Outlining Your Narrative Try applying this structure to your own writing: write sentences for the corresponding elements of your introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion in the space provided below. Introduction: Begin your paper with a that catches the “hook” and set the reader’s attention scene. Where is the event set? What time of year? How old were you when this happened? State your thesis: what you learned, or how the event is significant to you. Body paragraphs: write three significant moments from the beginning, middle, and end of the event. Para. 1: Topic sentence: Note: Beginning forget Detail 1. Don’t Action to “Show, Detail 2. Don’t Tell”: List sounds, smells, Detail 3. sights, tastes, and textures Para. 2: Topic sentence: Middle that you Detail 1. Action remember. Your Detail 2. experience is your Detail 3. “evidence”. Use Para 3: Topic sentence: transition End Detail 1. words to Action mark the Detail 2. passage of time. Detail 3. Conclusion: Writing Strategies to Consider First Person vs. Third Person Narratives are a mode of writing in which writers often use first person perspective (“I saw”, “I did”). The events *Verb Tense: Reporting vs. Reflecting of most narratives are told in I hiked, I felt past tense: “As the Use present tense when warm sun on my back.” reflecting on the I know how unprepared I events: “Now was”. the change in tense in this sentence as the Notice writer reflects on the past event, from the present.
Outlining Your Narrative Try applying this structure to your own writing: write sentences for the corresponding elements of your introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion in the space provided below. Introduction: Begin your paper with a “hook” that catches the reader’s attention and set the scene. Where is the event set? What time of year? How old were you when this happened? State your thesis: what you learned, or how the event is significant to you. Body paragraphs: write three significant moments from the beginning, middle, and end of the event. Para. 1: Beginning Action Topic sentence: Detail 1. Note: Don’t forget to “Show, Detail 2. Don’t Tell”: List sounds, Detail 3. smells, sights, tastes, Para. 2: Middle Action Topic sentence: Detail 1. and textures that you remember. Detail 2. Your experience is Detail 3. your “evidence”. Use transition words to Para 3: End Action Topic sentence: Detail 1. Detail 2. mark the passage of Detail 3. time. Conclusion: Writing Strategies to Consider First Person vs. Third Person Narratives are a mode of writing in which writers often use first person perspective (“I saw”, “I did”). *Verb Tense: Reporting vs. Reflecting The events of most narratives are told in past tense: “As I hiked, I felt the warm sun on my back.” Use present tense when reflecting on the events: “Now I know how unprepared I was”. Notice the change in tense in this sentence as the writer reflects on the past event, from the present.
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