Name: ______
Accelerated Composition
Writing from Recall
Assignment:
· Write about a personal experience that took place at one moment in your life and that changed how you acted, thought, or felt from that moment on. 2-3 pages, 12 point, Times New Roman, 1” margins.
Unit Goals:
· To write a narrative centered on one central conflict from one point of view
· To understand how purpose shapes word choice and pacing (diction creates tone)
· To select details to tell the story rather than simply saying “this is what happened.”
· To write descriptively using “writer’s brush strokes.”
Purpose:
· Your purpose is not merely to tell an interesting story but to show you the importance of that experience in your life. The story itself should reveal this—not a direct explanation.
*Suggestion: choose an experience that happened outside your head, such as an encounter with a person who influenced you or a challenge or obstacle. This will be easier to look back on than a subjective, interior experience like a religious conversion or falling in love.
Alternate Prompts:
1. Choose a person outside of your immediate family who has a marked effect on your life, either good or bad, and jot down ten details about that person that might help a reader understand what he or she was like. In searching your memory for details, consider the person’s physical appearance, way of talking, and habits as well as any memorable incidents. Write a narrative about a specific moment with this person that reveals that relationship.
2. Write a paper in which you remember a place you were once fond of – your grandmother’s kitchen, a tree house, a library, a locker room, a clubhouse, a vacation retreat, a place where your gang got together. Try to emphasize why this place was memorable. What made it different from any other place? Why was it important to you? How did it define that time in your life and why? (Avoid sentimental gush, but set down honest feelings through details.)
3. Write a paper in which, from memory, you inform your readers about some traditional ceremony, ritual, or observation familiar to you. Such a tradition can pertain to a holiday, a rite of passage (confirmation, bar or bas mitzvah, Eagle Scout ceremony), a sporting event, a special day on your high school calendar. It might be a family custom. Explain the tradition, making use of whatever information you recall. How did the observation or custom originate? Who takes part? How has the tradition changed through the years? What does it add to the lives of those who observe it?
Potential Problems and Considerations
Problem 1: Choosing a topic:
· Not having enough information about the moment you chose
· Picking an experience that occurred over a great deal of time (weeks, months, etc).
Suggested Solutions:
· Brainstorm important moments from your past—make a list
· Pick moments you remember in great detail
· Look at sample essays
Problem 2: Writing the narrative:
· “How do I create a narrative that is “well-paced?’”
o You don’t need ALL the details of the event. Think about which ones the reader needs to know to get the feel of the experience as you remember it.
· “I don’t know what tone words to include.” AND/OR “What tone should I choose?”
o Think about why you remember this event. Why is it so impactful? Let the answers to those questions help you decide the feel you want your reader to experience.
· “How do I avoid ‘showing’ or just blurting out the point of my narrative?”
o Focus on important and relevant details that are specific and concrete.
o Know what direction you’re going before you start writing your narrative (know the point you’re trying to make so you can choose your details with purpose.
Steps: Each must be approved before you proceed to the next
1. Brainstorm: a list of at least 4-5 events you could choose.
2. Prewriting: write down (in list, web, or other form) moments you’d like to include in this piece.
3. Outlining: Traditional outline with as much detail as possible. Include the tone you hope to establish and the lesson your audience should understand.
4. Draft 1: Rough, 2-3 pages.
5. Teacher Review: Set up a conference time with me. Bring at least 3-5 questions/concerns you have about your piece.
6. Draft 2: There should be significant changes.
7. Peer Review 1
8. Peer Review 2
9. Final Draft for Submission