Reference no: EM132992455

Part 1 - Autobiographical Mix-Tape

Start by reflecting on some of the music that has been most meaningful to you in your life. What songs have you turned to in hard times? What songs make you cry? What songs remind you of the most important, joyful, or surprising parts of your life? What songs' lyrics resonate with you? Start with a quick brainstorm (you don't need to hand this in to me) that identifies twenty or so songs that come to mind.

Now, choose ten of those songs. You will need to write a list (numbered 1-10), and you will need to write both the name of the song ("in quotations") and the name of the artist. Here's where you can get creative. You could create a Spotify playlist that you send me a link to. You could include links to YouTube videos. You can draw, paint, or visually create your list. Or you can just send me your numbered list in a Word document. It's up to you! Please take some time to organize these songs in chronological order, that is, a song that reminds you of being 10 should come before a song that reminds you of being 18!

Beneath each song, I need you to write three or four sentences about why this song matters to you, what it tells me about you, and/or how it connects to your life.

Part 2 - Personal Essay

I'd like you to now nations your azu s Reflect on the song you are most drawn to In your list, and the part of your life that it was the background music to. Or perhaps this song reflects or descnbes a part of your fife or an event in your life. You are going to write about that moment Ina 400-500 word personal essay that focuses on three concepts: Subject. purpose. and audience.

Sublect. Consider yourself the subject of your personal history. How can you be objective about your personal history?

Purpose. Consider the purpose of a personal essay. What is the purpose of sharing personal details in essay format? Why purposefully include certain details and leave out others?

Audience. Consider the audience of your personal essay. Who Is your reader? How do you decide which details to include and which details to leave out when considering your audience?

Personal essays reflect what you think, what you feel, and what you know about a given topic. In this case, the topic is your Focus on one specific event or incident In your lift and tell II In an engaging way. I would recommend using a structure that includes an introduction, several body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Remember the writing rule show, door fee How can you communicate through dialogue. mood, atmosphere, and setting, rather than stating a collection of facts?

Writer tesite Jamison says, 'When I talk about writing essays that resonate beyond the personal, I don't mean that personal material Isn't sufficient. Of course it is. Of. a can be If you honor the complexity of your own life - if you grant us entry into moments that hold shame Of hurt or heal, and If you're willing to follow that heat, to feel out where all the small fires burn, then your readers wltl trust you'

Use the following as a guide to write your personal essay, however. you should not feel as of you are tied to this ethicture.

The Hook: Start your paper with a statement about your story that catches the reader's attention, for lexample, a relevant quotation, question, fact, or definition

Set the Scene: Provide the Information ,The reader well need to understand the ntroductionistay. Who are the major characters? When and where Is a taking place?

Thesis Statement: The thesis of a 'narrative/personal essay playa a lightly different role than that of an rgurnentative/research essay, which will write later in the semester. A native thesis can begin the events of the story, identify the theme. etc

'Show, Don't Tell': Good slorytelling includes details and descriptions that ,help the reader understand what the *titer experienced. Thank about using all five senses to add details about what you heard, saw, and felt during the event

Supportive Evidence: In a personal narrative. your experience acts as the evidence that provides your thesis The events of the story should demonstrate the significance of the event to you Body Passage of Time: Writing about the events of your experience using time ronologically, from beginning to end. Is thet most common and clear way to 'tell the story. Whether you choose to use Ile chronologically or not.
write words to clearly indicate to and last. Some time transition words are next finally during, after: when, and Hier.

In a narrative essay. a rew paragraph marks a change in the action of a story. or a move from action to reflection. Paragraphs should connect to one another.