Narration: Telling Stories Keena P. Day, M.A.

Narration: The Basics To begin, you should generate a list of ideas (brainstorm) events you’d like to remember from your life You should answer who, what, when, where, how about the events to figure out which will give sufficient details. Generally, you want to find an event in which you learned a lesson or others can apply to their own lives.

Shaping Your Narrative Your narrative should be a personal experience. You should also try to entertain your audience with wit. Narratives are structured around a conflict. You should write in the first-person-point of view.

Shaping Your Narrative With narratives essays, the thesis is often implied and the reader must deduce it. The sequence of events can be shaped to emphasize different elements. It may help to list the most important incidents in the narrative on a scrap paper You can use flashback and jump in and out of chronological order.

Pointers for Using Narrative What point do you want to make? What happened? Why and how did it happen? Who or what was involved? What is the setting and when did the story occur? What conflicts were involved?

Drafting the Paper Know your Reader Know your Purpose Establish the setting and time of action Set out the characters Clarify the action Sharpen the plot MAKE A POINT

Mentor Text “Eleven”- Sandra Ciseneros List the event she’s discussing List the setting and characters List the plot elements: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution List the point the author is making List other techniques she uses (figurative language, dialogue, etc.)

Writing Process Step 1: Pre-writing Brainstorm a list of events that have taught you a lesson OR your audience can take something from Chose the one you can write the most about Quick-write about the event to get what you want to say out. Go back and shape it as your first draft.