WRITE A TRUE STORY (CAN BE LITERALLY ANY STORY I AM ABOUT 20 YRS OLD AND A WOMAN)

Description

For this essay, in at least two pages, you will tell me a true story from your life. It can be just about anything: a funny work story, or a moment of tragedy and understanding, as in Beard. As this is a creative assignment, I will leave it to you to find something you think is important enough to present for retrospection, noting that the object is not simply to tell the story of a moment, but of how that moment ushered in some change or had a profound effect on you. Again, this is very open-ended, demanding less of your ability to follow directions, and more of your innate sense of creativity. This will be different from your last papers in a variety of ways. This essay must have at least two characters, in addition to yourself, who we can recognize from dialogue. Dialogue is written similar to a quotation: “I hate your guts,” Sheila said. “I’ll never forget your saying that,” replied Ernesto. Dialogue requires a “tag,” i.e. a word like “said.” You will not cite anything in this essay. In place of a thesis, this essay must have a theme, some underlying meaning beyond what happens in the page. You will not explicitly tell us what the theme is, but we readers should be able to guess at it through your use of symbolic imagery—for example, the shaky collie or plasma in Beard. Finally, instead of writing in academic English, for this paper alone, you are free to write in your own voice. Tell the story like you would tell it to me if were speaking mano-a-mano. This does not mean that your essay is allowed to be illegible, incoherent, sloppy, or breezy; only that you are allowed to break the “rules of English” if you think that will allow you to say what you need to with clarity and power. You are allowed to use contractions and slang in this piece—just this once! Length  This essay can be as long as you need it to be, provided it is at least two full pages long. Please use a 12–point font, black ink, double-spacing. Please include your name and page numbers.  One last note: because this is a creative assignment, there is no real way to fail it, short of not following the handful of instructions here, not turning something in, or simply not trying. It is the latter point that concerns me most—please write in good faith and use this paper as an opportunity to sincerely reflect on your own life. That’s what art is for.