Telling Your Truth: An Introduction to Narrative and Memoir Writing

Essential Question: What is the value in sharing our stories?

The Importance of Story

“I believe that we are nothing without the stories that we read and that we we tell ourselves. I think in a large part, our identity as human beings is the result of narration, of constructing things that have a beginning, a middle and an end, that have development. I have always been struck how religion, unlike science, religion is profoundly narrative. All religions convey stories and I think that speaks to who we are as a species. Our understanding comes through stories, [is] exemplified through stories, [is] understood through stories.”

From “The High Mountains of Portugal” by Yan Martel

Stories serve so many purposes in our lives. They are SO much more than just something we listen to, tell, or read. They are instrumental in our cognitive, and social, and emotional development. They teach us about our values. They cement our identities.

Everyone has stories. You have stories you tell yourself. Families have stories they tell each other. Friends have stories and inside jokes. Communities have stories. Nations have stories. Religions have stories.

Task 1: Thinking about our stories

• Make a list of all the stories you have been told, that you tell, and that you share. Give them improvised titles, so that you will understand what they are. When you have finished, pick one to write about. Tell the story. Tell it in 5 minutes, so abbreviate if necessary. Please note that the audience for this writing is you, and only you. I will not ask you to share. Write freely and honestly and include what you think ought to be included.

• Reread your story. As you read, consider the following questions:

  • Why is this the story you chose to write about?

  • How often do you tell it (to yourself or to others)?

  • What does it teach you about yourself, your values, your identify?

• Be ready to share with the class - not specifically, but generally - the reasons why you tell this story, why it is important enough to you to tell. Again, you do not have to share anything too specific. I am looking for general qualities.

Task 2: Reflecting on the power of stories

“The past is beautiful because one never realises an emotion at the time. It expands later, & thus we don’t have complete emotions about the present, only about the past.”

- Virginia Woolf

Consider the quote above, then complete a quick write on the following:

• What do you think Woolf meant by this?

• We are about to read an excerpt from the book Educated, by Tara Westover. She opens her book with this quote. Why do you think chose to begin her memoir this way?

• Does it in anyway relate to the stories you wrote about?

Task 3: Learning from other storytellers

The book Educated is a memoir, but each chapter represents different short narratives from Westover's life. As you read, keep these questions in mind:

• • Why do you think Tara chose to include this story - in other words, why might it be important to her?

  • What lessons or values (or both) might Tara have gained having lived through and then reflecting on this moment?

  • How was the chapter organized (Chronologically? Did it jump back an forth? Did it have a beginning, middle, end?)?

Read Chapter 6 by following the link below. After reading, be prepared to discuss the following questions above.

Educated, Chapter 6

Task 4: Reflecting on who tells our stories

As we move through this unit, I am going to ask you to consider the following essential question: What is the value in sharing our stories?

To consider this, we are going to watch part of the TED Talk below (watch until the 7:43 mark).

After viewing please answer these questions:

• What does this story tell us about the teller? What can we learn about who she is and what she values? Use evidence from the video to back up your thinking.

• What does this story tell us about the power of stories? What can we learn about the way stories influence those who hear them? What responsibilities does this hold for the teller of the story?

• Why does the teller choose to include the story of Fide in her narrative? How does it relate to the overall message of her story and her credibility as the story’s teller?

The goal of this project: To tell and control your own story.

Task 5: Virtual Gallery Walk of Student Stories

In order to understand this idea further, we are going to complete a galley walk of sample stories, written by students, that have been shared through and organization called Story Corp. Story Corp believes in empowering individuals to take control of their own narratives, by telling their own stories. And, they believe that sharing stories is the foundation to building better communities.

Story Corp Mission Statement

StoryCorps’ mission is to preserve and share humanity’s stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world. We do this to remind one another of our shared humanity, to strengthen and build the connections between people, to teach the value of listening, and to weave into the fabric of our culture the understanding that everyone’s story matters. At the same time, we are creating an invaluable archive for future generations.

Your Task: Read the stories below. As you read, work to fill out the note catcher, also linked below.

After completing this Gallery Walk, be prepared to discuss the following questions:

• • In what ways are the stories similar?

  • Did some standout more than others? Why?

  • What sorts of things did you learn or find yourself thinking about while “listening” to - reading - the stories?

Task 6: Identifying the "Agenda"

So far, I have asked you to read an excerpt from Tara Westover's memoir, Educated, a section of Chimamanda Adichie's narrative, "The Danger of a Single Story," and several student narrative examples. We are going to look at 2 more "mentor texts" that can both teach about important aspects of memoir/narrative writing, and serve as examples for writing our own narratives.

This next one is the longest, but it is perhaps the best and the most important.

As you watch, I want you to think about the following questions and jot down your thoughts as they occur to you. We will discuss after the story.

• • How did the teller choose to organize his story? What was the effect of that?

  • What does the teller mean when he said his father told the story with “different agendas”?

  • What is the significance of the quote “You don’t tell a story to change what happened, you tell a story to change you?”

Take a few minutes after watching to reflect on the questions above, then we will discuss.

Task 7: Who writes memoirs?

It was not until I took a college class on creative nonfiction that I realized memoirs were not just autobiographies of people with exciting lives. Anyone with any amount of life experience can write a memoir—no dramatic childhood or odd-defying life accomplishments required. A short memoir might be an account of a single, life-changing event, or it may be reflection on a period of growth or transition.

- Emily Polson

Read the introduction to the article "15 Essay-Length Short Memoirs to Read Online on Your Lunch Break" . Then pick one of the memoirs that looks interesting to you, and read it.

After reading fill out the following form and turn it in to Google Classroom.

Task 8: Picking your story

Review the following list of Brainstorming Questions. Note any of the numbers of the questions that stand out to you, or that you feel like you could potentially explore. Jot down any topics or questions that aren't included on this list, that you are potentially drawn to as a prompt for your memoir.

Think deeply and pick one. As you are deciding on a topic, remember the following: the story you tell will be published and shared with our greater community. Your story CAN be published anonymously to our community, but that at least the teacher will have to know that you told it. Also understand that this story will be part of an archive that will be shared with the public - so be mindful of these two things as you pick a story to share.

Your Task: Once you have landed on question or an idea that stands out to you. Start freewriting. Explore your story. Outline the event or events that unfolded. Include your feelings, your thoughts, tangible details, sensory experiences, etc. Identify your "agenda" - the significance behind your story. Think about how you are going to weave that throughout.

Task 9: Learning from Experts

We are just about ready to start drafting your memoir. You will need all the notes from your free write/brainstorm yesterday, and this expert advice and examples.

Task 10: Writing your Story

Task 10.5: Improving your Prose with Rhythmic Writing

(adapted in part from V. Stevenson, PHHS)

Some people think that rhythmic writing occurs only in poetry and songs. They are wrong. Rhythm can make prose more interesting as well. In order to understand this, we are going to revisit a text from last semester, "Just Walk On By," by Brent Staples. In this piece he uses forceful syntax (the arrangement of words in a sentence) to lend strength - and rhythm - to his arresting message. He interrupts his sentences frequently, creating rhythmical breaks and reinforce and emphasize important ideas. He uses several tools to do this. Let us complete a quick re-read of the text to familiarize ourselves with the text.

The Appositive

One structure that Staples uses in this way is the appositive, a group of words set off from the rest of the sentence, usually by a comma, to provide additional information about a person or place or thing just mentioned. We this this in his account of the frightened woman in Chicago:

I came upon her late on evening on a deserted street in Hyde Park, a relatively affluent neighborhood in an otherwise mean, impoverished section of Chicago.

The appositive provides a rhythmical break in the sentence and adds information about Hyde Park.

The Coordinating Adjectives

The appositive above contains another example of Staples' rhythmic techniques: coordinate adjectives, a pair of adjectives that modify the same noun and are separated by a comma.

I came upon her late on evening on a deserted street in Hyde Park, a relatively affluent neighborhood in an otherwise mean, impoverished section of Chicago.

When Staples write of "dark, shadowy intersections in Chicago" or "bright, sunny selections from Vivaldi's Four Seasons," he places extra emphasis on the image he presents. He helps the author to more accurately picture what is being described through a useful redundancy. Notice the adjectives are similar but have slightly different connotations, made more powerful when used together.

The Dash, the Colon, and the Comma as Interrupters

Dashes, colons, and commas can all be used to INTERRUPT the flow of a sentence. This adds voice, because it more closely mimics our stream of conscious thought. Here is how and when to use each.

Staples uses the dash to provide an sharper break in the flow of his sentence than the comma provides. Sometimes a dash introduces a modifying phrase to clarify or sharpen an image, as we see here:

My first victim was a woman - white, well dressed, probably in her early twenties.

Instead of starting a new sentence to describe the woman ("She was white..."), the writer abruptly adds this information , which seems to have just occurred to him suddenly.

Staples also uses the dash to interrupt his sentences with a series, a group of items which particularize an idea he has just expressed:

I could cross in front of a car stopped at a traffic light and elicit the thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, of the driver - black, white, male, or female - hammering down the door locks.

At other times, Staples uses the dash to announce an idea with dramatic force, as we see when he discovers the fearful power of his presence:

I first began to know the unwieldy inheritance I'd come into - the ability to alter space in ugly ways.

Here the author discloses a shocking idea with special abruptness. Near the end of the piece he uses a colon to announce a more pleasant revelation.

I employ what has proved to be an excellent tension-reducing measure: I whistle melodies from Beethoven and Vivaldi and the more popular classical composers.

Perhaps Staple's most common use of interrupters - especially the dash - comes with sudden turns of thought: ideas that almost seem to come to him too late but which he must include - right away.

As a softy who is scarcely able to take a knife to a raw chicken - let alone hold it to a person's throat - I was surprised, embarrassed, and dismayed all at once.

Let's practice:

Using Staple's techniques as models, punctuate the sentences below. Then, for each sentence, answer which of Staples tools is the writing using to add rhythm and emphasis to the writing? How does it work?

YOUR TASK: USE RHYTHMIC WRITING TECHNIQUES IN YOUR NARRATIVE/MEMOIR

You are going to be asked to use rhythmic writing in your stories to create interest, emphasis, and rhythm. To do this find one place in your story where...

1. it would be beneficial for your audience to have more information, detail, or description of a person, place, or thing that you mention in your story. Provide this by utilizing an appositive.

2. you would like emphasize an image, a part of your setting, a character, or something else. Provide this emphasis by describing the thing with a set of coordinating adjectives.

3. you would like to add more voice and authenticity to your prose by using an interrupter. Use dashes, a colon, or a set of commas, to provide this by interrupting the flow of a sentence to interject and important idea or details.

4. one of these three techniques would benefit your story. Chose to use either another appositive, coordinating set of adjectives, or interrupter to the benefit of your story.

Task 11: Getting Peer Feedback

Your task: Work with a partner to provide feedback on each other's narratives. You will need to share your stories with each other and use a copy of the single point rubric for feedback. Remember, that as always, your peer feedback is a graded portion of this course and we are using our two criteria of specificity and helpfulness to evaluate your work.

Task 12: Revising your piece

Your task: Revise. Make it better. Grow.

Task 13: Glossing your Final Draft and Submission

Your task: Using our rubric as your guide, I am going to ask you to gloss your draft. Please complete the following on your final draft:

Mark the revisions you made to your draft (these are the changes you made between your first and second drafts, hopefully as a result of your peer workshop) by bolding the changed text. Remember I am grading you based on growth and I already have a copy of your first draft. Bolding with help me find evidence of your growth.

Mark with italics all the places where use used rhythmic writing tools in your prose to create rhythm and emphasis.

Identify what you consider the beginning, middle, and end sections of your story by labeling each.

Using the highlight tool on Google Docs, please highlight each element of your narrative the following color (see the attached rubric, and the class website linked below, to help you identify these parts):

• Moments where you create characters/characterization and dialogue: green

• Voice (examples of where you made specific word choices, created sentence structure, used metaphors or other figurative language to create a mood/tone): yellow

• Moments of conflict: red

• Descriptive Language: blue

• Your main point/agenda - that is "shown" but not explicitly told: Orange

• Your emotion: Purple

*** It is possible that a portion of what you write may be more than one thing - for example, voice and emotion. If this is the case, please add a comment on your piece identifying that. I will figure out what you mean.

For your organization, please explain your organization strategy at the end, why you made the organization choices you did, and how you think it helps your piece.

When you are finished, please submit your final draft to Google Classroom.