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Actual email exchange with student
Student: About the personal narrative. Does it have to be a COMPLETELY true story? Or can I … change it a little bit? Thank you.
Me (Teacher): Well, personal does mean true. It needs to be the real deal, no fiction parts.
Student: Okay. I will try to find something true.
She hasn’t learned yet that truth is often stranger than fiction!
The sequel:
The girl’s topic? She wrote (brilliantly) about the day she couldn’t think of anything to write.