Autobiographical Genres Memoir Autobiography Biography Personal Narrative Autobiography

Autobiographical Genres Memoir Autobiography Biography Personal Narrative

Autobiography Ø Ø Ø Ø Long story of ones life History of a lifetime – Must cover entire life Most important facts and events of someone’s life Contains anecdotes, memories, trips and cherished moments The person is writing about himself 1 st person point of view I, me, my, we, Not always necessary to read in order

Biography Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø Long story of ones life History of a lifetime – Must cover entire life Most important facts and events of someone’s life Lots of research involved Contains anecdotes, memories, trips and cherished moments Is about another person 3 rd person point of view They, she Not always necessary to read in order

Personal Narrative Ø Ø Ø Short Autobiographical Essay Focus is on a particular event in a person/writer’s life 1 st person Uses imagery and sensory details to express emotions that place the reader in the personal experience Characteristics of Fiction l Must read in order l Theme or Moral the reader will imply

Memoir Ø Ø Autobiographical writing Captures multiple highlighted or meaningful moments in one’s past Significant aspects of those moments, are centered around a life changing event. Much more emotional and connects the writer to someone or something that had and impact on their life.

Characteristics a Memoir Focus on a brief period of time or series of related events Ø Narrative structure (storytelling elements like setting, plot, imagery, characterization, foreshadowing/flashback, and irony and symbolism) Ø Retrospective Ø Fictional quality Ø Higher emotional level/more personal reconstruction of the events and their impact Ø

Memoirs – Another perspective Explores an event or series of related events that remain lodged in memory Ø Describes the events and then shows, either directly or indirectly why they are significant Ø WHY do you STILL remember them? Ø Focused in time (not long) Ø Focuses on problem/conflict and its resolution and why the resolution is significant in your life Ø

Characteristics a Personal Narrative Focus on a single important event (short Narrative structure (storytelling elements like setting, plot, imagery, characterization, foreshadowing/flashback, and irony and symbolism) Ø 1 st person point of view Ø Fictional quality Ø Told as a story reflecting on the author’s experience, feelings and personality Ø Ø

Characteristics an Autobiography Covers the author’s entire life Includes other people and events important to them Ø Retrospective Ø Nonfiction quality Ø Emotional elements are not as prevalent in the story Ø 1 st person point of view Ø Ø

Why we read Autobiographies, Memoirs and Personal Narratives… BECAUSE GOOD READERS… Ø Make connections Ø Question Ø Visualize Ø Infer Ø Synthesize Ø …and these things expose essential truths and help us evaluate our own lives and the world around us! Ø

Good Readers Ø Make connections to books or works they read by: 1. Connect books they read by connecting it to another book (text-to-text) 2. Connect to something in their own life (text to self)

Writer’s Journal Ø What is your happiest family vacation or outing memory? Where were you? Who was there and how has it made an impact on your life? Ø Blue print Ø Diagram of the location 20 pts Ø 4 panel memories from that day 20 pts Ø 4 paragraph memoir 40 pts Ø Decoration of the back of the blueprint