The only thing we have to fear is ...

... an essay about fear

Due Monday, September 23^rd

Write a three – five page narrative about a time when you faced a fear. This fear may be small or significant, in school or out. Your fear may be physical or psychological. It’s not important whether you were successful in conquering your fear; your essay is about the process, not the result.

Use MLA: Typed. Double Spaced. Twelve point. No blank lines between paragraphs, except to indicate a major shift in tone or setting. A header with your name and the page of the essay in the upper right hand corner (this is optional on page one)..

Required: A title that invites the reader in and might suggest setting, tone, mood, or purpose.

Required: Include three different rhetorical strategies, underlined and labeled. You may write the labels by hand or you may use the footnote function on your word processor.

Suggested: Four possible structures. 1) Begin at the end, then explain how you got there. 2) Alternate narration of the action with reflection on the action. 3) Traditional beginning, middle, end narration. 4) Something too cool for me to think of.

Audience: 1) An educated reader. 2) Yourself.

Purpose: 1) To explore the impact of fear on personal development and/or 2) To identify effective or ineffective strategies for facing fear AND 3) To tell a good story.

Excellent topics are not limited to major events. Sometimes great wisdom lies in exploring the little details. Write about an experience you remember vividly and can describe honestly, even if you weren’t successful in your endeavors.