Introduction In this module, you will learn about narrative writing, and you will write a paper. Narrative writing uses storytelling skills to explain an important experience. All stories have characters, settings, conflicts, and resolutions. For your narrative, you will use descriptive details, action, and dialogue to move the story along. Most narrative writing progresses in chronological order. So, you will explain something that occurred from start to finish. When you write, imagine you are talking to a friend or loved one. What questions would they ask you? The answers you have to those questions are details you can use to help them understand your story. If this sounds daunting, do not worry! Remember that writing is a process. You will get time to practice and revise your work. You may surprise yourself with your storytelling abilities. Good narrative writing features a clear topic or theme. Make sure you understand what makes your story valuable. What do you want your reader to learn? Keep your focus on ONE event. You want to avoid a summary of many events. For example, there may be thousands of times when your family supported you. In your personal narrative, though, you would describe only one. For example, “This is a story about the time my sister bought me groceries.” Here are some ideas of stories you might choose to share, but you can also create your own. In the first step of this module, we will help you narrow in on a topic. • An adventure you had (or chose not to have). • A time when you overreacted to a problem. • A moment that made you believe in yourself. • A moment you learned how to be a good friend. • A time in which you were truly scared. • A big decision you made. Requirements Your submission must be your original work. A plagiarism checker will report on how much of your paper was taken from outside sources. Since this is a personal narrative about events that happened to you in real life, you are not required to use outside sources for this paper. However, if you do, they must be properly cited. Even with proper citations, quotes or paraphrased sections cannot represent more than 30% of the overall paper. That is, at least 70% of the writing must be your own ideas. You must use the rubric to guide your writing. It shows you the rules that evaluators follow when reviewing your work. How to Format Your Paper Prepare a 750- to 1200-word paper in which you do the following: Your paper should appear professional and well-organized. Follow these formatting guidelines. • On your first page, list your name, assignment, and date. • Below that information, include the title of your paper, centered, on the first line. It should be the same size as the rest of your text. • Add page numbers in the header in the top right corner. • Be sure all text is double-spaced. • Use a readable font such as 11 pt. Calibri, 11 pt. Arial, 11 pt. Georgia, or 12 pt. Times New Roman. • Be sure all margins are 1 inch. • Indent every paragraph by using the “Tab” key or its equivalent. Follow this template: Narrative Paper Template.pdf Instructions Prepare a 750- to 1200-word paper in which you do the following: A. Share a personal narrative about ONE event. This should be a nonfiction retelling of a true event from your life. Note: The order of events in your narrative must be clear. B. Demonstrate organization by using the following structure: 1. In at least one paragraph, describe the context and theme for the body of your paper. 2. Share your story in the body of your paper. Be sure to use imagery to describe the event. 3. Use dialogue to tell your story. Be sure to use quotation marks and proper punctuation. 4. In at least one paragraph, write a conclusion. Summarize the main points you have presented along with a takeaway/final word. Keep the paragraph brief. C. If you choose to use outside sources, be sure they are academically credible.* Cite the sources you have quoted, paraphrased, or summarized using standardized in-text citations. At the end of your paper, provide a standardized references list with accurate details of each source (author, date, title, source location/publisher). D. All writing must be professional. This includes the content of your paper as well as how you present the submission to the evaluators. You must use correct grammar, appropriate terminology, and organization throughout your paper. *A note on academically credible sources: These are sources that are trustworthy. They can be reputable journals, newspapers, textbooks, and articles from the last 10 years. They can also be websites from well-respected institutions, such as healthcare facilities, government agencies, and colleges. Their website addresses end in .org, .gov, or .edu. Avoid using blogs, social media posts, or any sources older than 10 years. Rubric CATEGORY NOT EVIDENT APPROACHING COMPETENCE COMPETENT A: Focus There is no apparent focus on one event. Order of events is unclear and disconnected. Event is somewhat focused, but order of events is unclear and disconnected. Event is focused, and order of events is clear and connected. B1: Introduction Introduction lacks connectivity and doesn’t give the reader a good indication of the purpose. Introduction states what the purpose is, but it doesn’t connect hook, context, and theme well. Introduction states what the purpose is and connects hook, context, and theme. B2: Imagery There is an absence of imagery in the story. There is an attempt at including imagery, but it is ineffective and/or is minimally provided. Imagery is used throughout the story to create vivid pictures of characters, settings, and events. B3: Dialogue There is an absence of dialogue in the story. Dialogue is attempted but does not use quotation marks. There are instead instances of summaries or indirect quotes. Dialogue is clearly used through quotation marks, showing conversations between people involved in the event or within the writer’s own mind. B4: Conclusion Conclusion contains new information instead of only main ideas and takeaway/final word. Takeaway/final word may not be present. Conclusion contains information but is disconnected, perhaps with no conclusive topic sentence. Takeaway/final word may or may not be present. Conclusion contains main ideas discussed in the body, and takeaway/final word is clear. The paragraph is kept brief. C: Academically Credible Sources If outside sources are used, the submission does not include either in-text citations or a reference list for sources quoted, paraphrased, or summarized, or the sources are not academically credible. If outside sources are used, the submission includes in-text citations for sources quoted, paraphrased, or summarized and a reference list; however, the citations or list is incomplete, inaccurate, or not academically credible. If outside sources are used, the submission includes in-text citations for academically credible sources that are properly quoted, paraphrased, or summarized. The submission also includes a reference list that accurately identifies the author, date, title, and source location/publisher for all academically credible sources. D: Professional Communication Content is unstructured, is disjointed, or contains pervasive errors in mechanics, usage, or grammar. Vocabulary or tone is unprofessional or distracts from the topic. Content is poorly organized, is difficult to follow, or contains errors in mechanics, usage, or grammar that cause confusion. Terminology is misused or ineffective. Content reflects attention to detail, is organized, and focuses on the main ideas as prescribed in the task or chosen by the candidate. Terminology is pertinent, is used correctly, and effectively conveys the intended meaning. Mechanics, usage, and grammar promote accurate interpretation and understanding.
