Tips for Writing a Narrative Narrative Writing Skills

The Basics of a Short Story Introduction Gives necessary background information by: Introducing characters Describing the setting Body Introduces the conflict Develops main characters Tells a sequence of events Builds towards climax Conclusion Resolves the conflict Tells the last event

The Short Story

A Successful Short Story Should… Use the elements of character, setting, and plot to develop the storyline Use vivid language, concrete details, and dialogue Develop and resolve a central conflict Present a clear and logical sequence of events

Before you Write: Things to Think About (Brainstorming) Character: Who is the main character? Point of View: Who is the narrator? Setting: What is the setting? How will this affect the plot? Mood: Is your story funny, sad, dramatic? Plot: What happens first, second, last? Central Conflict: What is the problem? Why did it occur? What will solve it?

The First Step: A Catchy Hook Just like a traditional essay starts with an attention grabber, your short story should start with a “hook” that engages your reader. (Narrative Hook Handout) I was wondering why the old lady had her dentures sitting in the palm of her hand. Whoever said, “Life isn’t fair,” was a genius. What he didn’t know was that this was the last time they would ever see each other.

The Second Step: Developing Your Conflict Your “body paragraphs” should continue to develop the characters you introduced in the beginning, and develop the central conflict. Separate your events clearly into paragraphs (most likely in chronological order)

The Final Step: Resolution After you have developed your plot and characters, had your story reach a climax of events, and resolved major conflicts, you need a resolution Make sure to resolve any conflicts, and don’t leave your reader asking “Then what?” But not for this PowerPoint

Writing Tips: DO…. Use vivid language. Don’t just tell the reader how angry your character is, show them by his/her thoughts and actions. Use dialogue. Let the character’s words fit their personality. This is one of the few times when slang is ok. A’ight? Use other words besides “said”. “OK?” screamed our teacher. Use description. Pay attention to the details you use to show the reader what is happening. Use interesting adjectives & lively verbs

Writing Tips: DON’T… Change point of view in the middle of the story. Whether you write in first-person or third person, stay consistent. Be too wordy. Write clearly and concisely, and combine sentences to avoid repetition. Get to the point. It’s a short story. Use vocabulary you are unfamiliar with.

A Final Note on Dialogue If you use dialogue in your story, remember: Use “quotation marks” Start a new paragraph each time you have a new speaker. Use your dialogue handout as a guide. When in doubt…..ASK! “You could ask Mrs. Pagnanella or Mr. Prezioso for help with dialogue,” stated Karl.

Show vs. Tell Details When writing a story, you always want to have for “show details” vs. “tell details.” A “show detail” is a concrete example or detail that shows the reader what is happening, vs. simply telling them. Use sensory details and specific examples as well as good diction. “The man was distracted” (Tell detail). “The man stumbled on the bottom stair as he frantically read the text message he just received” (Show detail).

The Premise….the gist of storytelling. You have your idea in your head…… write it down in a sentence: A person’s booger comes to life at night and eats the family’s dog. Children get stuck in a cave and the water keeps rising. Chuck Norris’s weakness is found. Dora the Explorer and Bob the Builder get married, but the priest speaks English (Dora only speaks Spanish) and the church is falling apart (Bob wants to fix it).

The Personal Narrative

What is a personal narrative? Personal narratives are a form of writing in which the writer relates one event, incident, or experience from his/her life.

Begin with a catchy hook… Just like the short story, you want to start the reader with something that will capture their attention. Examples: Sometimes my imagination gets the best of me. In my gymnastics career, fear is something I deal with every day.

Have a clear thesis statement. It should be the last sentence of your first paragraph. (Your first paragraph should be short!) I never thought I could switch gymnastic teams. I didn’t know it, but today I was going to learn an important lesson

Separate events clearly into paragraphs. Divide the events by chronological order When you change time or thought, start a new paragraph.

Beware of Sentence Structure Write sentences that are clear and concise. Sometimes I assume I can’t do something because my mind takes over. Sometimes, my feelings engulf me and I think I can’t do something. Try for some “sentence variety” Start your sentence with an introductory phrase and comma: When I was young, After breakfast, Gently and carefully, Combine sentences that are short to avoid repeating yourself I have been able to conquer most of my fears. One fear was working on a 4-inch beam. I have been able to conquer most of my fears, such as working on a 4-inch beam.

Revise for Word Choice Get rid of “dead” words Use sophisticated words, but KNOW what they mean Double check your verbs—use vibrant ones! Include some dialogue!!

The End Have a clear conclusion Bring back the hook to form a circle. Restate the words from the prompt in your conclusion I don’t know why I thought I could not wakeboard. This is a lesson I won’t soon forget. Bring back the hook to form a circle. Sometimes I should listen to my imagination I don’t know why I was so frightened of changing gyms.