Writing a Narrative

Where the Red Fern Grows is the real-life story of Wilson Rawls's life growing up on a small farm in the Ozarks. The story takes place from the time Wilson/Billy is ten years old to the time he is around twelve years old. Choose two years in your life that have been very important to you.

Perhaps the two years take place when you were five to seven years old, when you first started school. They might be when you were eight to ten, when your family moved or you got a new baby brother or sister. Tell the story of your life in the first-person point-of-view, as Wilson Rawls did.

Show all the events through your eyes. Use the pronouns "I" and "me." Add lots of details to make your story interesting, just as Wilson Rawls did.

The assignment is open ended, however, look at the grading rubric below to see the necessary components.

Author Wilson Rawls

Grading Rubric