Autobiographical Incident Essay_Eng. 10
By now, we have explored the concept of identity by testing three assumptions about where our
identities come from. Very soon, you will write an autobiographical incident story that furthers
our quest to find out what makes each of us unique. The goal for this assignment is to recognize
how our standout experiences ultimately contribute to shaping our identities.
Assumption #1: Identities are determined at birth (our name, our race, our ethnicity, our
gender, our age, who our parents are).
Assumption #2: Identities are shaped by cultural forces (other people’s actions, subtle and
extreme cultural experiences, unwritten definitions of what is and is not normal).
Assumption #3: Identities are the result of personal choices (our own actions, whether right
or wrong).
Do we make good and bad choices at times? Yes. Are there times when we are forced into
making tough choices by others or by circumstances imposed upon us by others? Yes. Are we
ever criticized for things beyond our control like our name, ethnicity, age, etc? Yes.
Your Task: You are to write a two page story about an incident from your life that caused you
to change your thinking about one aspect of life. In other words, this should be a story about a
time when you experienced a life lesson, which differs from classroom lessons. More
specifically, you will write a well-told story about a specific incident in your life which is limited
to a day or two, perhaps a few hours, or even a few minutes. It must include lots of interesting
details, descriptions of the scene, characters, action, dialogue, feelings, and impressions. It must
also conclude with a comment on why this incident was important to you. Here is a summary:
1. Short incident (recreate an intense short-lived event from your life in words)
2. Details (the reader must feel like he or she is experiencing the incident with you)
3. Significance (You must conclude the story by stating how this moment caused you to
learn a valuable lesson about life, i.e. how it changed your thinking)
Just to be clear: You will not be writing about the summer that you spent at basketball camp or
how awful your freshmen year was. Instead, you will identify one moment that tested you in an
extreme way because of a choice you made or because of a situation dropped on you by others.
Think of it like this: you are defusing a bomb. How did you get there in the first place? What was
it like those brief seconds before you saved the people around you or had the thing blow up in
your face. That last ten seconds is always the most dramatic (each second lasts 10 seconds
because time has slowed down and everything becomes very clear and easy to describe visually
and audibly) and for a good reason: people’s lives will be changed forever regardless of the
outcome. Talk about the explosion or lack of one. Then, mention people’s reactions to that
outcome. Were you relieved? Did you jump for joy? Did you break down and cry? Why? Did
you become stronger mentally? What was the outcome? Finally, tell your reader why that
moment was important to you: What was the lesson that you learned?
So what is your incident story?
Here are some suggestions for your story: a time you – had a fight / won money / had your
courage tested / confronted a bully / were insulted by another person / impressed another person
or yourself / made a decision you quickly regretted / had an accident / broke a bone / received
news of a death / were attacked by a grizzly bear / broke your grandma’s window / got lost / hit a
game-winning shot / got caught committing a crime (be careful with the crime essays because I
am obligated to report some activities) / etc. (The key is that your incident essay should be
dramatic, descriptive, insightful, and involve action wherever possible)
How to get started:
1. Decide on a story worth sharing that meets the prior-mentioned criteria.
2. Plan out your story before you begin writing it.
3. Focus on the event (cut out all unnecessary information)
4. Pace the event with transition words like first, initially, then, next, later, above my head,
finally, afterward, the next morning, etc.
5. Decide how to begin the story (Your opening sentence should get the reader’s attention)
6. Set up the event by describing the place and the situation. How did you get there? What
does the place look, smell, feel like? Who else was there? What did they do or say that is
important to the story? What were your thoughts while this moment was approaching?
7. Slow down time before the big event, e.g. For a split second, time seemed to stand still.
8. Include strong sensory language to describe the main incident (I want to see the beads of
sweat on your forehead and hear your heart beating)
9. State what happened at the last moment.
10. Mention your reaction to the event. Or mention other people’s reactions.
11. Talk about the significance of this event. Why was this event important to your life?
How and why did it change you?
Autobiographical Incident Essay Rubric
Grade
A
Points
25
B
20
C
17.5
D
15
F
0
Required Elements
Essay is well written, contains all required elements (details, descriptions
of the scene and central moment, characters, action/drama, dialogue,
feelings, and impressions), is free of unnecessary details, focuses on the
incident, slows time before big event, contains effective sensory language,
uses transitions to pace the story and orient the reader, uses active
language choices, emphasizes drama and/or action, concludes with a
reflection on the lessons learned (statement of significance describing why
this moment had an important effect on the writer’s life), written in firstperson point of view, meets the 2 page minimum length requirement,
includes a thoughtful first sentence to draw reader’s interest.
Essay still focuses on an important life changing event but descriptions are
less developed. Page count is met. All parts of paper are included: Intro,
event, and significance. Fewer transitions used but pacing is recognizable.
Missing transitions and descriptive terms are sparse. Earnest attempts
made to write the paper. Page count is at least 1.5 pages.
Writer struggles with the assignment but provides a written version of an
event that is dramatic and life changing. Missing elements are noteworthy.
Grammar and punctuation need work.
Poorly attempted or no attempt made.