Effective Autobiography

What makes an effective autobiography?: 

What makes an effective autobiography? Here’s what you said….

“An American Childhood” Annie Dillard: 

“An American Childhood” Annie Dillard “The story of the perfect ice ball was my favorite. Reasons why are that she used great details to create a picture in my head. Also, she used a story that related to my childhood, in that I grew up in Ohio, so I remember throwing snowballs at cars.”

“An American Childhood” Annie Dillard: 

“An American Childhood” Annie Dillard “She chose to tell a story about being chased by a man in Pittsburgh. Yet, what made it successful was her use of descriptions to describe the characters and the places She was able to paint a picture for the readers...”

“Longing to Belong” Saira Shah: 

“Longing to Belong” Saira Shah “This is a successful autobiography because she does an excellent job of creating an image and telling the story. The way she describes the characters, like her uncle, makes the audience …visualize the character in [his/her] head.”

“Longing to Belong” Saira Shah: 

“Longing to Belong” Saira Shah “This story effectively portrays an autobiography because she used a single event in her life that seemed to [a]ffect her whole outlook on the world. She also used very vivid details which made me, as the reader, more and more interested as I went on.”

“Rick” Brad Benioff: 

“Rick” Brad Benioff “Rich by Brad Benihoff is an effective and successful biography because it includes conversation between the athlete and the coach. The writer provides a detailed description of coach Rick’s physical appearance, as well as his own and compares his athletic abilities.”

“Rick” Brad Benioff: 

“Rick” Brad Benioff “I liked the way he described the pool and the practice and coach He gave me a clear picture in my head.”

Works Cited: 

Works Cited Wyrick, Jean. Steps to Writing Well. 7 th ed. Boston: Thomson Wadsworth, 2008.

“Calling Home” Jean Brandt: 

“Calling Home” Jean Brandt “Brandt’s autobiography is successful because she does a good job effectively detailing her surroundings so the reader has a good picture of her situation. She also uses dialogue throughout which seem[s] to be the important parts of the story, and she described how she feels after and during each dialogue passage.”

“Always Running” Luis J. Rodriguez: 

“Always Running” Luis J. Rodriguez “Rodriguez’s autobiography is effective because it utilizes childhood emotions to pull the reader in. That autobiography used Rodriguez’s and Tino’s relationship to emotionally attach the readers to the story. We can all relate because we’ve all had friends as children.”

“Always Running” Luis J. Rodriguez: 

“Always Running” Luis J. Rodriguez “In ‘Always Running’[,] Luis J. Rodriguez tells about a day from his childhood. He explains the day and the events with him and his friend. Then[,] as it progress[es], he tells us that this is an everyday occurrence for Mexicans in his neighborhood. He just doesn’t give us insight to that day but into what his life is like everyday.”

So, how do we describe clearly, using specific details?: 

So, how do we describe clearly, using specific details? Describe clearly, using specific details. Ask yourself, “Does this clearly identify the person or event I’m describing? Larry is a sloppy dresser. This description of Larry is fuzzy and vague. Avoid fuzzy and vague descriptions.

So, how do we describe clearly, using specific details?: 

So, how do we describe clearly, using specific details? How about this? Larry wears dirty, baggy pants, shirts too small to stay tucked in, socks that fail to match his pants or each other, and a stained coat the Salvation Army rejected as a donation.

So, how do we describe clearly, using specific details?: 

So, how do we describe clearly, using specific details? Select only appropriate details that present a dominant impression (mood or feeling) to the reader. Down a black winding road stands the abandoned old mansion, silhouetted against the cloud-shrouded moon, creaking and moaning in the wet, chill wind.

So, how do we describe clearly, using specific details?: 

So, how do we describe clearly, using specific details? Make your descriptions vivid. Use sensory details (sight, hearing, smelling, touching, tasting) Use figurative language (similes, metaphors, personification, etc.)

Remember…: 

Remember… “Effective narration often depends on effective description, and effective description depends on vivid, specific detail” (Wyrick 334)