Sec III Personal Narrative

Sec III Personal Narrative

Sec II – Personal Narrative

Term 4

16% of writing competency

A Personal Narrative enables an author to get personal with the audience. It shares a personal story that has, in some, marked the author, and the author reflects on this permanent impact that it has left on his or her life.

This term you will write a Personal Narrative. It must be between 400-600 words, and it must capture the essence of ONE specific event in your life: the saddest, most embarrassing, happiest, scariest…

Necessary components:

  • Title
  • Opening commentary on the topic
  • Chronological order
  • First person point of view
  • Closing personal reflection on the story
  • Vivid details/description
  • ONE specific moment or issue

Helpful hints:

  • Only discuss you and your story. Do not start talking about other moments or tell a lifelong story. A personal narrative is about one moment, and your goal is to relive this moment with of the emotion that you felt when it first happened.
  • Use a lot of imagery, indirect characterization, action, and, if necessary, dialogue.
  • Make the story interesting by making the reader see what you saw, and feel what you felt.

DUE DATE: ______

Personal Narrative
Student Name: ______
CATEGORY / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Focus / It is very easy for the reader to relate to central issue the main character encounters. Clear focus on ONE issue. / It is fairly easy for the reader to relate to the central issue the main character encounters. Focus is on ONE issue. / It is fairly easy for the reader to relate to the central issue the main character encountersbut it focuses on too many issues. / It is not clear what the issue the main character faces and/or the focus is not clear or is too broad.
Organization / The story is very well organized. One idea or scene follows another in a logical sequence (chronological order) with clear transitions. / The story is pretty well organized. One idea or scene may seem out of place. Clear transitions are used. / The story is a little hard to follow. The transitions are sometimes not clear. / Ideas and scenes seem to be randomly arranged.
Action and Emotion / Several action verbs are used to describe what is happening in the story. The story seems exciting! Contains lots of vivid detail. / Several action verbs are used to describe what is happening in the story, but the word choice doesn't make the story as exciting as it could be. Containssomevividdetail. / A variety of verbs are used and describe the action accurately but not in a very exciting way. Contains little vivid detail. / Little variety seen in the verbs that are used. Contains very little or no vivid detail.
Form / All necessary personal narrative components are expertly used. (openingcommentary, closingreflection...) / All necessary personal narrative components are present. / Some personal narrative components are present, while others are missing. / Many personal narrative components are missing.
Spelling and Mechanics / There are no spelling or punctuation errors in the final draft. / There are 1 or 2 spelling or punctuation error in the final draft. / There are 3 or 4 spelling and punctuation errors in the final draft. / The final draft has more than 4 spelling and punctuation errors.