Yesterday in class we examined the model literacy narrative “A Bridge to Words,” and you and two or three of your classmates collaboratively composed a piece of writing that addressed one of these elements in the essay:
- concrete details
- figurative language
- scene (see paragraphs two through five)
- the adult retrospective narrator
- the writer as a child
As you continue to revise your own literacy narrative, review David Sedaris’s “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” Helen Keller’s “The Day Language Came into My Life,” and “A Bridge to Words.” Note the use of concrete details, figurative language, and scene in all three. As you review Keller’s essay and mine, examine the dual roles of the central figure: the adult retrospective narrator and the child that she recollects.
Consider how your study of the narrative elements listed above can enhance those story components in your own essay.
Narrative Don’ts
I also asked you to consider what the narrative doesn’t do (because it shouldn’t). Here are the two narrative don’ts that I covered in class:
- Don’t write, “It made me the reader I am today,” “It made me the writer I am today,” “It made me the person I am today,” or any variation on those. Such statements are common in speeches, but they are trite and should be avoided in writing because they tell readers nothing about your particular experience. Rather than writing, “It made me the reader/writer/person . . . ,” show the readers that person.
- Don’t write, “I became a better reader (or writer, or person) because I persevered, and that’s what you should do.” Don’t tell readers what they should do. Instead, let them see your experience and draw their own conclusions.
Next Up
In class on Wednesday you will compose a short reflective essay that chronicles the process of planning, drafting, and revising your literacy narrative.
Jane Lucas 