WELCOME TO ESSAY 1 – PERSUASIVE NARRATIVE: LIFE LESSONS & DISCOVERIES!

In the essays for Unit 1, we will study writers who share some kind of valuable message or lesson about life and living successfully. To illustrate this lesson (the thesis), the writers share a personal story to connect with the reader and illustrate the thesis.

Your mission is to write a narrative essay that shares a vital life lesson and/or discovery that you personally have learned and find valuable for the reader. Like the readings in class, your essay should include an excerpt of a personal story to illustrate your point. Your essay must also be personable, engaging, clear and thought-provoking.

No citations are required for this essay; however, if you include an excerpt or quote from any of the readings in class, a citation is mandatory!!! Please review MLA format in your text book and cite as necessary correctly.

Be sure to keep the following in mind when writing your first draft:

A writing plan or outline is helpful to organize a paper that includes both narrative and the life lesson.
The narrative in the essay must be written in 1st person.
The life lesson discussion in the essay must be written in 3rd person only!!!
Be sure to have an introduction that catches the reader’s interest and pulls her into your paper.
Be creative in your conclusion without using the formulaic words: in conclusion, to conclude, to summarize, in summary, etc. Your conclusion should reinforce your lesson/thesis without repetition or “hammer over the head!”
Be absolutely certain that each of your paragraphs clearly and purposefully relates to your thesis.
Edit and revise carefully! Do not simply count on spell check and grammar check to correct your paper!
Finally, make sure that your paper is meaningful and purposeful for YOU, so that it will be likewise for the reader!
REMEMBER: This paper is one part narrative and one part persuasive to convince the reader of a critical life lesson. You must complete both of these requirements in your paper. You will turn in the actual assignment here in Canvas later in WEEK 6.

ESSAYS SHOULD BE A MAXIMUM OF 4 DOUBLE SPACED PAGES IN REQUIRED MLA FORMAT.