Adapted from Patterns for College Writing Narration Adapted from Patterns for College Writing

What is it, exactly? Narration is a MODE of writing by which the author tells a story by presenting events in an orderly, logical sequence. This sequence is often, but not always, chronological.

It’s a story, so I don’t have to have a thesis, right? WRONG! In effective writing, the purpose of a narrative essay is generally to present a sequence of events as support for a thesis. Example: My experiences with dating have convinced me that this ritual should be abandoned completely. Last night, I met for the first time a man with whom I was introduced online. He asked me to pick him up, which I begrudgingly did. Then, instead of dinner, he wanted to go to a casino. Weird! When we got there, he left me in the car and ran inside, coming out a few minutes later with a knife in one hand and a bag of money in the other. He jumped in the car and demanded that I drive away as fast as I could. I spent a night in jail before the officials realized I knew nothing of this man’s plans!

Things to Include: All the parts of a story This means that you must include an introduction, plot, characters, setting, climax, and conclusion. The order doesn’t have to be chronological, but it must make sense by the end. Effective Pacing This means that your narrative tells a clear story and you move through the story at an appropriate pace for the effect you’re looking to achieve. You don’t spend forever describing a conversation that doesn’t matter, and you don’t describe the most important part in one line.

Things to Include, continued Effective Transitions. You should signal shifts between scenes, events, and time using appropriate transitions. See below for some examples: First Second Next Then Later Meanwhile Immediately Soon Before Earlier after

Things to Include, Continued: The essay should be written from a clear and consistent point of view. Point of view is the perspective from which the story is told 1st person: the person telling the story is a part of the story 3rd person: the person telling the story is NOT part of the story. This can be either omniscient (knows everything) or limited (doesn’t know everything) Point of view also includes staying consistent with the personality of the speaker. It is quite common for narrative essays to be written from the standpoint of the author (you); however, you don’t have to do this. You can tell a story from the perspective of someone else who may have been a part of it, other than yourself.

Details, details, details! As with any type of writing, you must have rich, specific details in a narrative if you want it to be convincing (and you do). You must also use clear, specific language to evoke specific emotions. In the winter she sewed night after night, endlessly, begging cast-off clothing from relatives, ripping apart coats, dresses, blouses, and trousers to remake them to fit her four daughters and son. Every morning and every evening she milked cows, fed pigs and calves, cared for chickens, picked eggs, cooked meals, washed dishes, scrubbed floors, and tended and loved her children. In the spring she planted a garden once more, dragging pails of water to nourish and sustain the vegetables for the family. In 1936 she lost a baby in her sixth month. -from “My Mother Never Worked”

Maintaining Clear Narrative Order When writing about a personal experience or, you may want to consider beginning with an event from the middle or end of the story and filling everything else in. This makes use of flashbacks. Remember to choose a narrative order that is most beneficial to your purpose.

Watch your verb tenses! Verb tenses indicate temporal (time) relationships. Narratives are usually written in past tense, but you still need to use varying tenses in order to reflect actual time shifts in your narrative. Had been, had gone, had done, etc. indicates things that happened prior to the time frame of the narrative. i.e. By the time I was five, I had already learned to play baseball. Straight-up past tense indicates things that happened in the time frame of the narrative, if the narrative is in the past. i.e. On my fifth birthday, I hit my first home run. Would be, would go, would have done, etc. indicates things that will happen in the future, but still inside the past-tense time frame of the narrative. i.e. I would pitch my first no-hitter by my tenth birthday (so, not in your actual future right now, but in the future of you in the narrative).

…please! Keep your tense consistent unless there is an actual temporal change that necessitates the change in tense. Weak: When I was five, I hit my first home run. I step up to the plate and squeeze the bat hard with my hands. Strong: When I was five, I hit my first home run. I stepped up to the plate and squeezed the bat hard with my hands.

Things to Include, Continued: Appropriate Conventions This should reflect you best grammar, spelling, and style.

Formatting Typed, one side of the paper only Two pages in length (papers must meet this requirement and must not exceed it by more than ¼ page) 12 pt. font size Times New Roman typeface One-inch margins all around Double spaced In the upper left corner (not in the margin as a header): Your Name and A or B Day/Period (ex: Frodo Baggins, A2) Instructor’s Name Course and Assignment Title (ex. AP Language, The History Teacher Essay) Date Header with your last name and the page number on the top, right margin A title centered over the first line Do not skip lines between the Assignment and the title. Remove extra space between paragraphs.

Some grammar… Use complete sentences! Do not start sentences with “and” or “but.” Include a subject, verb, and complete thought. Every day is two words when referring to frequency. It’s one word when used as an adjective (my everyday jeans; an everyday occurrence). Semicolons separate two independent clauses; commas separate an independent and a dependent clause. Watch pronoun-antecedent agreement. The following words are singular: anybody, every, no one, someone, anyone, everybody, nobody, something, each, everyone, either, neither, somebody. These words take singular pronouns. Example: Everybody should pick up his or her books. These antecedents may be singular or plural, so you will need to check what they’re referring to in order to determine whether to give them singular or plural verbs and pronouns): All, many, more, most, none, some. Example: All of my soup is in its bowl. All of the students are in their classes.

Organize your paragraphs…there should be one major idea in each. More grammar… Don’t end your sentences with prepositions (i.e. “Who are you talking to?” vs. “To whom are you talking?”). Organize your paragraphs…there should be one major idea in each. Avoid gratuitous, trite, “fluffy” phrases that only exist to make the piece sound like a Nicholas Sparks novel (i.e. “my heart broke in two…” “I cried a river that night…” “I jumped for joy…”. Description and lovely prose is wonderful; however, if I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a million times. Be original. When one word will do, don’t use two. Be sure you capitalize and punctuate dialogue correctly (see additional PPT).