Writing exciting narratives: character How to develop your narrative writing

Story consequences Write down: A character ’ s name A place Something that happens to that character – a problem or issue What happens next What happens after that How they sort out the problem The resolution

Narrative structure BEGINNING Character & setting introduced A complication for the character will be introduced, which affects them for the whole narrative. MIDDLE A series of events relating to the complication occurs, where the character is challenged and needs to make decisions. The climax of the situation will occur – which is the most exciting and dramatic part of the narrative. ENDING A resolution may occur, from which the character will learn a lesson OR The ending may not be satisfying – a cliffhanger. The character may reflect on what has happened to them.

A good character description? The man ’ s name was Albus Dumbledore. He was a clever man, who was a lot of fun. He wore robes, wore glasses and was very thin and old. NO – it tells you what the character is like, which is a poor descriptive technique

Showing, not telling A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you ’ d have thought he ’ d just popped out of the ground. The cat ’ s tail twitched and its eyes narrowed. Nothing like this man had ever been seen in Privet Drive. He was tall, thin and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak which swept the ground and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man ’ s name was Albus Dumbledore. It shows what the character is like

Character details

Word choice: Character The boy was dressed in a battered leather jacket, his hair was spiky and shaved on the side and on his arm was a tattoo of a dragon. How could these words be changed to create a totally different perception of his character?

A change in perception The boy was dressed in a smart, well fitted suit, his hair was neatly combed to one side and on his arm was a brand new Rolex watch. This sounds like a totally different character, but the same basic sentence structure has been used!

Words to describe: A GANGSTER A BUSINESSMAN

Creating exciting narratives: Setting & Atmosphere

Setting: word choice The house was spooky, old and dark, creating an eery feeling. The house was sunny, bright and newly built, creating a feeling of space and openness

Putting all the senses together My family spent the whole of Saturday at a park. We loved the park ’ s sprawling ground and spacious grassy areas. Upon reaching the park, the smell of scented flowers and the sound of noisy picnickers greeted us. After setting up the barbeque pit, we grilled mouth-watering hot dogs and chicken wings. In between that, we licked the icy cold popsicles to keep ourselves cool from the barbeque pit ’ s hot flames.

How to create a great setting Select your words carefully Create an atmosphere and help your reader to ‘ experience ’ what it was like to be in that setting.

SIGHTS SOUNDS SMELLS TASTE TOUCH Describing a Park

Now try for yourself

Setting description - telling As I got off the plane I could see palm trees waving in the wind. I could hear the birds cheeping in the trees. I could taste salt on my tongue. I could smell the lovely sea air. I felt the sand on the beach crunch underneath my feet.

Setting description - showing The palm trees surrounded me as I stepped out of the taxi, greeting me with waving branches. The birds nestled amongst the palm fronds of the trees, cheeping merrily. The sea air was rich with salt; I tasted it at the back of my throat and could sense it in my nostrils. It was a clean and fresh smell, the kind of smell that makes you feel alive. As I walked along the beach, the sand ran through my toes, feeling deliciously tingly.

Exciting narrative openings 1.Should introduce character and setting 2.Should ‘ hook ’ the reader in and convince them that the story will be interesting.

Paragraph 1: Orientation The rain was pounded the roof above Emma ’ s head as she opened her eyes and stretched, trying to convince her body it was ready to start the day. The fact that it was raining did not convince her that the day was worth getting up for – and the fact that she had a big exam later almost made her think she should stay where she was. But she had never played truant and was not about to start. Even still, as she looked out of the window and saw the rain battering the trees outside with arrows of rain, she was not positive about the day. Her mother always said, “ rain, rain, always a pain, never any gain ”, which apparently was some old proverb she had been taught as a child.

Plan & write an exciting opening to a narrative SETTING CHARACTER

Optional homework Write a narrative with the opening line: He was waiting on the platform for the train to arrive …..