7/27/2019 JJacobs.rhet 1311. Success Memoir

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Memoir: A Story of Perseverance and Success RHET 1311: Composition I, Section 32

In your memoir, you will be telling us, an audience of your instructor and classmates, a story about an

obstacle you faced on the path to an achievement that has continued meaning in your life. This can

be about success in any area: academicsathletics, professional life, etc. but should focus on one

specific instance, struggle, or achievement. You will use skills of description and narration to pull

your readers into your story (pathos). Be sure you convey the significance of your story; this will

make your readers care about what you are saying. (125 total possible points)

In the Proposal, you will receive instructor suggestions and approval for your memoirs writing plan.

Your proposal should include:

A summary of the story you plan to tell, including all major events in that storys timeline

What you learned from that experience

How you believe that learning still influences you today

Any questions you may have

Length: Atleast 1 full page (10 possible points)

In the Memoir, you will learn how to:

Craft a narrative arc to organize and pace your essay for ultimate impact

Create sentences and paragraphs that flow from one to the next

Use concrete descriptions to draw a reader into your story

Explore the use of written dialogue

Use figurative language to add meaning to your writing

Reflect on the significance of a specific incident and then show how the lessons learned

continues to influence your life (and perhaps, through the reading of your essay, the life of

your readers)

Practice peer review as both the reviewer and author reviewed

Revise an essay based on peer and instructor feedback

Length: Whatever it takes, yes; but it should be at least 4 full pages (100 possible points)

Cover Letter: A Letter of Reflection

The cover letter will be divided into the two parts:

1. Summary of your memoir:

a. Summary of the plotWhat happens?

b. Summary/discussion of the lesson learned and the transformation that occurs in the

piece you wrote (the significance).

7/27/2019 JJacobs.rhet 1311. Success Memoir

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2. Your reflection on what you have learned while completing this assignment, including but

not limited to:

a. Writing and skills you can use in later writing assignments

b. Your experience of peer review

c. Your experience of the revision process

d. Your evaluation of your final essay (Is there anything you wish youd done

differently, or would like to change in future assignments?)

e. Any questions or suggestions you still have about this assignment

Length: 2-3 pages (15 possible points)

Format: MLA style for the proposal, essay, and cover letter (double-spaced, 1-inch margins, Times

New Roman font, 12-point). Make sure you are also using the proper heading for your essay (your

name, RHET 1311, assignment name and draft #, and the date of the draft as you are revising it) in

the upperleft corner of the first page, single-spaced.

Assignment Due Dates

Memoir Proposal T, 8/27, due emailed to me before class AND with a printed

copy brought to classMemoir Essay (peer draft) T, 9/3, bring a printed copy to class

Memoir Essay (instructor draft) TH, 9/5, due emailed to me by noon

Memoir Essay (final) M, 9/9, due emailed to me by noon

**As for every assignment, two points of extra credit can be earned if you conference with a tutor

from The Writing Center on your draft and give me documentation of this visit.