1. Narrative Writing
Basics of
Narrative Writing

2. Purpose of Narrative Writing
Narrative writing tells a story and “reports what happened” (Cooley 54).

3. Types of Narrative Writing
There are various types of narrative writing including: short stories essays, novels, biographies autobiographies.

4. Types of Narrative Writing
Narrative writing can be fiction (not true) or non-fiction (true)
Although a short story is specific type of narrative writing, there are several types of short stories (Prentice Hall):
Adventure stories
Fantasies
Fables
Science-fiction
Adventure stories “keep the readers in suspense as they follow the plot, twists and turns to the final outcome” (Prentice Hall 76).
Fantasy stories “depart from reality to explore worlds and characters that stem from the writer’s imagination” (Prentice Hall 76).
Fables “often contain animals as characters, and they convey a specific lesson or observation about life” (Prentice Hall 76).

5. Types of Narrative Writing
Autobiographical writing is nonfiction, a true story, that “tells a story about an event or experience in the writer’s own life” (Prentice Hall 49).
Autobiographical writing types:
Eyewitness accounts Memoirs
Personal narratives Anecdotes
Autobiographical writing can be in the form of an essay, short story, or book.
Eyewitness accounts: “are retelling of events personally witnessed by the writer” (Prentice Hall 49).
Personal narratives: “are stories that reveal a writer’s opinions, feelings, and insights about experience” (Prentice Hall 49).
Autobiographical incidents “tell of a memorable or pivotal event in a writer’s life” (Prentice Hall 49).
Memoirs “contain a writers reflections on an important person or event from his or her own life” (Prentice Hall 49).
Anecdotes “are brief, true, and usually humorous stories that contain a definite conclusion” (Prentice Hall 49). Anecdotes have a point and are used to give examples or illustrated a point.

6. Elements of Narrative Essay
Although there are different types of narrative writings, all are types of stories, therefore, require a story line.

7. Elements of Narrative Essay
According to Cooley (54), events of the narrative must be:
presented, shown, or told in an orderly sequence (PLOT)
by a particular person (NARRATOR)
from a particular perspective (POINT OF VIEW)
within a definite time and place (SETTING)

8. Elements of Narrative Essay
What do you think are the required elements for a story?

9. Plot Climax Falling Action Rising Action Exposition
or Events (conflicts)
Resolution
Exposition or Events: The events part of the plot is used to introduce the characters, setting, and conflict. There must be struggle or issue in the story. The conflict can be internal conflicts (within the character’s mind) or external (character vs. character or character vs. force of nature (Prentice Hall 58).
Rising Action: This part of the story further develops the conflict; the conflict increases (Prentice Hall 58).
Climax: The high point of the story where there is a turning point either for better or for worse.
Falling Action: Events in the falling action of the story “directly follow the climax of the story where the suspense and tension decrease” (Prentice Hall 58).
Resolution: this is the conclusion of the story where the conflict is resolved and all of the questions have been answered.

10. Narrator
One who tells a story, the speaker or the “voice” of an oral or written work.
Narrator may or may not be the author of the book. However, in autobiographical narrative the narrator is the author.

11. Narrator
The narrator is one of three types of characters in the written work:
Participant (is an active participant in the action of the story).
Observer (a character indirectly involved in the action).
Non-participant (is not involved in the action of the story).

12. Point of View
The point of view is “the perspective, or vantage point, from which a story is told” (Prentice Hall 907).
First person (I, me, we, etc.)
Omniscient (narrator is all knowing – knows everything about every character including characters thoughts and feelings)
Limited omniscient (information is presented to the reader through a character; third person).

13. Setting
The setting is the time, place, physical details, and circumstances of a narrative. The setting may be simple or complex.

14. Additional Tidbits
As with any writing, you want to use words to show the reader what is happening, and not just tell the reader what is happening.
from East of Eden

15. Additional Tidbits
Think “word choice”! Use colorful, descriptive words, provide specific details and use strong verbs.
Include DIALOGUE in your narrative. Dialogue provides additional elaboration and details through the words of the characters.

16. Recap
Narrative writing tells a story and can be in the form of short stories, essays, novels, biographies, and autobiographies.
Narratives can be fiction or non-fiction.
Common elements for all narrative writing include:
Plot
Narrator
Point of View
Setting
Use additional characters
Think “word choice”!
Don‘t just “tell” the story, show the story with detailed imagery
Use DIALOGUE to provide additional elaboration and details

18. Works Cited
Carroll, Joyce and Edward E. Wilson. Prentice Hall Writing and Grammar Teacher’s Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall: Boston, Massachusetts, Print. Cooley, Thomas. The Norton Sampler Short Essays for Composition Sixth Edition. W.W. Norton & Company: New York, 2003, Print.