Personal Memoire Story Elements: Organize the Elements: Characters, Setting, Problem, Details of Events, Turning Point, Conflict, Conclusion or Resolution to the Problem, the Conflict is not always resolved Organize the Elements: Exposition: characters, setting, problem Rising Action: Details of Events, Suspense, Conflict Climax: reveals or answers the epiphany Falling Action: Starts gathering details that lead to the resolution or conclusion of the ideas Denouement: The problem must be solved; explanation of what lesson or personal changed occurred because of the event; explains the personal epiphany

Brain Storming Ideas for a Personal Memoire Events: These are positive or negative events that happen to YOU. There needs to be a problem and conflict. The problem must be solved. YOU must have an epiphany. YOU must have learned a lesson which creates personal change (change in attitude toward LIFE). Do not worry about organizing your thoughts or events. Just write down pieces of the events – don’t worry about writing down all the details (TRIGGER THOUGHTS)

Selecting an Event for a Personal Memoire Read over each event and ask the following questions: Am I okay with sharing this event with my peers? If the answer is NO, then cross it out. Did I really have an attitude toward life change? If the answer is YES, decide if it is worth sharing with others. Another words, will it create a change in others?

Planning for Personal Memoire (horizontally on your paper) Exposition Characters: Setting: Problem: Rising Action (list of major events) Climax Falling Action (list of major events leading to the resolution) Denouement (explain the epiphany – lesson learned and what changed occurred)

First Draft Set-up Skip lines – write on every other line Write on 26 lines total – no more Writing on the FRONT SIDES ONLY Thesis Statement: introduction statement ONE SENTENCE ONLY Ex. When I was four years old, I experienced a traumatic event that I have never forgotten. Body Paragraphs: only happen when you begin a new topic Conclusion Statement: ONE SENTENCE Explain the lesson or personal changed occurred or explain how the epiphany changed you

Help with Revision for a Personal Memoire Cross-out unnecessary details – ones that are not related to the event These distract the reader from the real event Word Choice: changing repetition: words, details (phrases, etc.) Adding suspense, humor, or dramatic (positive or negative) tone Sentence Variety: make sure the sentence styles vary – use simple, compound, AND complex. Fill in the GAPS of your event: do not skip around or leave out IMPORTANT details

Paired-Share Revision Activity With a partner: Read your paper TWICE to your partner Read slowly and clearly Do not stop and correct yourself or try to make verbal or written changes while you are reading While LISTENING: Write notes to your partner on the given post-it note Is there a clear thesis statement? Did you recognize the tone? Fluency – is it choppy or do the sentences seem breathless? Distracting details – are there any that do not enhance the memoire? Lesson Learned or Attitude Change – did you hear it or is it missing? (this should be the conclusion statement)

Revision Part 2 Highlight every other sentence – use 2 different colors Look at the highlighted sentences and make sure you do not have all of one kind of sentence. There should be a variety of simple, compound, and complex sentences. Using a marker or colored pencil, circle the first word of every sentence Revise the beginning of your sentences to make sure they begin differently. Do not use the same word more than 2 times. Using a different color marker or colored pencil, circle all the PERSONAL PRONOUNS : I, me, my, mine, myself, we, us, our Revise your PRONOUNS – you may not use these personal pronouns more than 10 times total. Reword your sentences to take out the over used pronouns.

Ratiocination Activity – Editing (Page 1) Using ORANGE, TO BE verb (am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been) you find in the paper Replace all TO BE verbs with verbs that create a picture of the action rather than telling the action. Using GREEN, put an “X” on the following words: Good, Bad, Really, Very, any form of Got, A lot Use your thesaurus to find stronger and better words. Using PURPLE, put a box around all coordinating conjunctions and make sure there are NO run-on sentences. Rewrite your sentences so you do not have any run-on sentences

Ratiocination Activity – Editing (Page 2) Using RED, mark any sentence fragment with an “F” and add needed information to correct the fragment Rewrite your sentences so you do not have any fragment sentences Using BROWN, circle all transition words: first, second, third, next, then, after, before, last, finally. Replace these words with more descriptive transitions.