Essay #1
Personal Influences: Who or What Has Shaped You?
Background:
“My family, my surroundings, and most especially my beloved pets influence my life and shape my writing. They are the well of my creative soul.”
— Beatrix Potter (author of Peter Rabbit and Mother Goose, etc.)
Many writers will tell you that they have special people and places in their lives that shape their writing, and they share their stories with a mutual purpose: the pleasure of a good story and a feeling of connection with the writer—a shared experience.
Your Assignment:
Write an essay about a significant place, event or person in your life as if you were sharing this essay with your fellow classmates (They are your audience). If you write about a person, it should be ONE person, not your entire family, for example. Choose the place, event or person with your readers in mind. The subject should be one that you feel comfortable presenting to others and that will lead these high school seniors to reflect on their own lives or on the differences between their personal experiences and your own. Present your experience dramatically and vividly so that readers can imagine what the place or event was like for you or how the person you choose to write about has shaped your life. Work hard to show–not merely tell–your readers why this person, place or event has been so influential. Through a careful choice of words and details, convey the meaning and importance in your life so that your readers (your peers) will feel the importance of the message that you are sharing. How can you inspire them with your words?
Requirements:
Your final draft should be approximately 1,000 words (4 – 4 1/2 pages).
Your essay must be typed, in 12 point Times New Roman font and in MLA format.
Please save your essay in doc, docx, pdf or rtf formats only!
On a separate page at the end of your essay complete The Rhetorical Square for your essay.
