Narrative+Story+Starters

// Eye catching ways to launch a personal essay—entice the reader to read on! // // Print me! //
 * Personal Narrative STORY STARTERS **

Read each of these models carefully. Then, write your own example of each story starter.

** INTERIOR MONOLOGUE ** (represents the thoughts of the narrator in a one-way conversation)

// OK, she’s busy again. I can’t believe she has so many things to do! I mean, she’s sixty years old; she should be resting. Who is this Tim guy? Where is she going? Why should she have to check her calendar to have lunch with her daughter? I should be first in line! //

** DIALOGUE ** (Represents the conversation of two or more individuals .) * See //KEABLES GUIDE for rules on punctuation, etc. ://, Section 4.6, C-12, and section 5.19, CWD

“How are you, mom? Just calling to say hel—“ “Oh, hi, honey! I can’t talk right now. I have tai chi class at 5:30, and then I’m having dinner with Lei.” “Oh, OK. How about lunch tomorrow?” “I can’t. I’m having lunch with Tim.” “Uh, OK. When //are// you free?” “Oh, I’ll have to check my calendar and get back to you.”

** SETTING ** (Establishes the time and place in which the story occurs.)

The walls of my mother's apartment are still filled with pictures of my father, even though he died six years ago. He smiles down at her from their wedding picture, standing in proud solemnity in his Naval uniform, beaming at the both of us in our last Christmas picture together. My mother has been dating Tim for three years now, but these pictures will never come off the wall. If Tim ever complained, he'd be the one to go.

** CHARACTER ** (Introduces the narrator or another character)

She is tiny, a little Filipino sprite. She walks toward me in her signature platform shoes (for her, they never went out of style), her Calvin Klein jeans (size 3) and a red French-cut DKNY t-shirt. At her side she clutches the Louis Vuitton bag of the day. She strides toward me, head up, little nose in the air, her lips perfectly painted with //Revlon Love That Pink//. Men adore her. Women idolize her. She is a vision of perfection. She is my mother.

** FLASHBACK ** (Starts in the present time and reverts to an earlier period)

As I see my mom walking toward me in Makai Market, she smiles brightly and waves a perfectly manicured head. Her wedding ring shines in the florescent light. Suddenly, I remember another time when I saw her ring flash that way: It was wet with tears as she cried at my father's funeral.