HOW TO…WRITE A NARRATIVE
SUCCESS CRITERIA Well described setting Well developed characters A plotline that only covers a small amount of time and focuses on one particular event Ambitious vocabulary Narrative voice Wide range of punctuation Variety of sentence types Imagery
A key was turned with the loud grating noise of long disuse, and the great door swung back. Within, stood a tall old man, clean shaven save for a long white moustache, and clad in black from head to foot, without a single speck of colour about him anywhere. He held in his hand an antique silver lamp, in which the flame burned without a chimney or globe of any kind, throwing long quivering shadows as it flickered in the draught of the open door. The old man motioned me in with his right hand with a courtly gesture, saying in excellent English, but with a strange intonation:— “Welcome to my house! Enter freely and of your own will!” He made no motion of stepping to meet me, but stood like a statue, as though his gesture of welcome had fixed him into stone. The instant, however, that I had stepped over the threshold, he moved impulsively forward, and holding out his hand grasped mine with a strength which made me wince, an effect which was not lessened by the fact that it seemed cold as ice— more like the hand of a dead than a living man.
DEVELOPING SETTING If a story can be placed in a particular place and time then it can be much more effective. Think how long the authors of books like “The Hunger Games” or “The Narnia Chronicles” spend on setting. Setting is often the key to a successful story so this should be at the front of your mind when planning a narrative.
REALISTIC CHARACTERS In a narrative you should only have a very small number of characters. You will only be writing 200 words or so which means you do not have the space for more than two. You must, therefore, ensure that you spend time and energy developing your characters so they seem real. This means describing both their physical characteristics AND their personality. But remember this important piece of advice: character is action. Don’t tell us a character is weird or sweet or nasty; show us this by what they do.
SHOWING AND NOT TELLING Ahmad was a nasty young man. Okay, we know now he is nasty but it is a bit boring. Show us instead. Ahmad slammed Abdullah against the wall and watched him with eyes like a shark. As Ahmad punched Abdullah hard in the stomach, Abdullah let out a long sigh and sank to the ground. Tears sprung like a leak from Abdullah’s eyes as Ahmad laughed and walked away. Now Ahmad seems much nastier and we can see why he is nasty.
METAPHORS AND SIMILES Using imagery like metaphors and similes can also help you describe characters and setting in more detail. Ahmad watched him like a shark. Sharks have black dead unfeeling eyes so now we see just how awful and heartless Ahmad is. A simile is an excellent way of making your writing better. Remember a simile is a comparison using like or as.
METAPHORS Metaphors are very similar to similes but instead of saying something is like something else, you write they are something else. Yaya Toure is a tank on the football pitch. Yaya obviously isn’t a tank but now we get the idea of how powerful and destructive he is. It is another very clever way of bringing your writing to life.
NARRATIVE VOICE Think very carefully about how you want to tell the story. First person – tell it from the point of view of the main character. You will be using “I”, etc. This means you will be able to include much more emotion in your story. Third Person – tell it from a more neutral point of view. You will be using “he”, “she”, “they”. This means you will be able to include much more physical description and action.
POSSIBLE STORY IDEAS You can practise writing stories using the following prompts: Write a story with the title, “The Stranger”. Write a story with the opening line, “I had never known true fear until…” Write a story about a character who has lost something important to them. Write a story about an argument between friends.