Like everyone else, you have stories to tell. Think about how many times you have said, “Guess what happened to me!” or “Do you know what I did?” Your life is full of stories. You took a trip, you broke your arm, or you finally got a pet. Writing a personal narrative is a way to share one of your important stories. It’s also a way for you to learn about yourself and your special place in the world.

Think about personal experiences that you could share with classmates. You could write about something that happened to you, something you did, or someone you have a special relationship with. Here are some guidelines to help you get started.

• Subject: A personal experience• Form: Personal narrative• Purpose: To share a true experience• Audience: Classmates and teachers

Writing Guidelines

Understanding Your Goal:Your goal is to write an essay about an interesting

personal experience. The traits listed below will help you plan and write your personal narrative.

TRAITS OF NARRATIVE WRITING

Ideas: Use details and dialogue to tell about a specific experience or event. Make the reader want to know what happens next!Organization: Open with a clear beginning that pulls the reader into the story. Then present ideas in the order which they happened. Voice: Write the story in a way that sounds natural. Use dialogue to give the people in your story voice.

Word Choice: Use specific nouns, vivid verbs, and well-chosen modifiers.

Sentence Fluency: Use a variety of sentence styles that flow smoothly from one idea to the next.

Personal Narrative

In the following personal narrative, the student author writes about a special person who taught her about turtles. The side notes point out the main parts of the narrative.

Turtle Lady

When we first moved to Florida, Dad and I went to the ocean every week and enjoyed just taking walks on the beach. The beach was usually deserted, except for some seagulls and a few sand crabs. However, one night, we spotted a campfire way down the beach. We went to check it out. As we got closer, we saw someone sitting in the sand near the dying flames. The glow of the fire revealed an old woman wearing a long orange coat and a red bandana.

“Stop right there! Don’t move,” the woman whispered loudly. Not far from where I stood, I made out the shape of a huge turtle digging in the sand. “That turtle needs her space right now.”

“Why? What’s wrong?” I whispered back.

“She’s digging out a nest, and she’ll lay her eggs there tonight. When she’s done, she’ll go back to the sea.”

“Who are you?” I whispered.

She came closer and I smelled the campfire on her tattered clothing. “My name is Dolly Cripps, but you can call me Turtle Lady because I rescue turtles. Now if you two promise to be quiet, I’ll tell you more about loggerheads.” Then she began talking about the turtles.

Every week we hiked up the beach to visit Dolly, and every time she taught us more about the loggerheads. We’d sit in the sand near her fire, and Dolly would tell us about the turtles that she had helped. She must

Beginning

The beginning catches the reader’s attention and gives an idea of what the story is about.

Middle

The middle includes details and dialogue that introduce an important person in the story.

.have been very old because she knew turtles that were more than 100 years old! After a couple months, an amazing thing happened. The sand near the shore began to ripple and shake. A couple days later, dozens of little turtles tunneled their way out from under the sand and scrambled toward the sea. The waves tossed some of them back onto the shore. That’s when Dolly, Dad, and I grabbed any baby turtles that landed upside down and couldn’t get back up. We quickly rescued them and gently placed them back in the ocean. If we had not been there, the hatchlings would have died or might have become a seagull’s supper. Rescuing those turtles was the coolest thing I’ve ever done. As quickly as the turtle rescue had begun, it was over. The turtles no longer needed us. As the last turtle disappeared into the ocean, I turned to the turtle lady and asked, “Will we see you again next year?” “Maybe,” she answered. “Wherever my turtles are, that’s where I’ll be!”

Respond to the reading. Why is “Turtle Lady” such a good personal narrative? To find out, answer the following questions.

Ideas: What specific experience does the writer share?

Organization: How does the writer organize the events in the story?

Voice and Word Choice: What words and phrases show that the author is interested in her topic?

Middle

The middle includes details that tell what happened first, second, third, and so on.

End

The ending tells how the writer felt after her experience.

Prewriting Before you are ready to write your narrative, you need to choose a personal experience to write about. After selecting a topic, you will continue prewriting by gathering and organizing details.

1. Select an experience that you know well

and would like to share.

2. Make sure you can answer the questions

who, what, when, where, and why about

the experience.

3. Think about and describe the people in your

narrative.

4. Put the events in order by using a time line.

5. Gather details about sights, sounds, and

other senses related to your narrative.

Keys to Effective Prewriting

Prewriting Selecting a Topic

The key to a good personal narrative is finding an interesting topic – one that both you and the reader will enjoy. The chart below shows how I brainstormed ideas by remembering different people, places, animals, and experiences.

People I Know

Places I’ve Been

Animals I Remember

Experiences I’ve Had

My best friend Christine

My sister Kara

My favorite teacher, Dr. Ackerman

Disney World

St. Croix for Mrs. Elia’s wedding

Puerto Rico

My first dog Casper

Mikiah the snake

My cat Squeak

My first day as a teacher

My graduation from college

My senior prom

Brainstorm Chart

People I Know

Places I’ve Been

Animals I Remember

Experiences I’ve Had

My best friend Christine

My sister Kara

My favorite teacher, Dr. Ackerman

Disney World

St. Croix for Mrs. Elia’s wedding

Puerto Rico

My first dog Casper

Mikiah the snake

My cat Squeak

My first day as a teacher

My graduation from college

My senior prom

Brainstorm Chart

Brainstorm for Topics. On your own sheet of paper, draw a chart like the one above. Use the same four headings for your categories. Then fill in the chart using the directions below.

Under each heading, list at least three possible story choices.

Now go over your ideas and circle the topic that you think would make the best story.

People I Know

Places I’ve Been

Animals I Remember

Experiences I’ve Had

My best friend Christine

My sister Kara

My favorite teacher, Dr. Ackerman

Disney World

St. Croix for Mrs. Elia’s wedding

Puerto Rico

My first dog Casper

Mikiah the snake

My cat Squeak

My first day as a teacher

My graduation from college

My senior prom

Brainstorm Chart

Focus on the Traits

Ideas: Your topic does not have to be a complicated one. In fact, a short trip or simple event can make a great story. Think about an important experience that took place within a short period of time – a day, an hour, a few minutes even!

People I Know

Places I’ve Been

Animals I Remember

Experiences I’ve Had

My best friend Christine

My sister Kara

My favorite teacher, Dr. Ackerman

Disney World

St. Croix for Mrs. Elia’s wedding

Puerto Rico

My first dog Casper

Mikiah the snake

My cat Squeak

My first day as a teacher

My graduation from college

My senior prom

Brainstorm Chart

People I Know

Places I’ve Been

Animals I Remember

Experiences I’ve Had

My best friend Christine

My sister Kara

My favorite teacher, Dr. Ackerman

My first dog Casper

Mikiah the snake

My cat Squeak

My first day as a teacher

My graduation from college

My senior prom

Brainstorm Chart

Disney World

St. Croix for Mrs. Elia’s wedding

Puerto Rico

But not just any trip to Disney World… the very first one I took with my family, when I was in fourth grade.

Sizing Up Your IdeaNow that you have a story idea, you must decide if it will

make a good personal narrative. Your narrative should tell about an experience you had at a specific time and place. You can use the 5 W’s (who, what, when, where, and why) to find out if you story has all of these details.

1. Who are the people in my story?2. What main experience will I write

about?3. When and where did the

experience take place?4. Why did the experience change

me?

So, let’s take a look through my Disney World scrap book from 1990…

Disney

World 1990Disney

World 1990

There’s Jenna with her giant glasses and MGM Studios hat! How embarrassing!

There’s Jenna with her giant glasses and MGM Studios hat! How embarrassing!

And there is the whole

Wyks family: Mom,

Jenna, Dean and Kara… and poor

Dad who is never in the

picture because he is always

taking them

Disney

World 1990Disney

World 1990

Disney

World 1990Disney

World 1990

And here’s a picture of Jenna, Dean, and Kara at Mickey’s Birthday

Land! Kara is carrying “Michael,” her favorite doll. She used to take him everywhere! In fact, Michael was the reason that Kara got lost that day. Boy, I

remember that day like it was yesterday…

Disney

World 1990Disney

World 1990

Kara was just 2 ½ when we went to Disney World. People said that she was too young

to go and that she’d be confused and scared. But nothing could have been

farther from the truth! She was fearless! So fearless,

that on our third day there, she decided to go right up to

Cinderella (her favorite character!) and introduce her

to Michael! And it just so happened that she did it

when no one way looking!

Disney

World 1990Disney

World 1990

Once we realized she had wandered off, we immediately spread out to look for her! It was so scary because my parents were frantic! They were both screaming and crying at the same time. It was the first time I was ever truly afraid because my parents were not in the frame of mind to make my brother and I feel safe and secure about what was happening, which they had always done in my past scary moments. It only took us a few minutes to figure out where she’d gone to. When we found her, she was talking Cinderella’s ear off about “Michael!” She never even realized what a panic she caused!

Sizing Up Your Idea

Wow! I remember that day like it was yesterday! Going through my scrap book really helped me out! So, let’s see if my story has all the necessary details.

1. Who : Mom, Dad, Me, Kara, Dean, “Michael,” and Cinderella

2. What : The day Kara got lost in Disney World

3. When and where : Our 1990 trip to Disney World in the Magic Kingdom

4. Why : It was the first time I was ever truly terrified because my parents were so frantic.

Yup! This story has got all the necessary details! I think it will make a good story! Now, you look through your possible topics and see which

one has all the necessary details for your great personal narrative!

Gathering Details About PeopleA personal narrative tells about your own experience, so you will be one person in

your story. Other people and animals may appear as well. A personality web can help you gather details about the people in your story.

Personality Web

Me My Parents

Kara

The oldest kid

confident

fearless CarefulResponsible

CalmLoving

The “baby”

unawareLoves Cinderella

Gathering Details About PeopleNow it’s your turn to make a personality web about the people

in your personal narrative. Create a web like I did for the important people and animals for your story. The more details you include, the better your story will be.

Prewriting Putting Events in OrderOnce you’ve completed your personality webs, it’s time to list the events in your story.

Most narratives are organized in chronological (time) order. That means events appear in the order in which they happened. A quick list like the one below is one way to organize events.

Quick ListKara’s Adventure with Cinderella We had spent the afternoon in the Magic Kingdom. We were waiting on Main Street for the parade to start. Mom was going to the Nestle Café to get us ice cream

sandwiches. She was trying to take our orders. We looked down at the stroller and saw Kara was

missing. We began to search frantically for her. Some people

helped us. I felt very scared. My dad found her with Cinderella, who was outside the

Crystal Tea Room signing autographs. We all hugged her and kissed her while she told us all

about meeting Cinderella!

Prewriting Putting Events in OrderOn your own paper, make a chronological list about your story like I did for mine. At

the top of your list, write your story idea. Then, write the main ideas of your story in the order in which they happened.

Quick List

Title List your ideas in order… Idea Idea Idea Idea Idea

Focus on the Traits

Organization Once you have the main details of the story in chronological order, think of some transition words and phrases that could help you tie your ideas together.

Location Words:

above, across, against, along, among, around, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, by, down, inside, into, near, outside, throughout, under

Time Words:

after, at, before, first, second, during, yesterday, meanwhile, until, next, soon, later, finally, then

Comparing Words:

likewise, like, as, also, similarly, one way, both

Contrasting Words:

but, however, still, yet, although, otherwise, on the other hand, even though

Words that Clarify:

in other words, for instance, an example

Words that Emphasize:

again, to repeat, truly, in fact, especially, to emphasize, for this reason

Summarizing Words:

finally, lastly, therefore, to sum up, all in all, in conclusion

Words to Add Info:

again, also, another, besides, finally, for instance, moreover

Gathering Sensory DetailsA good story has lots of colorful, specific details. Some of these details should relate

to the senses. Then the reader is able to imagine not only what things look like but how things sound, smell, taste, and feel.

Making a sensory chart is one way to gather sensory details about your experience.

I saw…

I heard…

I smelled…

I felt…

I tasted…

SENSORY DETAILS•People all over waiting for the parade to begin

•Characters signing autographs

•The cookies from the Nestle bake shop

•People talking to their families

•My parent’s calling for my sister

•Hot from the afternoon sun

•Anxious and scared

•Fear

Gathering Sensory DetailsMake your own sensory chart describing what you saw, heard, tasted, felt, and

smelled. Remember, you are telling the story, so your VOICE should come through loud and clear. Use words that you would really use when talking.

I saw…

I heard…

I smelled…

I felt…

I tasted…

SENSORY DETAILS

Prewriting Reviewing Your DetailsBefore you begin writing your story, look over your prewriting chronological list, personality webs,

and sensory chart. Be sure you’ve collected enough details to write a good personal narrative.

Read the paragraph below. Then answer these questions about the details used in “A Hair Raising Experience.”

1. Have the 5 W’s (who, what, when, where, and why) been answered?2. What transitions show the time order of the paragraph?3. What sensory details help create a clear picture?

A Hair Raising Experience

One evening, my mom was downstairs doing the laundry. As usual, she was trying to do 10 jobs at once when she grabbed the wet clothes from the washer and tossed them in the dryer. She slammed the dryer door, turned the timer, and started to run upstairs. All of a sudden, a whining sound stopped her in her tracks. The sound was coming from the dryer. She yelled for me. As Iraced downstairs, the sound grew louder and louder. I flung open the dryer door. There to our surprise was Mica, our cat. He looked like someone who had just gotten off a Tilt-A-Whirl ride. His eyes bugged out, and his hair looked like a cartoon character with a finger in an electric outlet. Mica darted out of the dryer and up the stairs. After that, Mom always checked out the dryer before slamming the door, and Mica stayed clear of the laundry room for a long, long time.

Writing Now that you have gathered and organized your ideas, you are ready to write the first draft of your narrative. Focus on putting your ideas on paper in the best order. Use your own unique story telling voice.

1. Use the ideas you gathered to help you

create your first draft.

2. Focus on getting all of your ideas from

prewriting down on paper.

3. Write on every other line to make room for

any changes you want to make later.

4. Include action in your story.

5. Include sensory details in your story.

6. Include dialogue in your story.

Keys to Effective Writing

Alright, now it’s time to give writing a personal narrative

a try!!

Good Luck!

Revising When you revise, you improve your first draft in many ways. You might spice up descriptions, add dialogue, or experiment with different beginnings and endings. Revision can make even a ho-hum draft into something special.

1. Read through your entire narrative out loud

so you can see and hear how it works as a

whole.

2. Check your beginning, middle, and ending

to make sure each part works well.

3. Make sure your own unique storytelling

voice comes through.

4. Check your words and sentences.

5. Edit and proofread your narrative.

6. Have a friend edit and proofread your

narrative.

Keys to Effective Revising

Revising for Organization

When you revise for organization you are checking the beginning, middle, and end of your narrative.

Make sure your story is in chronological order.

You need a hook for the beginning of your narrative.

You need writing risks throughout the middle of your narrative.

You need to close your paper with a punch.

Start your story with a… Some good hooks to start with:1. Dialogue (“Keep an eye on your sister while I go get some ice

cream!” my Mom said.)

2. Action (As the stroller came to a halt, Kara’s Mickey Ears fell over her eyes.)

3. A Snapshot (The beautiful blue castle stood before us, kissing the clouds in the sky. The hustle and bustle of the crowd mixed the with steamy Orlando heat made me feel almost enchanted! “How great is it going to be to watch this parade while eating a delicious ice cream sandwich!” I thought as we took our places on Main Street.)

4. Hyphenated Hounddog (Kara looked longingly at the castle with an I-can’t-believe-what-I’m-seeing look on her face.)

5. Personal Statement (I can’t agree more with people who say that Disney World is the happiest place on Earth!)

Start your story with a… Try to come up an example of each hook for your

story:

1. Dialogue

2. Action

3. A Snapshot

4. Hyphenated Hounddog

5. Personal Statement

In the middle, remember to include some writing risks.

• Similes: The steamy Orlando heat was like a sauna.

• Metaphors: The delicious smell of the Nestle Café was heaven!

• Personification: The Mickey shaped balloon that Kara was holding danced in the air.

• Dialogue: “KARA!” my Mother screamed. • Idioms: We were running around like chickens

with their heads cut off looking for Kara.

Try to come up with an example of each risk that would be good in your

story.• Similes:

• Metaphors:

• Personification:

• Dialogue:

• Idioms:

End it with a…After you share the most important moment in your personal narrative, you want to bring your story to a close very soon after. We all know by now that it’s good to end with a “punch!” Here are some good ways to end your narrative:

Tell how the experience changed you: After we found my sister and all was

well, I started to think about what had just happened. It gave me that I’m-going-to-puke

feeling in my stomach and I started to cry. Up until that day, I thought my parents could

make anything better. Suddenly, I was forced to realize that sometimes things go wrong

and my parent’s won’t be able to make it all okay. It was the first time I was ever truly

frightened.

Relate the experience to the audience: I guess there comes a time in every

kid’s life when they realize that sometimes scary stuff happens and there is nothing

anyone, not even the people who love you most, can do about it.

End it with a…Try to come up with an example of each punch for your story.

Tell how the experience changed you:

Relate the experience to the audience:

Revising for IdeasWhen you revise for ideas, you first need to make sure that your narrative is only about one experience. You also need to make sure that you answered the 5 W’s and included sensory details.

Will my readers understand my narrative?Readers will understand your narrative if you include details that answer the 5 W’s.

1.Who are the people in my story?

2.What events are included in this experience?

3.When do the events happen?

4.Where does my narrative take place?

5.Why is this experience important?

Read the following paragraph and answer the who, what, when, where, and why questions.

Every other weekend, Mom drives me out to the family farm where my older cousin, Buster, teaches me all kinds of new things. He has taught me how to shoot arrows, fix an engine, and bale hay. Usually, we spend the evenings in his workshop. The last time we got together, Buster taught me how to carve a piece of wood into a simple whistle. I really enjoyed carving and can hardly wait to start my next project. I’d like to carve a figure of a wolf, but that may be too hard for now. No matter what Buster teaches me, we have a great time together.

RevisRevisee

Check your ideas. Read through your first draft. Be sure your narrative includes details that answer the 5 W’s

Have I included enough sensory details?

You have included enough sensory details if they help your readers use their imaginations – and their five senses – to connect with your experience.

Revising for Ideas

Read the following paragraph and find at least five sensory details.

During the summer of 2001, my family lived on a busy street in Cincinnati. During the daytime, buses rumbled and screeched right in front of our second-floor apartment. The noise and oily exhaust from these vehicles is something I will always remember. In the heat of that summer, we passed the time playing hearts or rummy. My little sister often sat in an old rocking chair and watched us. Mom always made sure that there was a pitcher of sweet lemonade in the fridge. Once in a while, she’d even surprise us with some chocolate ice cream. It may have been hot and noisy, but that was one of the best ones ever!

RevisRevisee

Review your details. Read through your first draft. Have you included a variety of sensory details in your narrative? Do your details bring your story to life?

Revising for VoiceWhen you revise for voice, check to see if your writing sounds natural, as if you were talking to someone. Also make sure you have used dialogue.

Your voice sounds natural if your reader can “hear” your personality in your narrative. You can check your voice by paying special attention to the way you use words. In each paragraph below, a different writer describes the same event. Notice how the personality and voice of each writer comes through in the writing.

I flipped open my locker and jabbed my hand in. I got a fistful of fuzz. “Whoa! What’s this critter doing in my locker!”

I pulled open my locker and sighed. What a day! What could go wrong now? I reached in and felt something furry and alive. “Yikes! A rat!” I screamed.

Write for three minutes about the scenario below. Use your imagination and include lots of detail. Your writing should sound like you’re telling the story to a friend. When you finish, underline words and phrases that show your unique personality or voice.

While cleaning up after a parade, I found a $50 bill on a littered street.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

RevisRevisee

Check your voice. Read through your personal narrative. Does it reflect your true voice or personality?

Revising for Word ChoiceWhen you revise for word choice, check to see if you used adjectives and adverbs to capture your experience. Also, check to see if you have replaced overused words with synonyms.

Have I used adjectives and adverbs well?You have used adjectives and adverbs well if they help create a

clear and interesting picture. Adjectives describe nouns or pronouns. Adverbs add meaning to verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Check out how much better this sentence becomes with a little help from adverbs and adjectives.

The cafeteria served sandwiches.

The school cafeteria served spicy sub sandwiches yesterday.

Copy this paragraph and fill in the blanks with adjectives and adverbs to make the story better.

Our soccer team had practiced __________ to get ready for the championship game with our ____________ rival. I arrived _____________ on Saturday to find a flooded field, ruined by the _________________ rain the night before. After running to the gym, I found our coach talking _______________ to some other _____________ players about postponing the game.

RevisRevisee

Revise for adjectives and adverbs. In your narrative, use adjectives and adverbs to help create a clear picture.

Below are some commonly overused words. Write a sentence for each of them. Then, use a thesaurus to find a synonym to replace the overused word. Finally, use a dictionary to make sure your synonym makes sense in your sentence.

1. mad 5. big 2. went 6. good3. bad 7. happy4. cold 8. said

RevisRevisee

Revise to replace overused words. Go back in your narrative and replace any overused words with a synonym. Use a thesaurus and dictionary to help you.

Have I checked for overused words?

Writers often use synonyms - other words that mean almost the same thing - to replace overused words. You can use a thesaurus to find synonyms and then a dictionary to make sure it’s appropriate for your writing.

Revising for Sentence FluencyWhen you revise for sentence fluency, you need to check your

writing for a variety of sentence lengths. You may need to combine some sentences to have a smoother flow.

Are too many sentences the same length?

When you speak, you automatically use sentences of many different lengths. This gives a natural flow to your voice. When you write, you want to do the same thing, so it is a good idea to go back and check the number of words in each of your sentences.

Read the following paragraph. Write down the number of words in each sentence. What did you discover about the sentence fluency of this paragraph?

(1) I see the shoe-shine man each morning. (2) He is always in the same spot. (3) He looks older than my grandpa. (4) Each day he wears green pants. (5) He has a red cap. (6) He has a long leather vest. (7) In its pockets are brushes and polish. (8) His stand is near the train stop. (9) He smiles at me every morning. (10) “Hello,” he says and nods. (11) We talk about my homework. (12) While we talk, he shines shoes. (13) He waves as I leave for school.

Below are two sets of sentences. Combine each set into one sentence.

1. I’ve always enjoyed reading about dinosaurs. I didn’t realize that they had once lived in my neighborhood.2. My grandmother has taught me how to sew. She also showed

me how to crochet and quilt.

How do I combine sentences?

To easy ways to combine short sentences are (1) creating compound sentences and (2) using a series of words.

I see the shoe-shine man each morning. He is always in the same spot.

I see the shoe-shine man each morning, and he is always in the same spot.

(Two sentences combined using a comma and a conjunction.)

Each day he wears green pants. He has a red cap. He has a long leather vest.

Each day he wears green pants, a red cap, and a long leather vest

(Two sentences combined into one using a series of words.)

Revise your paper for sentence length. Go back and check the lengths of your sentences. Combine short sentences into long ones.

RevisRevisee

Write down the number of words in each of your first 10-15 sentences.

Do you have a variety of sentence lengths?

If you don’t, you should try to combine some of your short sentences using the methods described.

What did you discover about sentence fluency in your narrative?

Editing After you have finished revising your narrative, it’s time to edit it for your use of conventions: punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and grammar.

1. Use a dictionary and a thesaurus.

2. Check for any words or phrases that may be

confusing to your reader.

3. Check your writing for correctness of

punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and

grammar.

4. Edit your copy with a pencil and then go

back and make your corrections on the

computer.

5. Use the editing and proofreading marks.

Keys to Effective Editing

Editing for ConventionsWhen you edit for conventions, you need to check for

spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation errors.

Have I punctuated dialogue correctly?Dialogue is a great addition to your narrative, but it can be

tricky to punctuate! Remember these rules:• Commas are used to set off the words of the speaker from the rest of the sentence.

“A raccoon crawled down the chimney,” Laura announced, “and I think it’s still in there!”

• Sometimes an exclamation point or a question mark separates the speaker’s words from the rest of the sentence.

“Are you sure it went down the chimney?” Regina asked.

•The speaker’s exact words are placed within quotation marks.

“I’m positive!” Laura replied.

Punctuate the following lines of dialogue.

1. Mom asked what time does the party start

2. Ben said right after supper

3. You have to finish your homework first she reminded him

4. He answered I’ll start right now

5. Later, his mom called up the stairs Thomas is here

6. Great Ben shouted

7. I’ll be right down he added because I just finished Edit Dialogue. Use the rules and examples above to

make sure you have punctuated your dialogue correctly.

How do I know when to indent dialogue?As you write your narrative, remember that you need

to indent and begin a new paragraph each time a different person speaks.

In the following paragraph, the dialogue runs together.

“It’s snowing!” cried my sister. “I hope it snows all night,” I added. “Maybe we’ll have a snow day, and we won’t have to go to school tomorrow,” she replied. “I hope so,” I yelled. “Let’s do a snow dance!

To be correct, dialogue should be indented each time a new person speaks.

“It’s snowing!” cried my sister.

“I hope it snows all night,” I added.

“Maybe we’ll have a snow day, and we won’t have to go to school tomorrow,” she replied.

“I hope so,” I yelled. “Let’s do a snow dance!”

Check the dialogue in your narrative. Have you started a new paragraph each time there’s a new speaker? Use the paragraph symbol (¶) to mark each sentence that should begin a new paragraph. Make sure to indent those sentences.

Using a ChecklistPunctuation:

1. Do I use end punctuation in all my sentences?

2. Do I use commas after items in a series?

3. Do I use commas in all my compound sentences?

4. Do I use apostrophes to show possession (boy’s bike)?

Capitalization

1. Do I start all my sentences with capital letters?

2. Do I capitalize all proper nouns?

Spelling

1. Have I spelled all my words correctly?

2. Have I double-checked the words my spell checker might have missed?

Grammar

1. Do I use correct forms of verbs (had gone, not had went)?

2. Do my subjects and verbs agree in number? (She and I were going, not She and I was going.)

3. Do I use the right words (to, too, and two)?

Publishing

You are almost finished! Now all you need is a catchy title and a nice neat copy!

Congratulations on successfully completing a Free Choice Writer’s Workshop! I can’t wait to read your stories.