Writing theNarrative Memoir

Contents

• The Features of a Narrative Memoir• Understanding Your Purpose for Writing• Prewriting• Writing the Rough Draft• Peer Feedback and Revisions• Proofreading and Editing• Self-Assessing and Reflecting on Your Essay

Narratives

• Narratives are stories that are told for different purposes.

• In college, students will be asked to relate their experiences dealing with different matters. – There is often a narrative required on college applications.

Memoirs

• Memoirs focus on events, people, and places that are important.

• One usually writes a memoir to capture the important moment and to tell how it is important to him/her.

Key Features

• A well-told story: Like most stories, there should be a plot line with a clear beginning, middle, and end in which a situation unfolds.

• Vivid detail: Vivid details are what bring a story to life and help create the mental images of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures of the world in which the story takes place.

Key Features Continued

● Indication of significance: A writer must make it clear why the event is important.

● A memoir 1.tells about the significance of the experience when it happened

2.explains how the event changed or impacted them or how they view life

3.reflects on the importance of the memory of the event to the author today

Understanding Your Purpose for Writing

Choosing a Topic • The memoir must focus on the specific events of a brief period in time– A key relationship– A vacation or travel experience– A crisis or problem one faced

Considering Your Purpose

• Purpose: Why do you want to tell the story? Think about the reasons and how they will shape what you write.

• Audience: Who are your readers? Understanding your audience lets you know what you need to explain, if there would be similar experiences, and if they share your attitude.

Considering Your Purpose

• Stance: What attitude do you want to project? The attitude will determine the tone you use when writing.

• Media/Design: How will be the narrative be presented? Print, oral, or web? Will you include photos, charts or other illustrations.

Prewriting

Prewriting

• Remember that the goal is to tell a story that is vivid and compelling for the reader.– Describe the setting: Where does it take place? What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? How and what do you feel? What do you taste?

– Think of key people: People’s actions play an important part in the story. Take time to describe key people in adequate detail. Include conversational dialogue that you recall (or make up).

Prewriting

• Write about “what happened”: A good story dramatizes the action. Try to summarize what happened with active and specific verbs to describe as vividly as possible. Answer what, where, and who.

• Reflect on the significance of the event: Be clear about why the event is important. How did it change or affect you?

Ways to Organize

• Start by Outlining the main events. Then think about how you want to organize it.– Chronologically: from beginning to end– Beginning in the middle: start with the middle, fill in details, tell how situation was resolved, and why it was important.

– Beginning at the end: tell how the story ends and then go back to the beginning to tell how it happened.

Writing The Rough Draft

Writing Out a Draft

• Once all the information is collected, it is time to begin writing.

– Draft a beginning: jump right in with the main action; describe the context by giving background information; describe the setting—especially if it is important to the narrative.

Writing Out a Draft Cont. – Draft an ending: what do you want to leave the readers with.• End where your story ends• Say something about the significance of your experience and how it impacted you then and now

• Refer back to the beginning• End on a surprising note

– Come up with a title.• A good title indicates something about subject and makes the audience want to read the story.

Considering Matters of Design

• Layout your essay document according to the guidelines required in class– What typeface? Essays are usually Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri font.

– Essays have a header in the top left corner (of the first page only) that includes your name, teacher’s name, class, and date.

– Any visuals? Short essays usually do not included visuals unless required by your specific teacher.

Peer Feedback and Revision

Getting Feedback and Revising

• Getting feedback from others on your draft is crucial. Ask…– Does the title and beginning make the reader want to read more?

– Are transitions used correctly at the beginning and end of each paragraph to guide the reader through the story?

– Is anything confusing?– Are adequate details included, and are the interesting? Does the reader know the setting? Is there dialogue?

Getting Feedback and Revising Cont.

– Has the situation been made meaningful?– Are actions described vividly and clearly as to engage the reader?

– Is the significance clear?– Is the ending satisfying and what does it leave the reader thinking?

• Once you have all the answers, it is time to revise your essay by rewriting parts as necessary

Proofreading and Editing

Editing and Proofreading

• Make sure events are narrated in clear order with proper transitions.

• Make sure verb tenses indicate when an action took place.

• Use a consistent verb tense– If you’re writing in past tense remember to use –ed verbs rather than present tense –s verbs

• Punctuate dialogue correctly.• Proofread for other grammatical and usage issues.

Self-Assessing and Reflecting on Your

Memoir

Taking Stock in Your Work

• How well did you tell the story?• What did you do well?• What could you improve?• How did you come up with?• How did you go about drafting the narrative?

• How did others’ feedback influence you?