VIGNETTE PROJECT
Goal: Your goal will be to bring memories to life so that the reader can be “in the moment” with
you. You will need to include strong verbs, sensory details, and figurative language. In addition,
the style must mirror that of Sandra Cisneros. In the end, you will choose and write a minimum of
seven (for a C) and a maximum of ten (for an A) vignettes. You may use some of your in-class
writing assignments as springboards for your vignettes.
Product:
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Bound booklet format (must be in a folder, stapled, or some other book-making method)
Submitted in legible font no larger than 14 pt.
Cover must include: “The House on _____” (street, road, etc.), your name, and a graphic
representing the work.
Two graphics: one on cover and the other in a placement of your choice
Contents:
1. House on _____________(required): Where I grew up
2. Your Name (required): Who you were named after, like/don’t like name, etc.
3. Friendship Story (required): Elementary school, new school, neighborhood, etc.
4. Rite of Passage (required): Realizing you are growing up
5. Fitting in or not (required): Making difficult choices, peer pressure, etc.
6. Weather (optional): Tornadoes, hot days, snowstorms, etc.
7. Physical Injury Story (optional): Broken bones, stitches, bee stings, etc.
8. Holiday Story (optional): Traditions, Santa/no Santa?, best/worst birthday, etc.
9. Getting Caught Story (optional): Cheating, lying, etc.
10. Funny Family Story (optional): Ones often told and retold at gatherings
11. Escape Story (optional): Running away, favorite place of solitude, wishful thinking
12. Student’s Choice (optional): A story on any topic that mirrors or is inspired by the novella
13. My Inspiration (required): Realist or dreamer, your future
 MLA format is not required for this assignment.
 Assignment due date: May 3rd
Vignette Writing Project: INCLUDE THIS COMPLETED HANDOUT WITH YOUR PROJECT.
Name____________________________________________________
1. I have included ______(total) vignettes in my project.
2. My best example of personification is “____________________________________________________
__________________________________” found in the vignette titled ___________________.
3. I used onomatopoeia to add sound to my vignette titled ________________________. The example is
“________________________________.”
4. My best example of alliteration is found in ________________________________ and it is
“_________________________________________________________________.”
5. My best example of mimicking the style of Sandra Cisneros is found in the vignette titled _______________.
A few lines that illustrate this are “______________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________”
6. My best example of a coming of age themed vignette is “______________________________” because
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________.
7. The freshest simile or metaphor I used was “___________________________________________________”
which is found in the vignette titled ____________________________.
Sample Vignette: My Name
My name comes from the Bible, from the Rose of Sharon. It’s supposed to represent warmth and beauty,
show God’s promise to his people. My parents were very religious. To them, my name represented Christian
life and ethics, a beacon of light in a dark world. To me, it was just nice that it was uncommon. My mom
chose my name after taking a trip to the Holy Land and seeing the Rose of Sharon. I think she was hoping I
would be as beautiful and full of life as the flower. I think about that sometimes now that she’s gone. I
wonder if she’d still give me that name.
My older brother Karl called me Goober when I was a kid. I guess it came from how messy I was when I was a
toddler. I hated that ugly name growing up. Hated it like a rabid dog hates a muzzle. As the firstborn boy, Karl
believed it was his job to toughen all of the younger ones up so we wouldn’t get beaten down by the world.
Whenever I was Karl’s target for ridicule, he would pierce me with poisonous barbs of self-loathing as Paul, the
next oldest, would cheer him on, applauding his prowess at provoking pain with howling hilarity. How many
times can we make her cry? Goober. I still hate that ugly name.