Narrative Writing

OVERVIEW… Narrative text often contain structural and character ELEMENTS that should be familiar to you. These elements can be used as guides to help you think about the actions, themes, and contexts of the story.

What does a narrative include? Tells a story ABOUT a specific moment in one’s life Presents a conflict and its resolution Setting: the where and when (why is this important?) Transitions: the words and phrases that connect ideas in sentences and paragraphs Imagery: language that appeals to the five senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, hear)

PLOT The sequence or order of events in a story. The plot includes: - Exposition Statement - The part of the plot that tells how the story begins. - Rising Action - The action in the story leading up to the climax. - Conflict - Struggles or problems between opposing forces.

More PLOT -C-Climax - The point of crisis in the plot. It may be the reader’s point of highest interest. -F-Falling action - The action in the story after the climax is revealed. -R-Resolution - The part of the plot that reveals the final outcome.

PLOT DIAGRAM R i s i n g A c t i o n F a l l i n g A c t i o n Resolution Climax Exposition Conflict

What is purpose of an essay? The purpose is the intention of the writer, such as to explain, to describe, to entertain, and to persuade.

What is point of view? The perspective from which narration is told is the point of view. There are three types: 1 st person: uses the pronoun I, and provides a direct connection 2 nd person: uses the pronoun you, and brings the reader into the text 3 rd person: uses the pronouns he or she and distances the reader from the subject

Narratives should include: oBoth abstract and concrete ideas oAbstract words stand for something that cannot be easily visualized. Ex. freedom, small, cool oConcrete words stand for something easily visualized, such as a red apple or five gallons of water

Conflict Conflict is the struggle between two opposing forces Internal conflict is within one’s own mind External conflict is against an outside force, such as another person, nature, society, or fate

Great things to include! Metaphors-comparison of unlike things using “IS” (Her love is a red rose in bloom.) Similes—comparison of unlike things using the words “like” or “as” – (Life is like a box of chocolates.) Flashback – stopping the storyline and showing/telling something that happened early that influences the story. Anecdote: a brief story of an interesting event Parallelism: the use of a series of words, phrases or sentences that have similar grammatical form Allusion: a reference to a person, place, thing, or work of literature that was historically important.

Things to avoid! Clichés: overused expressions Lack of detail “I am going to tell you…” “Have you ever…?” “Ring, ring, ring” went the phone

So… In a well-crafted paragraph, EXPLAIN The elements of a narrative text. Give an example topic for a narrative text. “Narrative text is described as…. The elements of narrative text are… Each element has a precise job,…”