MONEY

DRE 098Essay 1: Remembering an Event about MONEY (Narrative/Storytelling)

 

Length:                                1.5-3.0 pages, typed, double-spaced (Beware: Word sometimes adds extra space after you hit enter! You need to fix this!)

 

Font:                                     12 point Times New Roman

 

Margins:                              1 inch each side

 

Info:                                      Name, Professor, Class, and Date on the top left (MLA rules)

 

Title:                                     Something unique; centered

 

Page #s:                               Last name then #; top right of page

 

Related:                               Prewriting sheet (include in submission folder)

Rough draft (bring to class 1/22/18; include in submission folder)

Peer review (1/22/18; include in submission folder)

Submit draft for instructor feedback (1/22-1/23)

 

 

Notes:                                  * Use of the first person (I/me/my/mine/ours) is encouraged.

* You are not required to incorporate any outside sources.

 

The prompt:                      Your assignment is to write an essay about an event in your life that will engage readers and help them understand the significance of the event. Your only restriction is that the event should be directly (or possibly indirectly) related to MONEY, as this is the theme. See “Twenty Grand” by Rebecca Curtis for an example of a money-themed narrative.

 

Since you are telling a story from your past, you have the wisdom that comes with the time that has passed since the event. Think about the interesting observations and reflections you have the advantage of adding to the story, since you’ve had time to think about its significance.

 

Pointers:

  • Practice telling the story to a friend or family member as a form of prewriting. Play around with the order in which you tell the story.
  • Think about a good way to “hook” your reader in the first couple sentences. Is your story interesting enough to keep someone’s attention?
  • Use dialogue to enhance your story. Be sure to review the rules for quotation and punctuation (p. 334 in The Little Seagull has an example).
  • Use signal and transition words/phrases to help your readers understand the order of events and story organization.
  • Use vivid, descriptive language to “paint a picture” for your readers.
  • Frame your story (beginning and end) with the significance of the event. (The first mention could be mysterious, to hook your readers. The second mention should be more detailed.)
  • Feel free to take some artistic license. If you don’t remember all the details, get creative!