When people tell stories about significant events from their lives, they also tell us (or suggest to us, implicitly) why these events are so significant: What made this event so important to you?  Did this event trigger a change in your life philosophy or lifestyle?  Did the event change the way you think about, live in, or understand the world around you?  Was your previous way of living or believing challenged, changed, or otherwise shaken by the event?

 

As you write, remember these three important qualities of “remembered event” essays:

 

1. Setting: Be sure to describe the place where this event occurred in some detail.  How does the location of this event connect to the action involved?  Why is it important, or significant, that this event occurred in this place?  Was there anything about the setting that directly impacted the events which took place?

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2. Action: As readers, we need to see this event from start to finish.  But as a writer, you’ll need to make decisions regarding which aspects of this event are most important; in other words, you’ll need to choose the action of this narrative so that the story is told in the most dramatic way.  As you write, consider what parts of this event will require the most detailed explanations and presentation.

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3. Character: This applies to all of the people we meet in the course of the story—anyone important to the narrative should be presented to us in a fairly detailed way—but it applies most significantly to you, as you are the central character in this narrative.  What kind of person were you before this event (either just before it, or throughout your life until that point)?  What kind of person did you become after this event (either immediately after, or ever since)?  What about the event had a direct impact on your outlook, your character, or the way you move through the world?  Was this impact lasting, or did it last only for a certain period of time?