Learning How to Write a Great Narrative

FICTIONAL STORIES

Have you ever read a story that stays with you long after you finished reading it? Or where you

can’t wait to find out what happens next? The light faded slowly from the screen even

as Santron tried frantically to reset the controls. It was no good. Something was jamming the signal. At this rate, the entire ship would be blacked out within….Santron checked the time dial. Three minutes at most. Santron frowned. Three minutes to fix the problem or face obliteration! When the sensor buzzed overhead, Santron swallowed. If ever she needed to call on her Frontline Trooper skills to get her out of trouble it was now……

This is only one type of story, - a ‘cliff-hanger’ or thriller style of narrative. But all successful stories ‘hook’ the reader.

Think back to the novels/short stories you have read and try to determine why you enjoyed reading some as opposed to others. What was it about the character/s, the story itself, or the imaginative world the author created?

NarrativeWhen you are asked to write a short story, or asked to do

some "creative writing", you are doing what is called “narrative writing." Narrative writing is meant to entertain. Part of being

human is getting to tell great stories. <iframe width="560" height="315" src

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Examples: Story (personal, true, imaginative), Fable, Myth, Poem,Play, Biography, and Autobiography.

TYPES OF NARRATIVE• A narrative is a story with characters and

there is a definite plot line. A narrative normally has a beginning, a middle and an end.

• There are two types of narrative – fiction and non fiction

FICTIONAL NARRATIVE• This includes novels, plays, short stories

and mini sagas.• In each instance the focus of the writing is

what the writer’s imagination has created, the world and the situations and the characters he/she has conceived of and written about.

• Scripts (film, TV and radio) also belong in the fiction narrative category. They are so different though in presentation and the demands they make on the writer, that they have their own section.

NON-FICTION NARRATIVE• This includes personal narratives (i.e. Real life

stories about yourself or someone else), bibliographies and autobiographies, as well as feature stories in magazines and newspapers, and travel articles.

Step One- Get your story rollingBeginning a narrative

• Talk about where or when the story takes place (setting)• Introduce a character or continue with a character that

has been introduced and characterized• Use dialogue that is authentic to the representation of the

character in the story• Make an interesting/noteworthy comments • Use action words- vivid verbs and audacious

adjectives

Step Two- Use transitions

• The next day• When we arrived• Finally• As soon as• Around noon• During• One evening

Beginning

example

One warm, breezy summer night I was trying to get to sleep. I stared over into the piercing dark to see my sister, Janice, sleeping fitfully. I had our window open to let in the cool, caressing air. All of a sudden, I heard what sounded like a bat go, “squeak, squeak.”

Middle

Janice heard it too and with a bloodcurdling scream scuttled wildly from the room. The door slammed shut like a prison door sealing my fate, and I was alone with the bat, my opponent. I stared at the beastly vermin prepared to do battle with my trusty Louisville slugger that I had grabbed from under my bed. However, panic and fear coursed through every fiber of my being causing me to ultimately quake and throw the blanket over my heard and scream for help. Finally, my dad heard me and came running.

example

Middle

example

As the bat flew wildly and haphazardly around my room, my dad snuck up on it with a net. He captured the enemy and then set it free to fight another day.

Step Three- End Your Story

• Feel a feeling – Thinking about that poor bat still makes me sad.

• Remember a character- My dad did his best to protect me.

• Think about the ending/ reflect- Maybe the bat could have been set free.

End

My room was again safe from the creatures that go bump in the night, but I never slept with the window open again.

example

Step Three- edit, revise, and publish

Edit- spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure

Revise- make it better, reword parts, does the story make sense?

Publish- recopy or word process and share!

Final Product Batty Night

One warm, breezy summer night I was trying to get to sleep. I stared over into the piercing darkness to see my sister, Janice, sleeping fitfully. I had our window open to let in the cool, caressing air. All of a sudden, I heard what sounded like a bat go, “Squeak, squeak.”

Janice heard it too and with a bloodcurdling scream scuttled swiftly from the room. The door slammed shut like a prison door sealing my fate, and I was alone with the bat, my opponent. I stared at the beastly vermin prepared to do battle with my trusty Louisville slugger that I had grabbed from under my bed. However, panic and fear coursed through every fiber of my being causing me to ultimately quake and throw the blanket over my heard and screamed, “Somebody, help! Help! Help!” Finally, my dad heard me and came rumbling. He comforted me, “Bethany, I’ll take care of this. Stand back.” As the bat flew wildly and haphazardly around my room, my dad snuck up on it with a net. After several minutes of meandering around the room like to heavy weight boxers my dad captured the enemy and then set it free to fight another day.

My room was again safe from the creatures that go bump in the night, but I never slept with the window open again.

Let’s Practice: Rapid write

• Using the handout provided by your teacher:

1. Pick character

2. Select a setting

3. Choose an event

4. Write a short story using 1-3 make sure to include dialogue using vivid verbs and audacious adjectives

Spice it up with Adjectives

You can use your senses to describe nouns. This helps your reader get a clear picture (imagery) of what you are writing about.

Using clear adjectives/ vivid verbs helps your reader experience what you are writing about.

Adjectives answer WHAT KIND and HOW MANY about nouns.

Spice it up with Adjectives

Issues with Narratives

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• Don’t attempt to use explanatory/expository or argumentative writing structures

• Narratives DO NOT have quotes from the text

Bold Beginnings for Narratives

Bold beginnings get your reader excited about the story you are about to share. Bold beginnings are interesting and fun!

Start with a question:Have you ever been fishing? I have. It all started on a sunny day when...

Start with a description:Wet water splashed as the sun shone down on the two girls in the boat.

Start with a lesson:Never run by a pool. Jack had to learn that the hard way when...<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6OyieD4ffYw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Bold Beginnings for Narratives

Start with a list:Wind, lightning, thunder. Miki and Christina shivered under the coversas the storm raged outside the window. Suddenly...

Start with dialogue:“Look out!” Sam shouted, as his bike began to roll down the hill.

Start with a sound:Pop, pop, pop... do you know what that sound is?

CHARACTERSIt is impossible to have a successful story

without characters• Here is an example of how

central characters are.

Trev has a disgusting habit. He collects cockroaches. He calls them his ‘Pet Dinosaurs’ and he loves them. He stores them in little plastic bottles and feeds them food scraps. Now that wouldn’t be a problem, except for one thing – Trev doesn’t do this in the safety of his own home – he does it at school.

One day, when……

Character development

• Your characters must look and sound ‘real’ or credible

• Characters should move a story along – they need to have a specific role

• Interactions between characters should be believable

• There needs to be a purpose to any character traits given

CHARACTER, SETTING AND PLOT• Telling a story is not something that happens by

accident. Even a true- life story has to be ‘shaped’ with an interesting beginning, a ‘page-turning’ development, and a clear and satisfying ending.

• It is important to bring out character, to sketch in the setting, and to create energy of some kind – whether by structuring the piece around what amounts to a plot or at least adding a strong dramatic element (tension between characters). An interesting tone, like humour or satire, can add flavour.

Compare the two stories that follow. Which one is more effective?

STORY 1 When I was at

school I used to sit at the back of the class. I sat there so I could do stuff. I got away with lots of stuff by sitting at the back of the class where the teacher couldn’t see me properly. I liked to make people laugh when I felt like it. A lot of people did laugh.

STORY 2 The back desk at school was the best. Why?

Because that’s where I could sit and plan my plots of mischief. It was so cool. I remember sitting behind Wayne, this huge kid with a really big head and broad shoulders. He was the best shield a guy like me could have wished for. There was no way the teacher could see past him to me. Perfect. I used to lob water balloons and itchy-itchy balls into the laps of the girls from my desk and they would think it was Wayne! It was a scream to see Wayne look up from his books and just say, ‘What? What did I do?

One day, I…….

Excellent Endings for Narratives

Excellent endings wrap up your story and leave the reader feeling satisfied. Excellent endings are interesting and fun!

End with a question:Do you think you will ever go camping again after reading this tale?

End with a laugh:And just as I went to give my friend a hug, I let out a huge burp! Welaughed and I knew she wasn’t mad at me anymore!

End with a lesson:And now you know why you should never run near a pool!

Excellent Endings for Narratives

End with an open ending... maybe it will happen again...Finally, Jenny caught the last magic bean and shoved it in the box. She smiled and walked away... as one magic bean fell from the box onto the grass below.

End with a surprise...The trap rattled and the kids were sure they had caught the leprechaun. They opened the trap and found a tiny shoe inside.

End with a word of wisdom...I learned that day that I will always love my sister, even when she picks on me... I know she loves me too!

Excellent Endings for Narratives

Look at each story idea below. Under each flap, write an excellent ending that would leave readers satisfied. Remember...you’re not writing the whole story– just an excellent ending! You can end each as a personal OR fictional narrative.

Alliteration for Narrative Writing

Alliteration is the repeating of beginning sounds.

For example...Shiny seashells shimmered on the shore.

Alliteration is a great way to add adjectives and extra details to your writing. Alliterations are fun to read too!

Alliteration for Narrative Writing

Look at each story idea below. In each box, write a line using alliteration that could appear in the narrative to make the story more interesting and descriptive.

Onomatopoeias for Narrative Writing

Onomatopoeias are sound words.

For example...POP! BANG! Meow! Tweet! Swish! Splash! Crunch! Crinkle! Drip!

Onomatopoeias are a fun way to make your writing even more interesting. Sound words help your reader experience your story.

Onomatopoeias for Narrative Writing

Look at each story idea below. In each box, write a line using onomatopoeias that could appear in the narrative to make the story more interesting and descriptive.

Dialogue for Narrative Writing

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Dialogue is conversation between characters.

Writers use dialogue to move a story along andgive a peek into how characters think and feel.

Dialogue is important to a narrative but must be used correctly!

Do not write everything with dialogue... it gets confusing and hard for readers to follow!

Dialogue for Narrative Writing

Mom said, “Go clean up your room!”*When telling who is talking first, use a comma before the dialogue.*Use quotation marks around the words the character says.

“I already cleaned my room,” I yelled.*When telling who is talking after the dialogue, place your comma inside the quotes.

“Don’t argue,” mom said. “Go start cleaning!”*Sometimes the dialogue is in parts. When that happens, end the first part with a comma and start the new part with a capital letter.

Dialogue for Narrative Writing

Look at the conversation below. The dialogue is not written correctly. Under each flap, rewrite the dialogue correctly. Be sure commas and quotation marks are placed correctly!

Similes for Narrative Writing

Similes compare two things using ‘like’ or ‘as’.

Using similes can help your reader understand how one thing is like another.

Sometimes we want our reader to understand something we have experienced.

Using a simile can help them connect our experience to something they are familiar with.

Similes for Narrative Writing

Want to describe a hot day?The sun on my skin felt as hot as coals in a fire.

Want to describe a cold day?The freezing rain was like tiny shards of ice, whipping against my

face.

Similes for Narrative Writing

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Look at each story idea below. In each box, write a line using a simile that could appear in the narrative to make the story more interesting and descriptive.

Metaphors for Narrative Writing

Metaphors compare two things by saying one thing is another. Comparing things this way can help your reader understand your writing.

Metaphors are fun and interesting to write. They can sound beautiful and make your writing interesting and descriptive!

Metaphors for Narrative Writing

Want to describe a hot day?The sun was a furnace, heating all of us until we were sweating and

red faced.

Want to describe a cold day?Each freezing raindrop was a frigid knife. The drops fell on my face,

burning my skin with their cold.

Metaphors for Narrative Writing

On each sticky note, finish the metaphor. Write a metaphor that could appear in a narrative to make the story more interesting and descriptive.

Let’s Practice: What’s the Story

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• Using the handout provided by your teacher1. Look at the image.2. What’s happening?3. Answer the questions (brainstorm)4. Write story to describe the image.5. Use vivid verbs and audacious adjectives. 6. Use dialogue (at least two).

Let’s Go Deeper (Ocean): Week Two of Narrative Writing

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“Oranges” by Gary Soto Culminating Writing Task A Prompt

• Using Gary Soto’s poem, “Oranges,” as the basis for a narrative, transform the poem

into a short story. Use narrative techniques such as dialogue, description, and

reflection to develop the experiences of the characters. Your narrative must include

specific phrases or descriptions from the poem, but should expand the details from

the poem.

Instructions

1. Identify the evidence they will use to outline your story using the chart below. An

example is provided.

2. On loose leaf, record the class heading, assignment title: “Oranges” Narrative. Write

their short story using the images selected.

ER: Narrative Intervention

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• <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DTft-l5LTG4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

• Still having problems with narratives? No problem, I got you covered!

Final Culminating Writing Test: Black BlizzardGrades 6-12, Prompt for Narrative Writing

Common Core Standard W.CCR.3

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• Great historical events often have deep effects upon the people who live through them. Depending on the person and the situation, those effects can be very different.

• You are going to read a short article about the Dust Bowl days in American history titled “Black Blizzard.” You will also look at some photographs taken during that time period. As you read and study the photographs, think about how this experience may have affected the individual people who lived through it.

• Finally, you will write a narrative, showing how a particular small moment during this experience affected (influenced/impacted) one person.

Narrative WritingCommon Core Standard W.CCR.3

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Remember, a good narrative:• Establishes a clear point of view• Focuses closely on one character or characters• Uses strong sensory details to make the character(s) and event

come alive• Uses precise language • May use dialogue and description to capture the character(s) and

event• Concludes effectively

Narrative WritingCommon Core Standard W.CCR.3

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Here are your choices for your narrative:1. A young child watching the “black blizzard” rolling in over the plains2. A young child, watching a tractor knock down his family home in Oklahoma, several years into the Dust Bowl drought3. A mother sitting on her front steps in a migrant camp in California4. An unemployed father, arriving at a squatter camp in California from Oklahoma

• You will have three class periods to complete this reading/thinking/writing task. The narrative will have a single draft, and you may want to take some time to plan your writing before you begin work. When you have finished, be sure to proofread.