Autobiographical Essay!

2. Step One Introduction
 Everyone should have a developed introduction with
a solid HOOK, EFFECTIVE background information
(balance this by not giving so much that you end up
repeating a lot of it in the essay. Make it more
general and lead up to the thesis) THESIS is the
final idea. Be sure it is original and not a cliché or a
generalized statement.

3. Cliché/Generalized Ideas
 1. You have ONE MINUTE to think of a Cliché or
general idea
 2. If you hear one of these statements and it
appears in your thesis, then it needs revision

4. Thesis
 Again, the thesis should be PERSONAL AND
present a POWERFUL LESSON OR TWO.
 Remember our first essay….let’s talk about that for
just a minute.

5. REMEMBER YOUR ESSAY SHOULD FOLLOW THE
SHORT STORY PLOT STRUCUTRE

START OF OUT WITH EXPOSITION (BACKGROUND INFORMATION EXTENDED IN BODY
ONE)

BODY TWO—BEGIN TO BUILD RISING ACTION

BODY THREE---BRING THE STORY TO A CLOSE WITH THE FALLING ACTION

BODY FOUR—CONCLSUION
AND MAKE CONFLICT INTO YOUR STORY.
DEVELOP THE CONFLICT. THIS IS WHERE YOU WANT TO PULL MOST EMOTION FROM THE READER
PART OF THE NARRATIVE
.
REFLECTION. MAKE IT PERSONAL AND DEVELOPED. IT SHOULD BE MORE THAN JUST A FEW
SETENCES, BUT ALMOST A PAGE OR ATLEAST A HALF A PAGE TO TRULY SHOWCASE THE MEANING OF
IT. THIS IS IS HUGE PART OF YOUR ESSAY!. IT’S WHERE YOU ARE EXPLAING YOUR THESIS AND
EXTENDING ON HOW YOUR STORY PROVES YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE OR WHAT YOU
LEARNED/DISCOVERED ABOUT YOURSELF!

6. Body One

This is your chance to give the reader the exposition the reader needs
before the event occurred.

Examples: Death—Body One—Good Times specifically with that person.
Bring that person and you to life by describing one or two of the good
times you had. Tell/show the story you had with this person

Divorce---Show a good time you had with your family all being as one.
Pick a specific time, place, event and narrate that event as a story an give
us a sense of the closeness of the story

--Relationships---Show the good times of that relationship if you are going
to write about it ending bad. Go back into time and narrate a specific
event that you will never forget that person because you think that person
will be with you.

7. Body One Continued
 Relationships—Still Positive…Go back and narrate what life
was like before you met this person. Describe in detail what
you use to do before you met this beautiful person. Make your
exposition general with giving me a general overview of what
your life was like before you met this person
 _First time doing something (Trip, Concert, etc) Go back in time
and talk about how much you love this band or always
imagined going on this trip. Give enough exposition to make it
seem like this has always been a dream that you never though
would happen. WHY DO YOU like this band/trip so much?
Why would it be a dream come true if you got a chance to go
on it or see them….Begin to build up your feelings of never
thinking of getting the chance to get to see this band/trip

8. BODY TWO
 DEATH- Explain how you learned about the death
and what you felt. SHOW NOT TELL every thing
you can remember about learning about this death.
Include dialogue (even if it is embellished) Describe
your final moment with this person and what it was
like to see this person die. Describe in detail the
funeral, who was there, what was said, how you
felt, BRING THE STORY OF DEATH TO LIFE BY
GIVING ENOUGH RISING ACTION HERE

9. BODY TWO
 Divorce- Tell the story about you learning about the
divorce. Include dialogue and strong SNT to evoke
emotion. What was said to you, how did you
feel, what was going on in your family at that exact
time? Truly showcase what the divorce was like?
Were people yelling? Did you over hear something?
Narrate rising action that builds more suspense to
the exposition in body one.

10. Body Two
 Relationships---Describe the break up. How did it
happen? Who was with you? Where did it take
place? Tell the story of how it occurred and what
you were thinking? Use rising action to build up to
a climax in body Three. Truly tell/show the break up
include dialogue of what was said during the break
up! Pull the emotion from the reader

11. Body Two
 Relationships that work well and are still working--Go back in time and tell the story of how you meet.
Who was with you? How did you meet? Who asked
who out? What was said? Capture this through
Dialogue?
Set the stage by giving use a vivid description of the
setting and set the rising action…how nervous were you
and the other person? Give us specific examples of
how this relationship started

12. Body Two
 First time doing something---Tell the story about learning
you were going on this trip/to this concert? Who told you?
Where did they tell you? Was anyone with you?
NARRATE and use RISING ACTION to show how the
emotion changed you or what you got when you learned
you were getting the chance to see a band/go on a trip
for the first time? A dream you never thought would
come true. Tell/show the story. Use dialogue where
appropriate and truly showcase how/when you learned
about your opportunity to get the chance to do this. How
did this make you feel? Be sure you truly tell enough
information.

13. Body Three
 Death—What did you do after the funeral and what
is life like now after she is gone? How is your life
different? Start to bring your story to a close. Did
anyone speak to you about this death? Did you go
through any counseling you can tell us about? Who
helped you through this situation? Narrate a
specific story about life without her that you always
use to do with her.

14. Body Three
 Divorce—what is your family life like now? Describe in
detail what it is like living with one parent or one parent at
a time? If you live with one parent at a time, what is it
like living with each one and what is the difference? Tell
a story about what it is like living with each person at
different times? Bring the story to a close through the
rising action. Be specific and narrate a specific event
that your family always use to do together that now you
don’t get the chance to do OR if you still do that event
with only one parent how is it different and how do you
feel about that?

15. Body Three
 Relationships (Negative)—What is life now like without
this person? Are you two still friends? Why are you still
friends? What do you do to keep a friendship alive…tell
a story
 Do you two hate each other and don’t see each other?
What is life like without seeing the person everyday who
you truly loved? Describe in detail what your life is like
NOW that you no longer have this relationship with this
person? Do you spend more times with friends? Did
you get involved in something else? Bring the story to a
close by describing what life was like after the
relationship

16. Body Three
 First time doing something---Describe your feeling
afterwards? What did you do immediately after the
concert/trip? Why did you do this? Show the story of
what you did after the concert/trip was over? Bring it to a
close. Were there people around you that you just met
that are not going to meet again? How did this make
you feel? What does it feel like that you may never get
the chance to go on this trip/concert again?
Essentially, describe in detail what you did after the
concert was over…If you just went home, what did you at
home? Who did you tell about the concert? What did
they say? Did you go to your room and think about it?
What were you thinking…Bring it to a close

17. Body Four

EVERYONE needs MAJOR REFLECTION ON HOW THIS EVENT TAUGHT YOU MORE
ABOUT YOURSELF.

EXTEND YOUR THESIS.

HOW DID THIS EXPERIENCE MAKE YOU DISCOVER SOMETHING SPECIFIC ABOUT
YOURSELF?

HOW ARE YOU NOW DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF THIS EVENT?

WHAT WILL YOUR FUTURE LOOK LIKE BECAUE YOU GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO
EXPERIENCE THIS?

HOW DID IT CHANGE YOU? WHAT DID YOU REALIZE ABOUT LIFE?

END IT WITH ANOTHER POWERFUL HOOK…END IT WITH A
QUOTE, STATE, DIALOGUE, OR QUESTIONS YOU CAN ASK THE READER TO GET THEM
BACK INVOLVED.

18. WHAT IF I HAVE MY OWN
WAY OF WRITNG THIS
 GO FOR IT! YOU WRITE IT THE WAY YOU NEED TO
DO IT TO SUCCESSFULLY TELL YOUR STORY.
 IN SOME INSTANCES YOU WILL NEED MORE THAN 5
PARAGRAPHS BECAUSE BODY PARAGRAPH 2 IS SO
BIG THAT IT NEEDS TO BE BROKEN UP INTO
SMALLER PARAGRAPHS…THIS IS FINE. DON’T JAM
EVERYTHING INTO ONE PARAGRAPH ESP. BODY
TWO. BREAK IT UP IN A NATURAL PLACE.

19. RD 1
 JUST START WRITING ACCORDING TO THE
POWERPOINT OR YOUR OWN STYLE. DON’T STOP
WRITING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY
NEXT. KEEP WRITING AND WRITING AND WRITING
UNTIL YOU HAVE TOLD THE ENTIRE STORY. DON’T
CUT ANYTHING OUT OF YOUR STORY OF RD 1. WE
CAN MODIFY IT FOR RD 1 AND CUT OUT WHAT YOU
DO NOT NEED. FOR THIS DRAFT JUST WRITE THE
STORY AND INCLUDE EVERYTHING YOU CAN.

20. REMINDERS
 YOU ARE ALLOWED TO EMBELLISH THINGS.
YOU DON’T REMEMBER EVERYTHING, SO IT’S
OKAY TO MAKE SOME STUFF UP OR MAKE IT
MORE
SERIOUS, SCARY, LOVEABLE, SAD, DEPRESSIN
G. ADD THIS TO YOUR STORY.
 DON’T OVER EMBELLISH. EMBELLISH WHERE
YOU THINK YOU NEED TO ADD MORE EMOTION
OR DON’T REMEMBER MUCH

21. RD 1
 REMEMBER THIS IS A ROUDH DRAFT. IT’S
ROUGH DRAFT ONE. IT SHOULD NOT BE
POLISHED OR COMPLETE.
 IT NEEDS TO SIMPLY SHOW THE STORY IN AN
ORDER THAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU
(CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER FOR MOST OF YOU!)

22. RD 1
 JUST WRITE, WRITE, WRITE, AND KEEP
WRITING. DON’T WORRY ABOUT WRITING TOO
MUCH.
 WORRY ABOUT WRITING TOO LITTLE
 KEEP LOOKING AT YOUR THESIS AND MAKE
SURE YOUR STORIES YOU ARE TELLING
CONNECT TO YOUR THESIS. IF IT
DOESN’T, THEN YOU NEED TO FIX YOUR
STORY.

23. RD 1
 THERE ARE NO MISTAKES TO MAKE IN RD 1
EVERYONE OF YOU KNOWS HOW TO WRITE. NOW
IT’S TIME TO PROVE IT TO ME PERIOD 1.
SHOWCASE YOU CAN TELL A STORY AND HAVE A
VOICE. WE WILL WORK ON MAKING RD 1 MUCH
BETTER WITH RD 2 LOOKING SPECIFICALLY AT
SNT TECHNIQUES.

24. RD 1
 THERE SHOULD BE NO FREEZING OR LACKING OF
CONFIDENCE.
 GO FOR IT AND JUST START TELLING YOUR STORY!
YOU GOT YOUR INTRO DONE..NOW IT’S JUST TIME TO
TELL/SHOW YOUR STORY.
 REMEMBER YOU DON’T NEED TO FOLLOW MY FIVE
PARAGRAPH ESSAY FORMAT UNLESS YOU WANT TO.
 I WOULD SUGGEST BREAKING PARAGRAPH 2 INTO
MORE THAN ONE BODY PARAGRAPH. I CAN’T TELL YOU
WHERE BECAUSE IT’S YOUR STORY

25. FINAL THOUGHTS
 THIS SHOULD BE A MINIMUM UP OF FIVE PARAGRAPHS:
 INTRO, BODY ONE, BODY TWO, BODY THREE, CONCLUSION
5 PARAGRAPHS
IT MIGHT BE: INTRO, BODY ONE, BODY TWO (FIRST PART) BODY
TWO (SECOND PART) BODY THREE, CONCLUSION 6
PARAGRAPHS
OR IT MIGHT BE: INTRO, BODY ONE (PART ONE) BODY ONE
(PART TWO)_ BODY TWO (FIRST PART) BODY TWO (SECOND
PART) BODY TWO (THIRD PART) CONCLISION 7 PARAGRAPHS

26. CD/CM METHOD
 EACH BODY PARAGRAPH WILL NOT FOLLOW
THE CD/CM METHOD.
 AT TIMES YOU WILL BE TELLING A STORY AND
MAYBE AFTER THAT YOU WILL REFLECT ON
THAT PART AND THEN GO BACK TO RETELLING
THAT STORY
 AT TIMES YOU MAY ONLY BE TELLING THE
STORY IN AN ENTIRE BODY PARAGRAPH

27. WHAT MIGHT IT LOOK
LIKE
 INTRO CD CD CD
CM
 INTRO CD/CM AT THE END CD CD/CM AT THE
END CM
 INTRO CD/CM AT THE END CD/CM AT THE END
CD/CMAT THE END CM
 INTRO CM/CD
CD/CM CD
CM