1. Dr. M Silva Narrative Speaking

2. Dr. M. Silva Narrative is One of the Oldest Forms of Communication Telling Stories: –Primary means of retaining historical information in an oral culture –Preserve cultural ideas and beliefs –Can entertain, inform, persuade and inspire. –Served a ritual function

3. Dr. M. Silva Your Narrative Speech Tell a story about a personal experience. – “Last summer I went on a road trip and got the scare of my life”

4. Dr. M. Silva Guidelines for Your Narrative Speech Develop a Central Idea which is one full sentence that states the theme of your speech. –Last summer I went on a cruise to Alaska and learned that cruises can be awesome if you can avoid certain pitfalls. Develop Characters –Me –The Masses –The salespeople Develop a Plot—use the classic conflict model (next slide)

5. Dr. M. Silva Organizing Your Narrative Like all speeches: Your narrative should have a clear beginning, middle and end. –Stories usually begin by introducing the topic and situation. –Build up to a point of tension or conflict. –Resolve that Conflict

6. Basic Outline for Informative Narrative I.Introduction A.Gain Audiences Attention B.State your Purpose II.Body Transition to: (Let’s move on...) Main Points = each stage of the story in chronological order A.Introduce Setting and Characters B.The problem or conflict C.How resolved (it may have simply resolved itself. Transition to: (Today I’ve told you...) III.Conclusion A. Summarize/Review Your Main Points in one sentence B. Conclude in a Memorable and Interesting Manner

7. Tips for Writing a Great Narrative Speech Use descriptive, vivid language Don’t try to explain everything that happened but focus on key events and people (the most interesting aspects of your experience). Don’t be afraid to use some poetic license for the audience’s benefit.