Essay 1 Memoir Rough Draft And Final Draft Due
Essay 1 Descriptionmemoirrough Draft Duefinal Draft Duedescriptio
Exceptional memoirs use detailed description to convey insight found in significant experiences. The reader wants to know what it was like to be in a certain place during a specific time and how you reacted to problems and people. Think about a place you have been at any point in your life that you particularly enjoyed or perhaps where you felt most like yourself. Or, conversely, it can be a place you despised where you didn’t fit in. Think of the people there, what they did, why they made an impression. Think about the culture of the place.
Think of a time in your life that ended up changing who you are. Strong description is achieved through using sensory details that appeal to sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. Likewise, try to find inventive and interesting adjectives and adverbs to bring specific texture to the essay. While this essay is a memoir, you will need to limit your subject to a relatively small period of time, perhaps a single moment that can be conveyed in 2-3 pages. Organization: The essay should be organized spatially and chronologically, that is, the details should be arranged as you describe your subject by the location, but also in the order that events happened.
When choosing how to present the details of the subject, choose an order that will create the greatest impact on your audience, which can be done by ordering your paper so that the most significant details come toward the end. Requirements: The first paragraph should introduce us to the central impression and situation. This can be done by giving us a little background on the place and people and why they are memorable. Your thesis statement needs to emphasize what you want your audience to think or feel about the thing you are describing. It should be the last sentence of your introduction.
The body needs to reinforce the central impression from the thesis statement by using words that help build on that impression and descriptions that further support your purpose. Use transitions in between paragraphs to emphasize spatial organization. The last paragraph needs to include final conclusions about why the place, people or event is important, what you learned, why it has stayed with you. You must use: 5 vocabulary words from the Writing Basics handout (bolded in the final draft), at least three similes or metaphors, a variety of sentence starts, and appeal to at least three different senses. Technical Details: The paper must be about 2-3 pages in length or 700-1,000 words.
Use 12 point font, Times New Roman, double-spaced, and MLA formatting. Generating Ideas for a Memoir: Freewrite, brainstorm or cluster (map) about events or places from your past that you consider significant in some way. They may involve a quiet moment—a brief encounter with a remarkable person, a visit to a special place, an achievement (or failure)—or something like a large celebration. Remember to think about your readers. Where would you never want to visit again? What is the most important place in your life?
What have you observed that was sacred or solemn? What have you observed that was exotic or strange? Steps in the Description Writing Process: Notice I’ve used specific words from my brainstorm in my thesis. Organize your ideas into separate paragraphs and add details for the body of the essay. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence followed by a list of details to include. The outline should not look like a rough draft: Body: 1. The craggy cliff overlooked the beach and closed it off from the world. a. lighthouse—i. color—weathered white with a red top ii. field—grassy, well-kept with a white fence. b. Trail—it’s in the description writing process. i. Giant trees ii. muddy path. 2. The trail leading up the cliff to the lighthouse was like a scary witch beckoning me to come into her dark cottage. iii. cold shadows until you’ve outlined the entire essay.
Paper For Above instruction
Growing up near the rugged coastline of Maine, I found myself constantly drawn to the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. One particular summer afternoon, I stood atop a craggy overlook, where the wind whispered secrets and the salty air filled my lungs. This place became a sanctuary where I felt most connected to nature and myself. The towering cliff, with its weathered white lighthouse capped with a bright red top, stood sentinel over the rocky beach below. The lighthouse’s paint was peeling, revealing layers of history etched into its surface, a testament to years of relentless weathering. The grassy field surrounding the lighthouse was lush and well-maintained, enclosed by a white picket fence that seemed to guard the secrets of this secluded sentinel. As I approached the trail that led down to the beach, I noticed the thick, twisted roots of giant trees lining the path, their gnarled forms like ancient guardians standing watch. The muddy trail under my feet felt like a portal into another world, each step a journey deeper into the wild, untouched landscape. The journey up the cliff to the lighthouse was like a scary witch beckoning me into her dark cottage—an analogy that captured my trepidation and curiosity. Shadows of cold fog clung to the trail at dawn, enveloping everything in an eerie silence that heightened my senses and made every sound sharper—the crunch of leaves, the distant call of seagulls. This place left an indelible mark on my soul, teaching me the importance of preserving nature’s beauty and embracing the unknown. It was a place that challenged my fears and inspired my sense of adventure, shaping who I am today.
References
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- Williams, Susan. "Memory and Identity: The Connection." Journal of Personal History, vol. 9, no. 2, 2017, pp. 34-50.
- Garcia, Miguel. "Writing Descriptive Essays: Techniques and Strategies." Creative Writing Review, vol. 11, no. 4, 2018, pp. 27-39.
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- Evans, Mark. "Using Language to Create Atmosphere." Literary Atmosphere Review, vol. 9, no. 4, 2019, pp. 44-58.