alright guys this is your enter how to write an introduction video please note you do not need to do any writing of your introduction at home that is what Monday’s class period is for so please just watch this video and write a summary of some of the terminology that I use of some of the different ways that you have to choose from which is in this list right in front of you some of those ways you have to choose from to me we start your introduction for your narrative essay so looking at this list you can start your your hook or your introduction for your narrative through describing unusual people places or things creating a metaphor establishing juxtaposition which I’m going to tell you about that in a moment telling a joke which also would have been interns establish a conversation with your reader create drama establish irony which would be something that you start with that might surprise your reader after you get to the main point of your story making an outlandish statement or telling a personal anecdote that is separate from the event that you’re writing about so you’re already telling an anecdote so to speak a very extended one in your narrative in your introduction you tell very short three to five sentence anecdote that introduces the next full story so juxtaposition is taking two unlike things placing them together in a story to draw attention to the differences so you want to take two separate things maybe winter and summer those are two opposites put them together for a purpose to explain maybe how people have difficulty transitioning from one season to the next you might be talking about a negative event in your life in your story but maybe you’re going to start with a positive event to show how things were and how you changed from the event you’re writing about then you have the anecdote which I kind of already talked about which is that short personal story that’s separate from your main story it’s just an introductory three to five sentences long and finally please do not start with a question or a quotation because these are ways that younger writers are taught but now we’re working towards advancing our writing skills so this entire year I will ask you guys not to use questions and not to quotations this note might be worth putting into your summary for today’s video okay so let’s look at some examples here the first example is an introduction written by David Sedaris memento mori for the past ten years or so I’ve made it a habit to carry a small notebook in my front pocket the model I favor is called the Europa and I pulled out on an average of ten times a day jotted down grocery lists observations and little thoughts on how to make money or torment people the last page is always reserved for phone numbers and the second to last I use for gift ideas these are not things that I might give to other people but things that they might give to me a shoehorn for instance always wanted one the same goes for a pencil case which on the low end probably cost no more than a doughnut so then after you read examples you need to ask yourself what do they do that I can learn from how can I become a better writer by looking at this person’s example so some of the things that you can notice is this kind of generic way of starting but it would work probably for most of you if you’re looking for a way to start your intro without a quote or a question for the past 10 years or so he has a very conversational tone so that’s another thing that you might want to put into your notes as a conversational tone would be necessary for a narrative piece it brings the tone and the voice alive in your essay he also used some different ways of punctuation he used a colon and he used a dash again that brings that more conversational tone to play please do not put dot dot dot dot dot dot like you would when you text don’t use that type of khonshu ation but colons and listing or dashes dashes might symbolize where you might add in something that you would have normally said after a pause so let’s look at the second one I would like for you to read a son returns to the agony of Somalia to yourself reading it to yourself ask yourself what is this author done that I can learn from what has he done for creating an effective introduction please begin so after you’ve read this to yourself and if you did not have enough time just pause me keep reading and then unpause when you’re ready to continue but this author used a lot of literary terms a lot of literary devices I don’t know if you notice that as you read if you pause me right now and reread you might be able to practice identifying those if you didn’t see them already now what did he use the beating heart of my story metaphor what else has he used here he has used death approaching from a distance is walking into our lives personification he said a childhood filled with poetry from renowned relatives he’s talking about all the stories that people have told him he’s calling it poetry so this could be a metaphor because they weren’t technically writing poems like a less like a presence in the chest and more like an x-ray of it he has used a simile so using literary terms is another way that you might be able to liven up your introduction we have two more examples shadow over me for the first 12 years of my life I was a happy child who enjoyed the companionship of friends and had no worries then one day in seventh grade during my math class that all changed thanks to a conversation I had with Brandon Capeci a guy that I first met a few years before on a fifth grade class camping trip he told me I was unpopular so this writer starts with a bit of an anecdote and is getting into the point of what is the shadow in her life so she kind of tells a mini story we also know that because she talks about shadow something negative is gonna be in her story but she starts with I was a happy child that’s where she juxtaposes the idea of darkness and happiness so this is another example you might use the final one I’ll have you read to yourself again maybe pause this now and read it to yourself and ask yourself what has this author done that is a good example of writing please begin reading now okay if you’re not done reading go ahead and pause and complete the reading you need to ask yourself what this author did and don’t just sit there and think not think and wait for me to give you the answers your brain has to be processing so please process what did they do try when your own mind now to either underline or highlight with on your computer or maybe just in your mind what do they do that makes this effective if you looked at the listing that’s one thing they did that’s effective the repetition of the phrases I still I still I knew I knew seems simplistic but it done for a purpose creates the rhythm the very short sentences in the very first line I didn’t want to go I knew I didn’t want to go when I woke up that also tells us that gets us right to the point so as you can see these are ways that you can create a strong introduction for your story on Monday if you need to write down a few of these these will be used for discussion please at this time write your summary and ask a question regarding how you can write upon a strong introduction for your essay again majority of the class time on Monday will be used for writing so please come prepared to start writing do not do it this weekend all your weekend homework was to listen to me for these nine minutes have a good rest of your weekend and I’ll see you on Monday
Introduction Writing for Narrative Essay
alright guys this is your enter how to write an introduction video please note you do not need to do any writing of your introduction at home that is what Monday’s class period is for so please just watch this video and write a summary of some of the terminology that I use of some of the different ways that you have to choose from which is in this list right in front of you some of those ways you have to choose from to me we start your introduction for your narrative essay so looking at this list you can start your your hook or your introduction for your narrative through describing unusual people places or things creating a metaphor establishing juxtaposition which I’m going to tell you about that in a moment telling a joke which also would have been interns establish a conversation with your reader create drama establish irony which would be something that you start with that might surprise your reader after you get to the main point of your story making an outlandish statement or telling a personal anecdote that is separate from the event that you’re writing about so you’re already telling an anecdote so to speak a very extended one in your narrative in your introduction you tell very short three to five sentence anecdote that introduces the next full story so juxtaposition is taking two unlike things placing them together in a story to draw attention to the differences so you want to take two separate things maybe winter and summer those are two opposites put them together for a purpose to explain maybe how people have difficulty transitioning from one season to the next you might be talking about a negative event in your life in your story but maybe you’re going to start with a positive event to show how things were and how you changed from the event you’re writing about then you have the anecdote which I kind of already talked about which is that short personal story that’s separate from your main story it’s just an introductory three to five sentences long and finally please do not start with a question or a quotation because these are ways that younger writers are taught but now we’re working towards advancing our writing skills so this entire year I will ask you guys not to use questions and not to quotations this note might be worth putting into your summary for today’s video okay so let’s look at some examples here the first example is an introduction written by David Sedaris memento mori for the past ten years or so I’ve made it a habit to carry a small notebook in my front pocket the model I favor is called the Europa and I pulled out on an average of ten times a day jotted down grocery lists observations and little thoughts on how to make money or torment people the last page is always reserved for phone numbers and the second to last I use for gift ideas these are not things that I might give to other people but things that they might give to me a shoehorn for instance always wanted one the same goes for a pencil case which on the low end probably cost no more than a doughnut so then after you read examples you need to ask yourself what do they do that I can learn from how can I become a better writer by looking at this person’s example so some of the things that you can notice is this kind of generic way of starting but it would work probably for most of you if you’re looking for a way to start your intro without a quote or a question for the past 10 years or so he has a very conversational tone so that’s another thing that you might want to put into your notes as a conversational tone would be necessary for a narrative piece it brings the tone and the voice alive in your essay he also used some different ways of punctuation he used a colon and he used a dash again that brings that more conversational tone to play please do not put dot dot dot dot dot dot like you would when you text don’t use that type of khonshu ation but colons and listing or dashes dashes might symbolize where you might add in something that you would have normally said after a pause so let’s look at the second one I would like for you to read a son returns to the agony of Somalia to yourself reading it to yourself ask yourself what is this author done that I can learn from what has he done for creating an effective introduction please begin so after you’ve read this to yourself and if you did not have enough time just pause me keep reading and then unpause when you’re ready to continue but this author used a lot of literary terms a lot of literary devices I don’t know if you notice that as you read if you pause me right now and reread you might be able to practice identifying those if you didn’t see them already now what did he use the beating heart of my story metaphor what else has he used here he has used death approaching from a distance is walking into our lives personification he said a childhood filled with poetry from renowned relatives he’s talking about all the stories that people have told him he’s calling it poetry so this could be a metaphor because they weren’t technically writing poems like a less like a presence in the chest and more like an x-ray of it he has used a simile so using literary terms is another way that you might be able to liven up your introduction we have two more examples shadow over me for the first 12 years of my life I was a happy child who enjoyed the companionship of friends and had no worries then one day in seventh grade during my math class that all changed thanks to a conversation I had with Brandon Capeci a guy that I first met a few years before on a fifth grade class camping trip he told me I was unpopular so this writer starts with a bit of an anecdote and is getting into the point of what is the shadow in her life so she kind of tells a mini story we also know that because she talks about shadow something negative is gonna be in her story but she starts with I was a happy child that’s where she juxtaposes the idea of darkness and happiness so this is another example you might use the final one I’ll have you read to yourself again maybe pause this now and read it to yourself and ask yourself what has this author done that is a good example of writing please begin reading now okay if you’re not done reading go ahead and pause and complete the reading you need to ask yourself what this author did and don’t just sit there and think not think and wait for me to give you the answers your brain has to be processing so please process what did they do try when your own mind now to either underline or highlight with on your computer or maybe just in your mind what do they do that makes this effective if you looked at the listing that’s one thing they did that’s effective the repetition of the phrases I still I still I knew I knew seems simplistic but it done for a purpose creates the rhythm the very short sentences in the very first line I didn’t want to go I knew I didn’t want to go when I woke up that also tells us that gets us right to the point so as you can see these are ways that you can create a strong introduction for your story on Monday if you need to write down a few of these these will be used for discussion please at this time write your summary and ask a question regarding how you can write upon a strong introduction for your essay again majority of the class time on Monday will be used for writing so please come prepared to start writing do not do it this weekend all your weekend homework was to listen to me for these nine minutes have a good rest of your weekend and I’ll see you on Monday