Writing Personal Narratives

Writing a Personal Narrative

Techiques, Tips, & Tricks

Our writing Mantra: SHOW AND DON'T TELL

Discussing key element to writing a powerful narrative

Writing techniques to accomplish our goal

• Vivid descriptions

• Zoom in specific moments

• Raw emotion

• Dialogue

Vivid description

Imagine you are this red panda laying on a branch. Describe the setting using the 5 senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste, touch).

Open Ended

Vivid description: Imagine you are this red panda laying on a branch. Describe the setting using the 5 senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste, touch).

Zoom in on a moment

Pieces of your story are more significant or interesting than other elements of your story. Exercise: Select one object in this picture and add more detail and description to it.

Open Ended

Exercise: Select one object in this picture and add more detail and description to those parts.

Emotion

Readers want to feel a connection to what you felt.

Describe how the woman in the photo really feels (use adjectives)

Open Ended

Describe how the woman in the photo really feels (use adjectives)

Dialogue

Character dialogue adds excitement.

Think and write: what can this child be saying? To whom?

Open Ended

Think and write: what can this child be saying? To whom? Create an interesting, fun, or intense dialogue.

Poll

After practicing these writing skills, I feel totally ready and confident to write my personal narrative