Idea Development and Organization for your personal narrative

1
Idea Development and Organization for your
personal narrative
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Show Dont Tell

• Dont just say something SHOW it! Dont just
  say, It was a great trip. SHOW why it was a
  great trip and explain. What is wrong with this
  paragraph????
•  
• My most memorable day was when I was in Greece.
  It was a good day for many reasons. The morning
  was nice. I was out on my grandparents farm.
  The sky was pretty. The sounds of the goat were
  cool. I like waking up here.

3
DETAILS

• Give details.
• What in the world is wrong with this BORING
  paragraph!?
• In the afternoon I went into the garden with my
  grandma. We picked veggies. We walked around
  the garden. It is a beautiful garden. It smells
  good. I like the flowers. I like nature and
  being outside. It is natural.

4
Organize with a Topic Sentence

• The writing clearly centers around your topic
  sentence.
• What is a topic sentence?
• Why do you need a topic sentence?

5
FRED

•  
• Facts
• Reasons
• Examples
• Details
• What in the world is wrong with this paragraph??
•  
• We took the veggies into the kitchen to wash
  them. We washed them and put them in a pot. We
  talked while we cooked. I liked talking with my
  grandma. I like my grandma. We finished cooking
  and set the table. It was a delicious meal. This
  is my most memorable day because I was with my
  grandparents.
•  

6
Organize with an introduction

• What is the purpose of the intro?
• How can I begin it?
• What are some tricks to writing it?

7
Writing the Introduction

• What makes a day memorable? For some, this might
  mean a glitzy vacation in an expensive resort, or
  a thrilling and exciting experience that takes
  your breath away, but for me, one of my most
  memorable days was seemingly simple to an
  outsider. To me, this one particular day spent
  on my grandparents farm in Greece, was life
  changing in a way. It made me slow down,
  breathe, and appreciate the beauty of tradition,
  simplicity and my heritage. The day started and
  ended like any other day, but the difference was
  in the minute minutes spent with my grandmother,
  the woman who holds my history. The morning was
  breathtaking, but it was just like every other
  morning on the farm. The afternoon was mundane,
  but there was something about what I realized
  that day that made it extraordinary. Finally,
  the evening left me with a new found realization
  that I might have missed anywhere else but in the
  quiet mountains of Greece.

8

• My most memorable day is a particular summer day
  I spent on my grandparents farm in Greece.
  Nothing significant happened, yet everything
  about the simplicity of that day reminds me of
  what is truly important, savoring the small
  moments. The silence of the morning was
  interrupted by irritated cries from Becka, my
  Yi-Yas goat, who was impatiently waiting to be
  milked. Barefoot, I walked out onto the hot,
  tiled balcony and opened the rusted doors to
  invite the steaming rays of the sun into the room
  and breathe in the freshness of mountain air.
  Glowing from the reflection of a bright blue sky,
  Mt. Elios stood proud. From this vantage point,
  I watched the iridescent leaves of olive trees
  dance with the rhythm of the wind. With no
  reason to rush the day, I was at peace in the
  serene countryside.

9

• As the day passed, I slowly meandered down to the
  lush, green garden where I found my
• Yi-Ya, grandmother, picking fresh zucchini,
  peppers, tomatoes and green beans for our
  afternoon meal of Fasouiia. The garden was like
  a secret sanctuary of delectable plants, colorful
  flowers and scented herbs. The newborn kittens
  were curled up under the shade of the tall corn
  stalks. After we picked the veggies, we took our
  produce up to the kitchen and began making lunch.
  Slowly, amidst broken English and a mixture of
  Greek, Yi-Ya talked me through the steps of
  preparing the meal. I understood the beauty of
  tradition as she spoke in her thick Greek accent
  and called me Kouklaki, little doll. With her in
  the kitchen, I knew that someday I would teach my
  daughter to make this special dish, and I would
  call her the same name. Learning ones tradition
  and culture means the memories never die. My most
  memorable day seems like any other day, but it is
  one I will never forget.

10

• As evening crept up, my Yi-Ya and I performed our
  nightly ritual. First, we took the chamomile we
  had picked from the garden and boiled it down to
  make tea. Then, we sauntered out to the back
  balcony where we nestled into our chairs to watch
  the stars peek out of the clear night sky.
  Suddenly, the tiny villages across the mountain
  landscape began twinkling as if they were winking
  at us, and their glow illuminated the darkness.
  As the night waned, the moon which filled the sky
  with a luminescent light appeared. In silence, we
  sat side by side as I dug out my notebook to
  write poetry and prose In the simplicity of
  these evenings, sipping tea, writing, and holding
  hands with my Yi-Ya, I found peace. Isnt this
  what life is all about, the quiet moments tucked
  in the folds of a tranquil memory spent with the
  ones you love?

11
Writing the Conclusion

• In conclusion, one of my most memorable days was
  another ordinary day on my grandparents small
  farm in a remote village in Greece. Concealed
  from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the
  world, I am free to simply exist and enjoy the
  feeling of just being. It is here where I can
  take the time to actually enjoy the beauty of a
  sunrise, a gift. It is here where I can take joy
  in the small things like picking veggies from a
  garden and reconnecting with nature and my
  heritage. It is here where I can learn how to
  slow down and enjoy the little moments like
  learning how to cook from my Yi-Ya . And
  finally, in the midst of a Greek night, I can
  find the peace to truly unwind and let my
  thoughts transpose. With the help of my Yi-Ya
  and the comfort of this place, I am set free.

12
Organize with a conclusion

• What is the conclusion?
• How do I write one?
• Why do I need one?
• What are some tricks for writing one?

13
Personal Narrative

• Now it is your turn! You need to write a
  personal narrative to any of the following
  writing prompts or you may choose one of your
  journal prompts. Your writing MUST be full of
  Idea Development, Organized, and it needs
  Sentence Fluency. It MUST be Five paragraphs.
• Before writing, you need to brainstorm using
  either the cluster map given or any other
  resource.
• You need to have a partner revise/edit your essay
  before turning it in. Basic grammatical errors
  are not acceptable.