Elements of Narrative Kroesch 2018-2019
Narrative 101 Narrative Writing tells a story about a character or characters in a setting that overcome a series of problems to a conclusion Good narratives have several problems that escalate to a logical conclusion
Characters Characters are the actors in your story They have several kinds of traits that can change over the story Physical Traits: Parts of their bodies Mental Traits: Parts of their personalities Other Traits: Details about them aren’t physical or mental Many characters change their traits over the course of a story
2D vs. 3D. Characters A 2D character is one that exists only to show a small collection of traits Think of this like a cardboard standup person A 3D character has traits that are both obvious and subtle They don’t show all of their traits at once
Setting Setting is the locations that your story takes place in Time of day (Lighting, Meals, Activities) Weather Settings have traits too, similar to characters Dirty, clean, bright, dark, eerie, safe Use “Sensory” words to show your setting’s traits smells, sights, textures, tastes, sounds
Settings Continued Your goal with your setting is to create enough detail that readers can “see” your scene Too much detail will bog down your writing and distract readers from the scene you’re trying to create
Plot Plot is the action of your story Creates conflict that makes your story interesting and gives your characters goals See next notes!
Point of View First Person Second Person Third Person You are in the character’s head Full access to their thoughts and view Second Person The action is described as “You” doing it Choose your own adventure format Third Person Most common perspective Comes in Limited and Omniscient forms Limited gives you one character’s thoughts Omniscient gives ALL characters thoughts
Theme Theme is the “why” of the story What thoughts or ideas are to trying to convey to your audience? What do you want them to think about when they finish reading? Theme is shown through things like symbolism, metaphors, or plot