Emotional Essay
Directions:
- Choose one of the rows randomly. You may do so by printing them all out, cutting each row apart from the rest, and drawing from a hat. You could also choose a number between 1 and 32, then count down to that row.
- As a writer, your goal is to write an essay with lots of "voice", one that really lets the reader get emotionally involved and has lots of sensory detail. (Five senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing) You will write at least one paragraph, up to a short story, focused around the situation that you picked and the emotion that goes with it.
- A few guidelines for this project:
- You may not use the word that is your emotion, or any derivitives of it. For example, if your emotion were "surprise", you could not use the words surprise, surprising, surprised, etc.
- You may use synonyms (words that mean the same), and for this a thesaurus may be helpful. (See English Index: English Resources section for a link to an online thesaurus.)
- You should write in first-person narrative, as if you are telling the story yourself.
- You may choose to write in present tense, as if it is currently happening; or in past tense, as if it has already happened.
- You want someone who listens to your essay or who reads it silently to be able to guess your emotion from the way you describe the situation and the words you choose to express your thoughts.
Sample Emotional Essay:
Situation: You trip and fall. Emotion: pride
My best friends and I recently heard about the town talent show and decided to enter it together. Ever since I was three years old, I've been entertaining my relatives and friends; I plan to be a great comedian when I grow up. It didn't take me long to convince Roger and Tom that we should enter the show as the Three Stooges. We practiced our slapstick and lines for weeks! I watched hours of the "classics" TV channel, all in the name of research for our act. As we waited to audition for the talent show, my palms were sweating with nervousness. Luckily, I had anticipated our jitters and planned for the event, as all good actors should. As the curtain rose, our routine began with the three of us huddled together nervously, talking about who had to be first to jump out of an airplane. Soon we were having so much fun that I almost forgot to worry that our act wouldn't be good enough to make it into the actual talent show. Finally, Tom, who was playing Curly, kicked me in the rear as I bent to tie my shoelace, and I did the best pratfall ever, right into the pile of "parachutes"! My heart seemed about to burst from my chest when I heard the judges clap and whistle their appreciation of our skit. I knew that my public career as a comedian was just beginning!
--By Mrs. Barragree
Situation and Emotion Rows:
| Situation | Emotion |
| You are going to take care of a pet. | protectiveness |
| You overhear two classmates talking. | pride |
| You wake up in the middle of the night. | terror |
| You are going into a haunted house. | excitement |
| You are waiting for a game to begin. | excitement |
| You close a book. | sadness |
| You are going into a haunted house. | fear |
| You are going to take care of a pet. | anxiety |
| You overhear two classmates talking. | loneliness |
| You close a book. | curiosity |
| You are waiting for a game to begin. | nervousness |
| You open the door to your room. | shock |
| You have just received your report card. | disappointment |
| You receive a gift. | shock |
| You have just received your report card. | joy |
| You are going into a haunted house. | disappointment |
| You are waiting for a game to begin. | determination |
| You open the door to your room. | impatience |
| You talk to your best friend about your birthday party. | hopefulness |
| You receive a gift. | gratefulness |
| You open the door to your room. | anger |
| You wake up in the middle of the night. | excitement |
| You overhear two classmates talking. | disgust |
| You are going to take care of a pet. | responsibility |
| You talk to your best friend about your birthday party. | excitement |
| You are waiting for a game to begin. | tension |
| You close a book. | satisfaction |
| You open the door to your room. | pride |
| You receive a gift. | surprise |
| You close a book. | impatience |
| You talk to your best friend about your birthday party. | anger |
| You overhear two classmates talking. | enthusiasm |
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