Examples of Anecdotes

Examples of Anecdotes Below you will find a variety of examples of anecdotes that writers have used to “hook” their audience. You will see that the anecdotes range from quickly retelling a story to quoting an expression and some even ask a question to begin. However you choose to create your anecdote, just remember to relate to your reader- you want to grab their attention!  Enjoy!

“Turbulence,” David Sedaris From The New Yorker (June 2005) “On the flight to Raleigh, I sneezed, and the cough drop I’d been sucking on shot from my mouth, ricocheted off my folded tray table, and landed, as I remember it, in the lap of the woman beside me, who was asleep and had her arms folded across her chest. I’m surprised that the force didn’t wake her—that’s how hard it hit—but all she did was flutter her eyelids and let out a tiny sigh, the kind you might hear from a baby.”

“To All the Girls I’ve Rejected,” Jennifer Delahunty Britz an article from the Editorials/Op-Ed section of The New York Times (March 2006) “A few days ago I watched my daughter Madalyn open a thin envelope from one of the five colleges to which she had applied. “Why?” was what she was obviously asking herself as she handed me the letter saying she was waitlisted.”

An excerpt from a health cookbook, Skinny B**** in the Kitch, Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin (2007) “What’s better than eating?...The answer is: Nothing! There’s nothing better than eating! We’re total pigs and eating is, without a doubt, our favorite thing to do. We love eating so much, it makes us mad. We have, like, a violent passion for food. When we go out to eat, if something we order is really good, we talk about killing the chef. Or our pets. Or ourselves. Good food makes us want to die ... you know, like that expression, ‘... to die for.’ But ironically, we also care about our health.”

This is a piece of my own writing from a personal narrative that I wrote in my Freshman College Literary Perspectives Class. I wrote about the restaurant that I’ve worked at for the last 6 years during the summer. “A penguin wearing sunglasses, sipping a drink and relaxing on a lawn chair is the graphic found on the back of the t-shirt. The text around the graphic reads: “A Sunny Place for Shady People.” This establishment is known as Emerald Point Restaurant and Marina, a fun place to hang out, have dinner with the family and meet new people. Emerald Point offers the best dining on Greenwood Lake with a relaxed atmosphere, delicious food and great entertainment.”

This was a more analytical paper that I wrote for the same class. This is my entire introduction paragraph for a paper that I titled “Girls are Meant to be Ladies”: “To use the less awkward expression, the “birds and the bees,” is a topic that parents cringe to even think of talking about with their children. It is especially uncomfortable for mothers to talk about maturation with their little girls. In many cultures, mothers strive to raise their daughters to meet standards of society and hold a good reputation for their family. Jamaica Kincaid’s literary piece, “Girl” is a rhythmic poem that provides insight into a complicated mother-daughter relationship. Although the fast paced style of the poem indicates the mother is rushing through this awkward talk, she steadily delivers this deliberate advice, assuring the daughter that she may always confide in her mother.”