BEFORE WE WRITE OUR 
           PERSONAL EXPERIENCE ESSAY…
   • We are going to learn and practice some 
    important strategies to help improve our writing 
    skills!
     • Interesting opening paragraphs
     • The Zoom
     • The Five Media Questions
                          INTRODUCTIONS
   • Introductions are an important piece of any story.  They are intended to 
    increase interest in the reader and get them hooked into the story.
   • Think of the opening as the exposition to your story.  
   • You may want to include a detailed description of the setting or main 
    character.  
   • You may want to introduce part of the conflict of your story.
   • You definitely want to give the reader some direction (What are you 
    writing your story about?)
             WELL THOUGHT OUT OPENINGS
    • An important strategy to use with narrative writing is a good opening 
    paragraph that “hooks” the reader.  Here are some common ways to open 
    a narrative:
     • Sound Effects
     • Statement
     • Character Thoughts
     • Question
     • Character Actions
     • Dialogue
     • Character Description
     • Setting
                       EXAMPLES OF OPENINGS
    • Pulling on my heavy jacket and plunging my hands into my warm mittens, I wondered 
     what the animals at the zoo did when it was cold.  I was getting ready to find out.  Our 
     class was headed to the Soco Gardens Zoo on a freezing cold day last winter. (Character 
     Action and Thoughts)
    • Thin layers of ice covered every branch of the trees as a blustery wind forced all of us to 
     pull our coats even tighter around our bodies.  Even though the vapor from our breathing 
     was visible each time we spoke, nothing could stop our excitement.  Todays was the day 
     we had waited for all year.  Our class was going to the Soco Gardens Zoo. (Setting)
    • This past January my class boarded a large bus and drove to the Soco Gardens Zoo.  It 
     was a wintery day but the cold did not chill our enthusiasm for this exciting trip.  We had 
     been studying different animals and this was our chance to see these wild beasts up 
     close. (Statement)
    • On my head was a gray wool toboggan topped off with a fuzzy light pink pompom.  My 
     feet were encased in three pairs if wool socks and a pair of scruffy brown leather lace up 
     boots I had borrowed from my sister.  I could barely move in my layers of clothing as I sat 
     on the bus with my class as we waited to go to the Soco Gardens Zoo last winter. 
     (Character Description)
                                       EXAMPLES OF OPENINGS
      • Splash!  The sound I hear all about me as young people jump into the 
                           rd
        pool.  It was my 3  birthday party at the public pool and I was finally 
        going to learn how to swim. (Sound Effects)
      • “Three please!”  my mother said to the lady at the ticket booth.  The lady 
        handed her a map and three entry tickets.  “Welcome to Carowinds!” I 
        excitedly read off the sign.  I looked at the map with my big brother when 
        he pointed to a picture of a roller coaster.  I was looking forward to riding 
        the monstrous coaster for the first time. (Dialogue)