1. Arguing a Lesson Through Story
Narrative
Arguing a Lesson Through Story

2. What is Narrative Writing?
Using a story to make a point
“You can use narrative arguments to discuss your experiences or describe a historical or current event […] to share your values and explain how you look at the world” (Johnson-Sheehan & Paine, 2015, p.127)
“your audience will weigh your story’s events and characters against their own experiences” (Johnson- Sheehan & Paine, 2015, p.173)

3. When is Narrative Writing Used?
To recap and explain the significance of historical events, current events, or trends
To explain how a specific concept, ideal, belief, or law came to be
To provide an example of why a specific argument is true or accurate
To teach or explain a concept or lesson

4. What Makes Narrative Essay Writing Different from Fiction or Creative Writing?
Narrative essays need to have a point
Narrative essays are factual narratives
You story needs to prove something or provide a lesson
In creative writing, the author does not always explicitly state the point. It is left to reader interpretation.
In narrative essay writing, you need to be explicit

5. Narrative Essay Structure
Set the Scene – introduce the where, what, and who Introduce a Complication – what do the characters need to do? What is the problem they face? What happened? Evaluate the Complication – what do the characters think can resolve the situation? What do they want to do? Resolve the Complication – how is the problem solved? Explain the Meaning – what does the narrative prove? What is the point?

6. Example
Set the Scene – Me and my friends go camping. There is a trail that is blocked, but we go down it anyway and set up camp. Introduce a Complication – Sitting around a fire that night, hear noises in the woods, they are getting louder. Evaluate the Complication – Think about ignoring them. Things are just louder cause it is so quiet. Could be animal or wind. Decide to investigate the noise. Resolve the Complication – Find a bear, run out of the woods, leaving everything behind Explain the Meaning – Should not ignore signs. They are there for a reason.

7. What to Remember 1. Stay Focused:
Because this is a personal story, it is easy to get side-tracked.
Only discuss people, events, and background that are necessary to understand the narrative
A reader does not need to know what your friend’s favorite color is and that he plays guitar in a story about him teaching you how to drive a manual transmission car.
A reader does not need to know how you seasoned the steak you ate for dinner on the night your story took place, or that during an important conversation in your narrative you got a text from your mom asking you if you were still planning on coming over on Saturday.

8. What to Remember 2. Write in Chronological Order
Present everything in the order it happened
Make sure anything a reader needs to know to understand events is presented before they happen
Unlike speaking, writing allows you to go back

9. What to Remember 3. Be Descriptive
A reader should be able to picture your narrative
This includes the characters and the setting
Make the reader want to keep reading
4. Have a Point
Easy to get caught up in telling an interesting story and forget that there needs to be a purpose or argument.