Reflective/Narrative Essays

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Reflective/Narrative Essays
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Narrative Writing

• A story or account of any events or experiences.
• Can be fact or fiction, long or short, detailed
  or plain
• frequently is an eyewitness or firsthand account
• often chronological, as in a newspaper account of
  a fire.
• answers the five Wswho, what, when, where, and
  whyand how.

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Reflective Writing

• Narrative writing that goes beyond the recitation
  of facts to tell the significance of an event or
  experience.
• describes a particular event with detail,
  imagery, and figurative language to enhance
  descriptions.
• connects events to their significance. Why is
  the moment important to the writer? What keeps
  it alive in the writers memory?
• presents a moral or observation about life that
  is based on the events described. This
  observation or moral can be positive or negative.

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What is it?
Simply put A personal and significant event that
has meaning.
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What does it include?
The event, the people and the setting
chronologically (i.e. in order).
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FIRST

• Focus on one event.
• We should see a snapshot in time.
• Give a background introduction of the event and
  the people
• Include when this is taking place.

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Then

• Re-create the event
• Give a clear order of the event(s)
• Be specific
• Tell us why it was significant. (What is the
  point?)
• Be descriptive! (i.e. The trees dark shadow
  suddenly hovered over me like an umbrella
  sheltering me from a cold rain.)
• Use adjectives adverbs so we can hear it, taste
  it, touch and/or see it.
• Show emotion.

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AdverbsA reminder

• Modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs
• Answer Where? When? How? and To what degree?
• (ex. I eagerly searched for my father in the
  woods.)

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Adjectives

• Modify nouns and pronouns
• Answer Which one? What kind? How many? and How
  much?
• (ex. It became a beautiful city in my mind.)

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End by

• Reflecting on the outcome of the event and its
  significance.
• Why did you want me to know about this event?
• What does it mean to you now?
• What is the lesson learned?