...CLRC Writing Center Structure of a Personal Narrative Essay “Narrative” is a term more commonly known as “story.” Narratives written for college or personal narratives, tell a story, usually to some point, to illustrate some truth or insight. Following are some tools to help you structure your personal narrative, breaking it down into parts. The “Hook” Start your paper with a statement about your story that catches the reader’s attention, for example: a relevant quotation, question, fact, or definition. Introduction Set the Scene Provide the information the reader will need to understand the story: Who are the major characters? When and where is it taking place? Is it a story about something that happened to you, the writer, or is it fiction? Thesis Statement The thesis of a narrative essay plays a slightly different role than that of an argument or expository essay. A narrative thesis can begin the events of the story: “It was sunny and warm out when I started down the path”; offer a moral or lesson learned: “I’ll never hike alone again”; or identify a theme that connects the story to a universal experience: “Journeys bring both joy and hardship.” “Show, Don’t Tell” Good story telling includes details and descriptions that help the reader understand what the writer experienced. Think about using all five senses—not just the sense of sight—to add details about what you heard, saw, and felt during the event. For example, “My heart jumped as the dark ...
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...She knew she had cancer but didn’t want to tell me anything. Some of her last words were, “I didn’t want to worry you”. The days before she passed away were the worst days of my life, even more than the ones I know will lie ahead. I had no other relatives other than my aunt Maria, she lived with her husband, Alex. I had no other choice than to move in with them. Ever since I moved into their home, Alex mistreated me and would always reproach me for moving in, like it was my fault I had nobody else. He thought he had authority over me because I lived under his roof. He would yell at me, treat me like his personal slave, and sometimes even beat me. There were many times that I had to put makeup on my face to hide the marks and bruises that he left. Aunt Maria was a weak person, I knew it hurt her seeing me get beaten, but she never did anything towards my defense. She’s the type of person that thinks a woman cannot face life without a man so she didn’t dare contradict much of what he did. I don't reproach her anything; she gave me a roof to live under, food to survive, and the opportunity to continue with my education, and I am grateful. But I grew up with hatred towards Alex. It wasn’t the physical abuse that hurt the most, it was the way he talked down about my mother. She was dead, and couldn’t defend herself. I defended her every time he said...
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...opera. I want to tell the story of the narrative in the form of an internal monologue, taking place before I step on the stage. So, in a sense, I want to tell the story from the first person present point of view, about a past event. I would like the narrative to begin standing on a stage. I am franticly worried about stepping on stage; this is my first role in an opera ever, and I have to enter and immediately begin singing. To prepare myself, I wildly chant my lines under my breath, speaking over five words a second, running through my entire scene ten times before coming onstage. While this is going on, I am watching my love interest, one of the primary characters of the narrative, finish her scene, but I am completely tunneled into my mental rehearsals. At last, after fiddling with my hidden prop, I step on stage and the lights hit me. In a sort of disassociated state, I approach, curtsy, and sing. The primary focus of this story will be demonstrating a time where I used all of my musical literacy. This story also has an interesting angle because it focuses on a part of entertainment that the average person never sees, and it is an...
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...Two Sides to a Story I believe that every voice should be heard, especially in stories because you gain knowledge and you start to understand the other sides of a story. When you are arguing with someone the things that I see in most people is sticking to their own side and that they don’t want to hear the other side of the person. Usually, most arguments are biased to some degree. I am not saying that I am perfect but I strive to learn both or multiple sides to a story so you can get all of the facts and opinions. From there you can make a decision on what you want to do. My friend who I thought was my friend, went behind my back and started to have a relationship with my recently broken up with girlfriend. His name is Will. I figured out that Will had a thing with her from another friend who told me. At this point I was still not over the girl, and to have a best friend go behind your back and get with your ex is one of the worst feelings in the world. I got backstabbed. He kept telling me that he didn’t want to lose our friendship and that he wouldn’t do that to me because he didn’t want to ruin the great friendship we had. Too late. Starting from elementary school, Will and I were best friends. We would always play football and tag together at recess. In middle school we were on the same basketball team. In high school before this happened we used to hangout often and we even saw the McGregor-Mayweather fight. Are best friends supposed to do that to you? Best friends don’t...
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...My hands seemed to be on autopilot, typing phrases and codes, as I program the character to move and jump, the little figure on the computer screen seeming to come to life as I continue coding. It feels like the world suddenly calms and my troubles leave because nothing quells my thirst for an escape from reality more than technology. When seeing cyberspace worlds unfurl, senses of joyfulness, freedom, and tranquility surge through me. Anything is suddenly possible and real, the law of physics and gravity no longer limit us anymore. Ideas seem to rush through me in this moment of peace. Without warning my brain seems to see all the improvements that can be done to the laptop. The resolution upgraded to life-like scenery, unlimited storage,...
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... A Week Have you ever been really passionate about something you really love, and you never want to stop doing it? Well, a 10 year old girl named Jamie really loved dancing. When she was dancing, she felt amazing. The whole world was perfect, except, for one little problem, she had to stop. For 2.567348 weeks to be exact! Actually only 2 and ½. It all started a couple weeks ago when she was dancing. As the beats and rhythms moved her into a heavenly world, she could not focus on anything-even if she had the worst pain in her life, she wouldn’t know- except what beat was coming up next. The music stopped and she quickly returned to the speaker to change it, but soon after stopped. She went and sat down after realizing that a dull pain was slowly getting worse in her right heel. She went upstairs to inform her mom-Angy-about the pain. ”Mo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-om-”Each step getting louder-”my foot hurts!”, Jamie said frustrated because she had to stop dancing. ”What?”, her mother inquired.”My foot hurts.”, she repeated herself ,” and it won’t stop.” each word angrier than the other.”Well then wait a little and if it still hurts, ice it.” Angy used to be a medic in the US Army, so Jamie trusted her. A little after 15 minutes, Jamie’s foot still hurt. She decided to ice it, which of course still hurt because it was so cold. It got a little better but still hurt, so her mom agreed to rub her heel. It started feeling a little better so Jamie immediately went back to dancing until...
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...I’ve gotten used to the idea of renting, having lived in three other homes for the last five years. I wanted to buy a house for several years, but only if it is an ideal situation that will benefit me and my future family. I wanted to be more than ready when I decide to explore the idea of home buying as I don’t want to buy a nightmare at the expense of home ownership. This is how I imagine myself when that time comes. I’M DEBT-FREE and have SAVINGS This is a big decision so I imagine that when the times comes that I decide to buy a home for myself, I am financially stable and debt-free. Being debt-free means I tasted how good it felt to not owe money to anybody. So, if I will apply for a mortgage, it would have to be one that will not kill me. I FOUND A GOOD REAL ESTATE AGENT I hope and pray that I would find someone with an insane amount of knowledge about the current local housing market and will keep me in the loop on a near-daily basis about what is on the market. An amazing real estate agent and understand me, who will not laugh at my dumb questions, and who will walk with me through the whole process. And of course, fun to be with. I FOUND A GOOD MORTGAGE LENDER I’m thinking that since this is my first time buying a home, I will have to ask for help from my real estate agent. It will be pretty good if I will be approved for a loan based on my income with a good interest rate and the process will not take ages to complete. I will comply with any requirements needed...
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...Everyone has a special desire, a special item, a special talent, or maybe even a special new way to create happiness. For me, these things shaped the person I am today and in doing that, created the ideal personality skill and trait people don’t see too often. One of those items was the special gift to make people laugh, the remarkable sense of humor one man can bring. A brilliant man named Ronald Dahl created and imagined a character where seeing is believing and nothing is always something, some of the most craziest people are the most creative Ronald Dahl would quote. The character was named Willy Wonka, that magical candy maker selected 5 random lucky-go people to take a tour of his factory, with his distinct characteristic, Mr. Willy Wonka...
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...ourselves and be responsible for ourselves. Everyone must have certain expectations for themselves. I believe that happiness comes from within an individual, and that if you are not happy with yourself, no one else can make you happy. Although teamwork is important, we should all learn to be independent. I believe this because if you are independent, then you can help other people. I don’t believe that anyone should be completely reliant on another person. Also, I believe that as individuals, we must be able to not only make our own decisions, but commit to them. This is another important piece of living independently. Some of my other core beliefs of life are that we must live our lives to the fullest potential, we should never compromise our personal morals for material objects, and we should live by basic Christian values. I see myself as an independent learner, meaning I know how to apply myself in the classroom and am able to pursue my own studies. I take responsibility for everything I do in the classroom, and I always give my best effort. I am always eager to learn and never give up on learning something new. I can thrive in any classroom because I am an autonomous learner. I regard myself as a leader, too. Since I am familiar with myself as a student, I can help other people in class. An example of me committing to my decisions is that I am a pescatarian (someone who only eats fish). One day, when I was in fourth grade, I told my mom that I was going to be a pescatarian, and...
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...I have been at my current job for twelve years and I enjoy what I do; However, I knew deep in my heart that I was meant to do something else, I kept trying to figure out for years what it was. I will be 47 years old next month and I kept telling myself “time is going by so fast when I am going to figure out the real purpose I have in life?” During the twelve years, I have been at my job I have had the opportunity to go to different High Schools and health fairs and talk about importance issues such as sexually transmitted diseases (STDS) and HIV/AIDS testing and counseling. But, it wasn’t until I began volunteering at the Guardian Ad Litem program that God showed me His purpose for my life, and that was to be an Elementary School Teacher....
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...I am very close with my aunt, and she always helps me to decide what to do when I am in a tough situation. My aunt offers very good advice and is one of my role models in life. The name Teresa in Greek means to reap or harvest (baby wizard). The denotation of the name Teresa is harvester (baby wizard). The etymological origins of Teresa are from Spain and Italy (Campbell 1). The name Teresa was worn by two saints, Saint Teresa of Avila and Mother Teresa of Calcutta (Campbell 1). I think my aunt could be a saint because she is very selfless and does so many wonderful things to help others. I think that my Confirmation name will foreshadow Conclusion Works Consulted Affrunti, Carl. Personal interview. 19 April 2018. Affrunti, Paul. Personal interview. 17 April 2018. Affrunti, Tamara. Personal interview. 17 April 2018. Campbell, Mike. “Meaning, Origin and History of the Name Grace.” Behind the Name, https://www.behindthename.com/name/grace Campbell, Mike. “Meaning, Origin and History of the Name Isabella.” Behind the Name, www.behindthename.com/name/isabella Campbell, Mike. “Meaning, Origin and History of the Name Teresa.” Behind the Name, www.behindthename.com/name/teresa Richman, Daniel Avram. “Isabella”. Aaron to Zoe; 15,000 Great Baby Names, Little, Brown and Company, 1993, pg.112. Stafford, Diane. “Grace”. 60,001+ Best Baby Names, Sourcebooks, Incorporated, 2008, pg.410. Stafford, Diane. “Isabella”. 60,001+ Best Baby Names, Sourcebooks, Incorporated, 2008, pg.421...
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... Memories are one of the greatest features in life that you can cherish until your final days, though there are memories that you wish you never had. When I look back at my most recent decision of letting Khoi leave to California, I find great remorse in what I did, more so in what I didn’t do. Khoi’s departure to California has left a void in my life and it almost feels like a piece of my heart has been torn out. Not only was he one of my greatest mentors, but he was also my family. From struggling in school to learning how to play guitar, he was always there by my side to help me and provide that support through the hardships and challenges. Without him, I truly don’t know what my life will look like today. Picture it this way: take the most important and influential person in your life and remove them from existence. (Parents omitted) What would your life be like without them? Will your life continue to flow like it usually does, or is there going to be a change in what you normally do? In life, nothing ever stays the same. You’ll have the greatest day of your life one day, and the very next day will be a pit of hell. It’s a bit funny actually, seeing how my life has taken a 360 turn ever since I met Khoi. Being from a small town in Fife, I thought I was just another person who knows no more or no less than the people I surround myself with. When Khoi first arrived, there was no instant connection between each other. He seemed like a typical person who goes through the motions...
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...The Transformation I stepped off the scale at the doctor’s office and it read 194.6 pounds, the heaviest I had ever weighed, as I sat in the room alone I felt so ashamed that I had let myself get to this point with my health and I knew I needed to change my way of living. When I got home I sat down on my bed getting ready to start my Geometry homework, I looked over at my phone and saw that I had received a message from one of my best friends to this very day Ethan Blevins. Ethan had also made a big body transformation recently and went to the gym everyday so I told him my situation and he agreed to help me as soon as I wanted. We decided I would go to the gym with him in the morning everyday before school and do some cardio for about an hour,...
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...So why are you in here? People say that I am crazy for what I did and they are right. I didn’t care, I ruined my life badly. I had it all to be successful and blissful, but at the time I wasn’t thinking clearly. I let my anger and pride take over me and when you are angry, depressed, and lost, loneliness is not the best advisor. Here is my story… Life hasn’t been easy for me; my father walked out of my life when I was 3 months old leaving my mother and I to struggle. To be honest, I held a grudge towards him for leaving us but mother taught me to forgive to be forgiven. She taught me many valuable lessons in life and even though she didn't have a high school diploma her words were wise. She always encouraged me to best the person that...
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...noticeable or not. One archetype that I see emerging in my life is the seeker. The seeker is the archetype who “searches for a better life.” This archetype begins their journey by feeling discontent which makes them try new experiences. They are tremendously ambitious and adventurous, wanting to find the meaning of his or her life. As high school is coming to an end, I want to be more audacious with my life as I transition into college and the real world. In the future, I want to step out of my comfort zone and be like the seeker. As I myself, other students, and young adults grow older, they have a desire to live the adventure. A second archetype that I see emerging in my life is the creator. This archetype’s goal is to create their own personal identity and to “imagine and create a world that allows our dreams to come true.” I aspire to be the creator in the future because they use their imagination to understand life. In the future, I plan on becoming an animator or graphic designer which involves a lot of creativity and I believe that becoming more like the creator will assist me in my future. The creator is also a helpful role for those who like to use their imagination to create things, such as artists. People acquire this archetype whenever they use their imagination or fantasies as inspiration to invent new things and ideas. There are twelve different archetypes and although there are some that people don’t see inside of them, they have a piece of each archetype lying within...
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