Essay writing instructions

PART 2 - AFTER THE INTERVIEW(S)

Steps to writing a wonderful narrative essay (in Portuguese), (Spanish), or (French)

Who I'd like to meet:

Do you want to try out your love? You have to write so why not do it in the midst of creativity and your best hobbies. Come write; come learn; raise your voices. You like poetry, you like photography, you like video, you like the computers? Then come, come and add your flair and share. Come write narratives; come tell stories... Come read!

In your essays you have a choice. Now that you're finished uploading your oral histories, it is time for the narrative essays. Narrative essays can be written in the 1st person (I) or in the 3rd person (he, she, or it). You can use your oral histories and write a beautiful essay about that woman you love, woman you admire, woman in your community, woman in history or another woman and use the 3rd person (she); or you can write a wonderful essay in the 1st person (I) and tell us a story about your challenges. Whatever choice you make, your essay will be a pleasure to read.

Here is a series of PRE-WRITING activities.

Step 1. Gather all of your interview questions and all responses from your subjects.

Step 2. Reread all of the information you gathered when you interviewed your subject. Jot down any more thoughts that come to mind.

Step 3. Brainstorm a list of the events covered in the interview.

Step 4. Free-write the entire story as you would tell it to another person. Write the content and leave the spelling and grammar for later.

Step 5. Make a cluster/map: Write your main idea in a circle in the center of your page. From that center draw lines for each topic mentioned in your free-write. Draw a circle around each topic. Draw a line from each topic and list the supporting evidence for that topic (use quotations from the interview, examples, observations, etc.)

Follow the directions below and you will have a wonderful narrative essay.

Step 6. Put the map/CLUSTER down in front of you. Take every circle and write a paragraph or paragraphs for that topic.

Make sure that your topic sentence for that paragraph is clear and tells the reader what the paragraph will cover.

Make sure that each sentence, quote, and example in that paragraph relates to your topic.

NOW YOU HAVE THE BODY OF YOUR ESSAY.

Here is a series of WRITING activities.

Step 1. NOW FOR THE INTRODUCTION --Find a hook for your opening. Grab the reader's attention.

* a great quotation from the interview with your subject
* a famous saying
* an anecdote (a short story)*
* an amazing fact
* a question

Use your hook and then go on to let the reader know what they will find as they read the essay. This means that you must have a thesis statement to give the essay purpose.

Step 2. NOW FOR YOUR - the main point of your essay.

Use this strategy. Write the following words:

What I want to say is that ...

Fill in the dots with the claim you want to make about your subject. For example, What I want to say is that the local women in the Costa Chica area exhibit love and strength in their daily actions. When you have done a few drafts of this statement, reread them and choose the one that you feel covers your main points. After you have made your choice cross out the words "What I want to say is that " and you will have a thesis statement (a strong claim about the person you interviewed). The local women in the Costa Chica area exhibit love and strength in their daily actions.

Step 3. SO, YOUR INTRODUCTION WILL HAVE A HOOK.

IT WILL HAVE SENTENCES TELLING THE READER ABOUT THE ESSAY.

AND IT WILL HAVE YOUR THESIS STATEMENT.

Step 4. Use your cluster and the information in it to write your body paragraphs. Each paragraph will follow one topic about your subject. Write full paragraphs with evidence to support that topic.

Step 5. NOW YOUR CONCLUSION - you must give closure to your essay. The reader must feel satisfied. THEY MUST FEEL THAT A STORY HAS BEEN TOLD. Your closing paragraph must relate to your thesis statement. It must relate to your introduction. In the conclusion you can offer ideas for the future.

Step 6. NOW POLISH/EDIT THE BODY OF YOUR ESSAY.

Now that you have an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion, you must proof read the essay.

Step 7. Proof read your essay and edit for any sentence fragments, run on sentences, and spelling mistakes.
1. Take (READ IT) to (A) friend, a relative, a tutor.
2. Read it out loud to yourself.
3. Edit/Correct all errors.

NOW YOU ARE READY TO PUBLISH.