summary, analysis, and reflection. Reinforce the lesson learned or point being made, and consider sharing why the moments you have chosen to share continue to be meaningful and relevant to your life now.
• Revise and Edit

After you have finished your draft, print your essay if you can.

Does every paragraph have a focus? Is the order of paragraphs and ideas logical? Cut any unnecessary or disconnected sentences and move paragraphs and ideas around to try to guide your reader through the story.

Read your essay out loud to yourself. Correct any minor mistakes as you go. Notice any sentences that you can’t quite comfortably voice; consider revising to simplify. Take a note of any grammar or syntax questions that come up.