Audience Sheet: Essay 1 - Personal Narrative

The purpose of this audience sheet is to help you imagine an audience who would read your narrative.  Since you are not acutally publishing your narrative, you'll need to imagine who your readers are and make assumptions about them.  These assumptions will help you make specific writing decisions as you plan, draft, revise, edit, and proofread your essay.

In 2-3 clearly written paragraphs, write out assumptions you made about the readers of your personal narrative:  their knowledge, values, beliefs, and expectations.  (See TSGW, Ch 1, and your notes)  Connect your assumptions to specific writing decisions (give specific examples) you made when writing your essay. 

For example, if you make an assumption about what readers already know or don't know about your topic or event, then how does this help you write your narrative--what details/clarifications can you leave out and what details will you include in your narrative (e.g., plot)?  Or if you make an assumption about what your readers value or believe, how does that help you determine what thoughts and emotions to develop and highlight through your conflict and resolution to connect to readers? Help you determine how to begin and/or end your narrative?

Your audience sheet must be typed.  Draft your audience paragraphs (Word document) early and revise it as you draft your outline and essay.  We will discuss your audience assumptions and writing decisions based on these assumptions in class.

It will help to think about where this personal narrative might be published.