NARRATIVE/ DESCRIPTIVE

WHAT ARE NARRATIVES? Narratives are stories. “Stories are the intersection of self with a history, at a moment in time” – Dr. Kate Haake. “A writer is at the same time a political being constantly aware of what goes on in the world, whether it be harrowing, bitter or sweet, and he cannot help being shaped by it”- Nadine Gordimer

CHARACTERISTICS OF NARRATIVES Movement Character Conflict Descriptive Language

MOVEMENT Plot Structure Point A to Point B A B Climax Exposition Resolution A B

CHARACTER Physical Appearance Actions Interactions Inner Thoughts How to show Character? Physical Appearance Actions Interactions Inner Thoughts

CONFLICT with Self with Other with Nature with technology with society

DESCRIPTIVE WRITING Adjectives, Adverbs, Strong Verbs Figures of speech: Similes, Metaphors, Personification, Onomatopoeia, Oxymoron Connotative language vs. Denotative language

To describe is to create a Verbal Picture A person, a place, a thing or even a state of mind can be made vivid through description

A story, if broken down into the simplest form, is a connection of cause and effect. And that is exactly how we think. We think in narratives all day long, no matter if it is about buying groceries, whether we think about work or our spouse at home. We make up (short) stories in our heads for every action and conversation. In fact, Jeremy Hsu found [that] "personal stories and gossip make up 65% of our conversations."

Look around you there are stories everywhere. SHOW DON’T TELL Stories are at the heart of every type of writing. Without stories we would have no culture, no history, no present and no future. They surround us! Look around you there are stories everywhere.