Personal Narrative

Audience Centered Writing (Outcome 1): Being aware of your audience is essential when writing a personal narrative because it helps to ensure that your message is effectively communicated and received. Personal narratives are meant to convey personal experiences, emotions, and reflections, but they can also be used to connect with others and convey important lessons or insights. Understanding who your audience is and what they are looking for can help you tailor your message to resonate with them. For example,since I was writing a personal narrative for a college application, my audience will likely be admissions officers who are looking for specific qualities and experiences in their applicants. My understanding what these qualities and experiences are helps me showcase not only who I am but what is important to me. Colleges have all the data when they are reviewing my application, what they don't have is a better picture of me and the experiences I have had. Last, I knew this essay had to be "perfect". My audience was going to use this to help determine entrance into my dream school. The weight of this was really a new situation for me and helped me further develop my rhetorical awareness. It is important to be aware of the narrative's tone: wanting to remain authentic to the story and the emotions felt while understanding that not only my teacher but most likely as admission officer will read my essay. 

The above image is my 6 Word Memoir Completed after I wrote my narrative. I wanted the theme of my narrative to come through while targeting the same audience. 

Peer Review Reflection (Outcome 4): Student B completed a peer review of my Personal Narrative. As documented on the attached image you can see that she provided me with exceptional feedback.  The encouragement I felt through comments like "Overall, this personal narrative is heartfelt and well-written. The writer does a great job of capturing the complex emotions involved in the process of letting go of a loved one" really helped me feel confident in my writing. She also encourage me to make riskier stylistic choices. She was the one that suggested I use the shorter simpler sentences to introduce who I am throughout the essay. While reading her essay, I was also able to provide feedback and give insight. Her writing was well-written and emotionally resonant personal narrative that effectively conveys the writer's journey of letting go of their father while also highlighting their own strength and resilience. Additionally, during the writing process I completed about 3 seperate complete drafts. First I simply got my story down on paper, then I revised using my understanding of the revision process (eiditn, adding transitions, etc). Finally, we were tasked with peer editing and adding a "creative spin" to our narrative. At this point, I formatted my narrative in a letter directed at my father who is no longer in my life. This stylistic choice highlighted the impact him absence has on my life. Additionally, I added a variety of language devices to help embolden my main idea (this reflection over these choices can be seen after my essay).  This recursive process has taught me the value of re-evaluating my writing using different modes. Other's insight is extremely helpful, especially when you feel like you have been staring at a piece forever. 

This 6 word memoir was an experiment in style and media. Using a visual and only 6 words I tried to tell the same story as my memoir.