Literacy Narrative Guide
Literacy Narrative: Who Are You As a Writer? Length: 3-5 pages + works cited page
Style: Open Form
First Draft due: Aug. 31
Final Draft due: Sept. 14
Format: MLA style as dictated by Style Manual [33b]
For this assignment, write an essay exploring the question of how you see yourself as a writer, what motivates you to write, what processes you use, etc. As an exploratory essay, the form will be rather “open” rather than “closed.” So rather than trying to structure the essay around a central thesis, organize it around the theme in question. This assignment may require you to think deeply about yourself and you may even discover new connections about yourself that you hadn't realized before. Remember to use vivid detail in your writing and avoid writing in generalities. Use specific events from your life and paint a picture of words for your reader to enjoy. Remember, if you find the essay boring, so will your reader! The essay should have an introduction that orients the reader to what you are going to tell them, rather than jumping right in. The body paragraphs should each have a topic sentence that supports your overall theme. The sentences in the paragraph should all relate back to this topic sentence. The essay should have organic unity and tell a the reader your story. Include a conclusion reflecting on your overall past experiences and how you see yourself as a writer in the future. In the essay you should cite 1-3 books that you have read. These books need to be listed on a works cited page at the end of your essay. See your Style Manual, section 33b for how to format this.
Use the following questions to help you write your essay. You don't necessarily have to answer all of them:
1. What are your earliest memories of learning to write? Of learning to read?
2. How were reading and writing viewed by your family and friends when you were growing up?
3. What role did reading play in your development as a writer? What kinds of texts were
Style: Open Form
First Draft due: Aug. 31
Final Draft due: Sept. 14
Format: MLA style as dictated by Style Manual [33b]
For this assignment, write an essay exploring the question of how you see yourself as a writer, what motivates you to write, what processes you use, etc. As an exploratory essay, the form will be rather “open” rather than “closed.” So rather than trying to structure the essay around a central thesis, organize it around the theme in question. This assignment may require you to think deeply about yourself and you may even discover new connections about yourself that you hadn't realized before. Remember to use vivid detail in your writing and avoid writing in generalities. Use specific events from your life and paint a picture of words for your reader to enjoy. Remember, if you find the essay boring, so will your reader! The essay should have an introduction that orients the reader to what you are going to tell them, rather than jumping right in. The body paragraphs should each have a topic sentence that supports your overall theme. The sentences in the paragraph should all relate back to this topic sentence. The essay should have organic unity and tell a the reader your story. Include a conclusion reflecting on your overall past experiences and how you see yourself as a writer in the future. In the essay you should cite 1-3 books that you have read. These books need to be listed on a works cited page at the end of your essay. See your Style Manual, section 33b for how to format this.
Use the following questions to help you write your essay. You don't necessarily have to answer all of them:
1. What are your earliest memories of learning to write? Of learning to read?
2. How were reading and writing viewed by your family and friends when you were growing up?
3. What role did reading play in your development as a writer? What kinds of texts were