My ___eST Moment

This assignment is to write an autobiographical narrative. Narrative writing is simply story-telling, and the story you will tell will be from your personal experience.

Narrative writing comes naturally to most people. Almost everyone likes to tell stories, especially stories about themselves. This is your chance.

This project is called “My ___est Moment”(pronounced my blankest moment). Search your memory for a moment in your past that stands out as the ___est: the happiest, the saddest, the funniest, maybe even the most embarrassing. In other words, you get to fill in the blank.

We could help you out by being more specific. We could simply ask, for example, for your most exciting moment. But we don’t want to limit your creativity, so we’ll let you decide. You can either make your reader laugh, cry, or be amazed. The only rule is that it should be a true story.

If you're drawing a blank, here are two prewriting activities that might spur your memory:

• Talk to your parents and siblings at dinner about the assignment. Ask for their suggestions. You might even have a fun time talking about the funny, embarrassing, or exciting events in your family history.
•  Look through a family phot o albu m or two. Most likely lots of writing possibilities will emerge.

And here are some notes on writing narratives:

• A story is essentially a sequence of events. One event should follow another chronologically.
• Stories normally involve a problem or a conflict that is introduced near the beginning and is resolved by the end. Don’t worry too much about this—it comes naturally to most people when they tell a story.
• Take some time to give the story a setting—a clear time and place.
• Stories always involve some description to help the reader enter into the action. Keep your descriptions brief but vivid and clear. Details are important. Include sights, sounds, and smells.
• Include some characters and describe their specific actions, gestures, and/or feelings.
• Be aware of the pace of your story. Don’t spend too much time on the first event and then rush through the end. For a brief narrative like this, it’s best to keep the action moving.

Suggested Length: This paper will likely be three to five pages, depending on the type of story you are telling. Keep it under five.

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