Guide for Personal

Narrative
A step-by-step take on writing your own
personal narrative

Step 1:
Choose from the list of topics that you have in
your notebook
Life altering events are good ones to start
List:
Broke my arm
Biking in China
First Fight
Robbery Story
First move out from home

Step 2:
Beginning of the story

Possible Beginnings:
An unusual or exciting Word
Dialogue
Action
Hook
Question
Setting
Start at the end or flashback

Example for
Beginning:
Ex. Erin, you know you cant have
that candy. Please let go of the
bag, I say to my two-year-old who
sits in the grocery cart where we
stand second in line from the
cashier clutching a bag of colorful
gumdrops she has pulled off a rack.

Step 3
Start writing

Things to consider when writing:

Make sure that you find some balance on your
actions, descriptions and dialogues.
Appeal to as much senses (sight, smell, sound,
touch, taste)
SHOW dont TELL

Here is a good Example of Show

dont Tell and also for appealing to
the senses.
Tell: The ground floor, rented room was tiny, damp and obviously
uncared for.
Show: "As he entered the room from the hallway the first thing he
noticed was the fusty smell: a combination of mould, damp and stale
cigarette smoke. There were snail trails across the worn, brown, cord
carpet that covered what little floor space there was. Opposite the
doorway, pushed up against the wall, was a single bed, covered with
a duvet but no duvet cover and a flat, tobacco-stained pillow.
Squeezed into the corner of the room at the foot of the bed was a
chest of drawers. On top of the drawers was a single electric hotplate.
Opposite this was a sink piled high with dirty pots with a toothbrush
just visible, peeking out through the handle of a mug. Facing the bed
was a small table with a fold up-chair. On top of the table was an
overflowing ashtray and yesterday's newspaper. Behind the door
stood a moldy wicker waste bin full of ash and cigarette ends."

Writing Example

Step 4:
Reread and revise the story
You could also ask someone to read it and
give you suggestions on what you need to
add or work on.
Example:
After reading the first part of my writing
(previous slide). I need more description of
the store so people understand how small it
was and where the cashiers stood and the big
windows it had looking out on the street.

Step 5
Establish the mood and setting
Mood: What emotions should the readers
be feeling?
Setting: Make us feel like were actually
there.
Consider the tense (writing it in past or
present tense could make a huge
difference)

Example:
As I broadened my glance around the room, I saw two
other armed men nervously moving towards the cash
registers carrying large cloth bags. I couldnt understand
the words the men were barking loudly to the people in
the store and the cashiers in particular, but it was clear to
me what was going on.
The men started with the two outside registers, and my
attention was drawn to one very young cashier who was
crying and shaking so hard she couldnt get the register
open. One of the men moved closer, pointing the gun
directly at her which made her fumble even more. An
older woman at her counter leaned forward and
murmured something gently to her and the cashier took a
deep breath. She let out a soft sob of relief as the
drawer finally opened and she quickly emptied the
register into the bag.

Continued
There was no other sound or movement in the storeit was
like time was standing still and we had all turned to statues.
All eyes were on the fidgeting men who kept nervously moving
their stocking-capped heads, scanning the store.
There is no other sound or movement in the storeit is like
time is standing still and we have all turned to statues. All
eyes are on the fidgeting men who keep nervously moving
their stocking-capped heads, scanning the store.
Then I heard my cashier softly ask me for my credit card in
Spanish. No, not now, I whispered back thinking, Is she
crazy? Why would I bring out my credit card in the middle of a
robbery?especially since it was well hidden in the small
pouch hanging around my neck and under my shirt. I had
stopped carrying a purse soon after we arrived in Buenos Aires.