This
assignment will give you up to five points to your overall grade
in this class:
A = 5 points
B = 3-4 points
C = 1-2 points
For example, if your overall grade at the end of this course
is 82% and you have completed this assignment, I will award you
up to five percentage points, meaning that you could improve
your grade to an 87%.
Write a 3
to 4 page essay addressing the following-
1. In a manner similar to both Douglass and Rose, tell about
an important moment in your past that let you see something
about yourself that was, until that moment, obscure. Some
writers call such a moment an "epiphany," a religious
insight; others speak of the "aha!" experience, which
reveals truth.
2. In what way was this moment a turning point in your life?
3. Your writing will capture the moment for yourself and help
your audience see what you have seen.
1. To decode this assignment,
separate it into the following:
2. Make of list of significant moments in
your past about which you can recall details, people, and
activities. You goal is to list at least 25 moments.
3. Select a moment from the list that you
think will make for an interesting story. Make sure it is
a sharply focused moment around which you can write a 3-4
page essay with adequate development.
4. Describe the place, key people, and
reconstruct any conversations that might be pivotal to your
story.
5. If you cannot create enough detail in step 4,
go back to your list and choose another.
6. Write for a few minutes about
your feelings immediately before, during, and after the moment.
7. Write for a few minutes about how
you presently feel as you reflect back on the moment.
8. Write for a few minutes about what
truth was learned from the moment.
9. To explore how the moment was a turning
point in your life, you will need to think about.
Consider your readers.
What will my classmates already know about my
topic?
What connections can I make between my topic and
other areas with which my classmates will already be familiar?
Choosing the right focus.
Considering both your and your classmates'
interests, choose an epiphany around which you can write a 3-4
page essay with adequate development.
Write a sentence justifying the appropriateness
and focus of your topic.
If you have any doubts about your topic,
consider discussing your choice with me (1) by E-mail at mbuckhoff@aol.com
, (2) during class at the appropriate time, or (3) at my office.
It is much less painful to refocus your topic at this stage of
the writing assignment since you do yet not have a complete,
highly polished draft.
Consider a possible pattern of
organization.
In part, this writing assignment combines
narration and description
writing genres.
Once you have generated about 6 pages on
this stage of your writing, you are ready to move on to the
planning and drafting stage.
