For your independent essay, you may choose to write on any topic, for any purpose, in any mode of discourse, using any method of development you desire. It can be a personal experience essay, a narrative, a commentary or argument, a review of a movie or restaurant, a review of a concert or band or play, a description of your hobby, a description of your favorite place to vacation, a description of a place that is special to you for whatever reason, a character sketch, a character analysis, a text analysis, a self-analysis, a comparative analysis, a dream analysis, whatever you want, as long as it is an essay-length paper (two to four pages, 600-1000 words).

I'd like you to read about a dozen of the independent essays in the web folios from the Summer 2000 class, or the Fall 2000 class, or the Summer 2001 class, or the Fall 2001 class as examples, and for inspiration.

If you want to write a personal experience essay or a personal narrative, think about defining moments in your life and describe what happened and why you regard it as an important experience.

If you want to pay a tribute to a special person, relative, friend, pet, think about why that person (or animal) is important to you, and describe the things that he, she or it has done that make him, her or it important to you. Or write a narrative that tells a story about a specific thing or event that illustrates something very important about that person (or pet).

Want to have fun with the assignment? Have fun with it. Want to speculate on what you would do if you won the lottery? Go nuts.

Want more ideas? Go to the Guide to Grammar and Writing and take the link to "Principles of Composition" and then "Getting Started" for numerous strategies on developing topics and exploring them. Or click on the Inspiration software icon on your Desktop menu and use the Inspiration program to brainstorm your interests and some possible topics.

Want more ideas? Look in the numerous handbooks and readers on the shelves in the back of the classroom for topics, writing prompts, suggestions. Want more ideas? Talk to me.

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