Narrative Writing ENL 207, Fall 2015

Narrative Writing Narratives or “stories” are usually written to entertain a reader However, some narrative stories may also be written to inform or to persuade. You must use your best discretion when deciding the purpose of a narrative. Narratives may be written in the first person (*note: this is THE ONLY rhetorical mode that may be written using “I” and “we”) or the third person.

Practice! Narrative Purpose A student is writing a narrative paragraph about a scary experience during a blizzard. The purpose is to entertain and create suspense. Which three sentences should be included in the paragraph?

Practice! Narrative Purpose At first, I drove slowly, telling myself, “This is just another snowstorm.” Then the wind started to blow the snow so hard I could not see. They key features of a blizzard are blowing snow and winds of up to 35 miles per hour for at least three hours. Blizzards are dangerous and result in low visibilities. I held the steering wheel tightly as I drove forward very slowly. One of the deadliest blizzards occurred in Iran in 1972.

Practice! Narrative Purpose At first, I drove slowly, telling myself, “This is just another snowstorm.” Then the wind started to blow the snow so hard I could not see. They key features of a blizzard are blowing snow and winds of up to 35 miles per hour for at least three hours. Blizzards are dangerous and result in low visibilities. I held the steering wheel tightly as I drove forward very slowly. One of the deadliest blizzards occurred in Iran in 1972.

It is important to always be prepared in order to do your best. Topic Sentence A statement that indicates a lesson that is about to be explained through story-telling or the point of the narrative. It is important to always be prepared in order to do your best.

Supporting Sentences Supporting sentences are comprised of the events that take place during the story Thus narrative paragraphs are organized in TIME ORDER However, supporting sentences may also include information like: settings, characters or props

Supporting Sentences Narrative paragraphs often use time-order signals. These include signals such as: First, Then In the morning, Second, Now After a while, Meanwhile, Soon The next day, Next, Finally, At last,

Practice! Put it in Order The events in a narrative are given on the next slide. However, they are not in chronological order. Number the events so that they are in time order. The first event has been done for you.

Practice! Put it in Order My alarm clock didn’t go off, so I woke up late. __. I almost missed the bus. __. I realized that I didn’t wash my school uniform last night. __. My teacher gave my class a pop quiz and I wasn’t prepared. __. My sister ate all of the cereal and I didn’t have time to make breakfast. __. I arrived at school and realized that I left my homework at home.

Practice! Put it in Order 1. My alarm clock didn’t go off, so I woke up late. 2. I realized that I didn’t wash my school uniform last night. 3. My sister ate all of the cereal and I didn’t have time to make breakfast. 4. I almost missed the bus. 5. I arrived at school and realized that I left my homework at home. 6. My teacher gave my class a pop quiz and I wasn’t prepared.

Concluding Sentence Because stories usually teach a lesson or moral, the concluding sentence should state the lesson learned from the series of events. It may also summarize the effects of the story. Perhaps had I been more prepared, I would have accomplished more and I would not have done so poorly.

Model Paragraph The Importance of Being Prepared It is important to always be prepared in order to do your best. When I woke up this morning, my alarm clock did not go off. I woke up late. Then I realized that I did not wash my school uniform last night like I was supposed to, so I had to wear a dirty uniform to school. As I went to grab a bowl for cereal, I realized my sister had already eaten it all! I did not have time to eat breakfast, so I was starving for the rest of the day! Next, I almost missed the school bus. When I arrived at school, I realized I had left my homework at home. Then my teacher gave our class a pop quiz. I was not prepared and I know I did not do well. Perhaps had I been more prepared, I would have accomplished more and I would not have done so poorly.

Practice! Put it All Together You will work in groups of six. Each group will be given a deck of storytelling cards. Each person will draw a card from the deck and then give 2-3 sentences of a story. The next person will draw another card and continue the story using the object on the card they have drawn.