Narrative Essay

Attached Files:

• How to Format Your Paper Example – PDF (152.429 KB)

To submit your assignment, click on the title “Week 2 Narrative Essay” above.

In week one, you completed a discovery (prewriting) activity, created a narrative outline, and drafted the introductory paragraph of your essay. This week you will draft and revise your narrative essay and submit it for assessment. The essay should show planning, revision, a clear thesis statement or main idea, paragraph organization, purpose and direction, and effectiveness of conclusion. It should reflect feedback you received from your instructor on your outline and demonstrate understanding of the writing process. There are several resources to assist you including the graphic below, a revision worksheet you should review after drafting your paper, to help revise/edit/proofread for final submission.

Narrative Essay Instructions:

The following criteria reflect the areas needed for a successful narrative essay.

• The essay should have a clear purpose and a main idea/thesis statement within the first paragraph.
• The narrative should share a larger lesson with the audience than simply retelling an event.
• A strong narrative centers on a conflict building from introduction to body to a thought-provoking resolution.
• It should use descriptive language to bring the reader into the experience.
• Please see pages 89-92 for more details about the qualities of an effective narrative essay.

Choose one of the following topics:

• What personal goal or achievement are you most proud of? Share the story of the moment you reached that goal.
• What one event brought you closer to your family? Describe that day.
• Was there an event in your life where you made a mistake or misjudged a situation? Describe how the event occurred and what you learned from it.

Requirements:

• 600 word narrative essay
• Microsoft Word document formatted in APA (see below)
• Submit to Submission Area

HOW TO REVISE YOUR PAPER ( Print Revision Worksheet )

Paragraph or Essay Structure:

• Appropriate title indicates the essay’s topic.
• Paper addresses all the requirements. (see rubrics)
• Paper is logically organized and flows well
• Introduction includes relevant background information and a clear thesis statement.
• Body paragraphs discuss main purpose and move the story forward
• Each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and moves the essay forward
• Effective conclusion does more than simply repeat the introduction

Sentence Structure:

• Review sentence variety and construction as well as word choice and conciseness.
• Correct all comma splices, run-ons, and fragments.
• All sentences include complete thoughts, containing a subject and a verb.
• Sentences have variety.
• Vary lengths and structure using different beginnings, such as prepositional phrases, transition words, or dependent clauses.
• Transition words (therefore, however, in addition, etc.) ensure writing flows smoothly, connecting related thoughts or signaling shifts in ideas?
• Sentences are concise
• Avoid being wordy.

Language and Tone:

• Language is appropriate for audience (formal writing)
• Point of view is consistent (first person/narrative essay; third person/persuasive essay)
• No “announcing” what essay will do. Do not refer to the essay itself.
• Essay does not talk down to reader, or make assumptions (avoid expressions like: Obviously, as you know, it is clear)

Grammar & Mechanics:

• Sentences correctly punctuated.
• Words are properly capitalized (including “I”)
• No words inadvertently omitted.
• Subject and verb of each sentence agree.
• Verbs are consistent in tense (past, present, future)
• Pronouns properly refer to their antecedents.
• Spelling errors corrected including words spell check does not catch (their/there/they’re; its/it’s)

APA:

• Paper is properly formatted in APA.

HOW TO FORMAT YOUR PAPER

Please review attached document for the proper format for your papers.

Please note the following:

• All papers must be Microsoft Word documents.
• The paper has a running head that is the title of your paper in ALL CAPS. It is accompanied by a page number. Use your header function to create this line. Do not type it as text in the actual text area for your writing. (See your help function for information on creating headers and section breaks.)
• The paper is double-spaced in Times New Roman, size 12, and has no extra spaces between the paragraphs.
• The paper uses one-inch margins and half-inch indentions for the beginning of paragraphs. You can set this up in Microsoft Word to automatically default to these settings for your paper.
• NO RESEARCH IS TO BE CONDUCTED FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT, so you will not need to provide a references page.

HOW TO SUBMIT THIS ASSIGNMENT

• Title the Word document JonesA_ NARRATION DRAFT(change JonesA to your last name and first initial). If you have a title for the essay, center it as a double-spaced half-line just above the text.
• At the top of this page click on the title Week 2 Narrative Essay
• A new page will open where you can submit your document as an ATTACHMENT.
• Do not paste your essay into the comment box.
• Make sure that you have actually attached the document.

HOW YOUR ESSAY WILL BE ASSESSED