Prewriting and Outlining for the Narrative Essay
This week, you will be preparing for next week’s essay: the narrative. Take a moment and review the directions for the Week 3 narrative essay. Once you have a topic you want to write your narrative about, you will complete this two part assignment: prewriting and outlining.
Part I
The first part of this assignment will help you “flesh out” your topic. Take 10-15 minutes to free write about your topic. Chapters 4 and 5 in your textbook can help you decide what kind of free writing you want to do, but don’t feel restricted by one genre. Write down everything that pertains to your topic, including questions your readers might have. Don’t worry about grammar or sentence structure; this is a brainstorming activity.
Part II
Next, create an outline as a preliminary structure for the narrative essay. Use several of the outlining rules on pp. 111-115 of The Writer’s Way, but be sure to include the following:
• Outline in three to five parts only (rule no. 1)
• Don’t describe; summarize (no. 5)
• Outline whole sentences only (no. 8)
You may use as many of the other rules as you feel necessary. The goal is to present a structure for how your final essay may look. As such, an outline is not a series of paragraphs or a rough draft.
Please submit your responses to both prompts in a single document.
Narrative Essay
This essay explores the Narrative Mode, which is perhaps the most natural style of writing for most people.
One of the goals of the narrative form is to allow readers to feel as if they are not simply reading someone else’s story, but that they are somehow part of it. Unlike simply telling a story though, a narrative essay has a specific piece of information to share, a lesson for the reader. There should be a clear reason for your telling the story. This is where the “essay” in the narrative essay becomes apparent.

View your assignment rubric.
Week 2 Rubric, 60 pts.
54-60 points
The outline reveals a detailed and thoughtful structure for the narrative. Ideas are ordered in a logical fashion, and clear boundaries for the introduction, body, and conclusion are indicated. A sense of audience and purpose is evident. Topic sentences and supporting points are written in complete sentences. Word choice is precise, and grammatical errors are rare or absent. The freewrite is extensive and covers multiple aspects of the event.
48-53 points
The outline reveals a competent structure for the narrative. The order of ideas is mostly logical and boundaries for the introduction, body, and conclusion are indicated. A sense of audience and/or purpose is developing. Topic sentence and supporting points are written in complete sentences. Word choice is appropriate, and some errors in sentence structure, usage, and mechanics are present. A well-developed freewrite is included.
42-47 points
The outline reveals a minimally competent structure for the narrative. The order of ideas may seem random or not clearly connected. Little sense of audience and/or purpose is evident. Topic sentences and supporting points may be written in fragments or single words and phrases. Word choice is imprecise, and errors in sentence structure, usage, and mechanics are present. The freewrite is underdeveloped or does not explore multiple aspects of the event.
36-41 points
The outline reveals a weakly developed structure for the narrative. There is little order to the ideas, and no clear distinction among the introduction, body, and conclusion. Audience and/or purpose is unclear. Topic sentences may be written in fragments or single words and phrases. Word choice is inappropriate. Errors in grammar and mechanics significantly interfere with meaning. The freewrite may consist of only a few consist of only a few words or ideas.
0-40 points
The outline reveals little or no structure for the narrative. Ideas are unclear or absent, and there is no distinction among the introduction, body, and conclusion. The writer fails to consider audience and/or purpose. The outline lacks focus and organization, and does not develop topic sentences or supporting evidence. Words are poorly selected. Errors in grammar and mechanics are pervasive and obstruct meaning. No freewrite is attempted.