Assignment

Select a personal experience that was meaningful for you. Your assignment is to choose the most important details and develop them into an essay that will leave your readers with a vivid impression of your experience and an understanding of the significance of the event.

Think about why the experience was significant: Did it challenge your feelings/beliefs about something? Did some aspect of your life change as a result? Did you discover something about yourself or others? Keep in mind that there should be a reason why you have chosen this particular topic; that reason will become your thesis, located in the introduction to let your readers know why you are showing them this incident or sequence of events.

Present the results in a four-page (double-spaced) essay. Use description to show your audience what happened, so that they feel as though they have experienced it with you (consider sensory information: sight, sound, taste, feel, etc.). A note: you are going to be sharing this essay with your workshop group, so please do not choose a topic that you don't want others to see (or one which they would be uncomfortable reading). When you turn in your final version, you will include in the folder all drafts/revisions/logs, etc. as well as the criteria sheet. Please use a 2-pocket folder, and write your name and section on the outside.

Format

Workshop drafts and final versions of essays should be word processed in a 12-point standard font (Times New Roman, Garamond, Arial, etc.); follow the manuscript format described in A Writer’s Reference. Aim for the length requirement; half a page over or under is acceptable. Please proofread carefully. If you use a source, you must include citations and a works cited list; please use MLA parenthetical documentation format for citing sources (see A Writer’s Reference). When essays are due, please put all drafts, notes, workshop comments, and your criteria sheet with your final version in a folder with pockets.

Things to Consider

• Have I established my purpose and audience?
• Have I indicated in my thesis the reason for writing about this event?
• Have I shown the event so that my readers can "experience" it, using description that appeals to all the senses appropriate for my topic (sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch)?
• Is my topic manageable (have I focused enough to develop my ideas with detail)?
• Have I organized my essay so that the movement of thought will make sense to my audience?
• Does my title invite readers into the essay, not simply state the topic?