resources for narrative writing.doc

8/11/2019 Resources for narrative writing.doc

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Resources: Ten Narrative Writing Prompts

Being Unprepared. Because you have been sick, out of ton, busy at ork, ororking on other homeork, you didn!t have as much time to study for animportant test as you needed. "veryone going to schoo# has been in thissituation. Think of a speci$c test that you took that you fe#t unprepared for and

narrate the events. Te## your readers about the preparation that you ere ab#e todo, the reasons that you didn!t get to prepare as e## as you anted, taking thetest, and any signi$cant events that happened after you took the test. %our papershou#d he#p readers understand hat it fe#t #ike to be unprepared.&ightbu#b 'oment. Think of an e(perience hen you rea#i)ed that you sudden#yunderstood an idea, a ski##, or a concept you had been strugg#ing ith**it mightbe something re#ated to a c#ass that you took or a speci$c ath#etic ski## you eretrying to perfect. +or instance, you might think about trying to understand ho toidentify iambic pentameter in a poem or ho to comp#ete a Tay#or eries prob#emin your -a#cu#us c#ass. r you might consider trying to perfect your free throsand sudden#y understanding ho your fo##o*through as a/ecting your success.Write a narrative that te##s the story of your movement toard understanding.0o did you $na##y come to understand1 What changed your perceptions and

gave you a ne understanding1 %our paper shou#d he#p readers understand hoyou fe#t to strugg#e ith the idea or ski## and then to understand.-hi#dhood "vent. -hoose a vivid time from your chi#dhood**%ou might think of the$rst time that you rode a schoo# bus, of a time hen you ent to the principa#!so2ce, the $rst 3 you earned on a test or paper, earning money to buy somethingthat you rea##y anted, and so on. Narrate the events re#ated to the chi#dhoodmemory that you!ve chosen so that your readers i## understand hy the eventas important and memorab#e.3chieving a 4oa#. Think of a time hen you achieved a persona# goa#**you mighthave $na##y comp#eted a marathon or triath#on, or you might have bettered yourscore on the 3Ts or another test, or you might have #earned ho to use a pieceof softare #ike 'icrosoft Word or "(ce#. Te## your readers about the story of hoyou met your goa#. Be sure that your readers understand hy the goa# isimportant to you.The 4ood and the Bad. Think about an event in your #ife that seemed bad butturned out to be good. 'aybe you got in5ured and hi#e you ere aiting for yourbroken #eg to hea#, you #earned ho to use a computer. What makes the eventchange from bad to good may be something that you #earned as a resu#t,something that you did di/erent#y as a resu#t, or something that happened thatou#dn!t have occurred otherise. Te## the story of the event that youe(perienced and he#p your readers understand ho an event that seemednegative turned out to have va#uab#e conse6uences.Being a Teacher. Teaching someone e#se ho to do something can be rearding.Think of a ski## that you!ve taught someone e#se ho to do. Perhaps you taughtsomeone e#se ho to sim, shoed someone ho to bake a sou78, or he#ped

someone #earn ho to study more e/ective#y. Think about the events that madeup the process of teaching the ski##, and narrate the story for your readers.-hanging P#aces. "very p#ace has things that change**sometimes as the resu#t ofeconomics, sometimes because di/erent peop#e are invo#ved, and sometimes forno c#ear reason that you kno about. Think of a change to a p#ace that you knoe##. Perhaps the #oca# grocery store you gre up ith as mith and Bros.4rocery as bought out by a regiona# chain #ike +ood &ion or Winn 9i(ie. 'aybethe +irst Nationa# Bank of mithburg sudden#y becomes NationsBank. Perhaps thechange as more persona#**an o#der sib#ing moves out of the house and yourfami#y changes the room to a guest room or an o2ce. Think of a speci$c changeand narrate the events that occurred. Readers shou#d kno the detai#s of thechange, and they shou#d kno ho you fee# about the changes that occurred.Persona# Ritua#s. 9escribe a persona# ritua# that you, your friends, or your fami#y

have. Think about the persona# steps that you a#ays go through hen youprepare for an e(am. 9o you sit at a desk, spread books and notes across yourbed, or use the kitchen tab#e1 9o you have to have something to drink...soda,


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ater, 5o#t1 There are numerous things that e do for hich e create our onpersona# ritua#s. -hoose one event**studying for a test, riting a paper, dressingand arming up before a game, or preparing and having a specia# fami#y mea#.Narrate the events that take p#ace hen you comp#ete your ritua# so that yourreaders understand the steps that the ritua# inc#udes and hy you comp#etethem.

tanding Up. -hoose a time hen you did something that took a #ot of nerve, atime hen you didn!t fo##o the crod or a time hen you stood up for yourbe#iefs. Perhaps your friends ere urging you to do something that you ereuncomfortab#e ith and you chose not to cave into peer pressure. 'aybe youtook a stance on a po#itica# issue that as important in your community, or youmight have Whatever you choose, think about the detai#s of the event and ritea story that te##s about hat happened. %our narrative shou#d sho your readershy you decided to make a stand or try something that took nerve, give speci$cson the events, and share ho you fe#t after the event.9isagreeing. Think of a time hen you disagreed ith a decision that had beenmade and did something about it. The decision might have been made bysomeone you kno persona##y**your Bio#ogy teacher announced a ne po#icy tograde for spe##ing and grammar on your 6ui))es and homeork, or an o#der

fami#y member decides to cance# a subscription to a maga)ine that you #iked toread. %ou might have responded by discussing your concerns ith your principa#or dean, or you might have decided to get a part*time 5ob to earn enough moneyto buy the maga)ine yourse#f. r the decision cou#d have been made by someoneyou never met**perhaps your schoo# board decided to change the #ines in yourschoo# district so that you ou#d have to go to a di/erent schoo#, or your state#egis#ature has passed a bi## that you disagreed ith. %our response might havebeen to rite a #etter to the editor, to your state representative, or to the schoo#board. Whatever happened, your 5ob is to rite a paper that narrates the eventsthat occurred**from the decision that as made to your response. Be sure thatyour paper gives enough detai#s that your readers understand hy you disagreedith the decision and hy you fe#t that your response as appropriate.

N3RR3T;" T"-0N0e?s drunk no,> he said. @ith 6uotation marks andreporting c#auseA>0e?s drunk every night.> @ithout reporting c#auseA>What did he ant to ki## himse#f for1>>0o shou#d kno.>= 9irect peech @ the norm for the presentation of speechA0e said, >?## come back here to see you again tomorro.>= +ree ndirect peechC. 0e ou#d return there to see her again the fo##oing day.

D. tried to make the intervie as brief as as consistent ith neitherhurting his fee#ings nor arousing his doubts. %es, ou#d devote a## my#ife to the chi#d?s e#fare.E. 0ere, he heard a vio#ent uproar be#o stairs, and soon after a fema#e voicebegged him for heaven?s sake to come and prevent murder.= ndirect peechC. 0e said that he ou#d return there to see her the fo##oing day.D. Parents asked me hy hadn?t considered homeork.= Narrative Report of peech 3ctsC. 0e promised to visit her again.D. Peter promised to return as soon as possib#e.

B. PR""NT3TN + T0U40T stream of consciousness riting @>Beusstseinsstrom>Aaim: author a##os the reader to see things from a character?s point of vie


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= +ree 9irect ThoughtC. 9oes she sti## #ove me1D. 0er ear too is a she##, the peeping #obe there. Been to the seaside. &ove#yseaside gir#s. kin tanned ra. hou#d have put on co#dcream $rst make itbron. Buttered toast. and that #otion mustn?t forget.= 9irect Thought

C. 0e ondered, >9oes she sti## #ove me1>D. 0e asked himse#f hat is a oman standing on the stairs in the shado,#istening to distant music, a symbo# of1= +ree ndirect ThoughtC. 9id she sti## #ove him1D. he had consented to go aay, to #eave her home. Was that ise1 ... nher home anyay she had she#ter and food ...E. 0e picked up the dagger and dre the beautifu# thing #ight#y through his$ngers. t as sharp, po#ished, dangerous, marve##ous#y integrated andseet#y proportioned.F. Three years. &ong in the aggregate, though short as they ent by. 3ndhome as very dear to me, and 3gnes too * but she as not mine * sheas never to be mine. he might have been, but that as past.

= ndirect Thought @ the norm for the presentation of thoughtA0e ondered if she sti## #oved him.= Narrative Report of a Thought 3ctC. 0e ondered about her #ove for him.D. he tried to eigh each side of the 6uestion.

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG..

+#ashbackn 3rthur 'i##er!s >9eath of a a#esman,> the main character 5umps back and forthbeteen events in the past and present to te## his story. Writers use the Hashbacktechni6ue to provide background information about a narrative. -haracters in astory can Hash back in time using a variety of methods such as dream se6uencesand rete##ing of memories. The DIIJ version of the movie >Titanic> begins ith aHash back as the main character Rose reca##s her time aboard the i##*fated ship.+#ashbacks interrupt a narrative!s #inear time Ho. They are a usefu# storyte##ingtechni6ue hen imp#emented in a comprehensib#e fashion.

+oreshadoingUsing the foreshadoing techni6ue, a riter can give readers c#ues about eventsto come. These c#ues may be obvious or subt#e. Narrative riters foreshadofuture events using #iterary devices, such as dia#og and symbo#s. +or instance, astory might begin ith a boy rescuing a oman. The riter may may portray himas a man ho #ater orks as a po#ice o2cer. The >rescue> event foreshadoedhis future occupation. 'oviegoers often see this techni6ue in mystery $#ms

here a camera #ingers brieHy over an ob5ect that has signi$cance #ater in thestory. Writers must consider their target audience hen using foreshadoing. 3nadu#t narrative, for e(amp#e, might contain subt#e symbo#ic c#ues that youngerreaders might not catch.

Third Person mniscientWriters create stories using $rst*, second* or third*person points of vie. Whente##ing a story, using a third person omniscient point of vie, riters te## a storyithout the use of an e(p#icit narrator. The omniscient voice is cast as aare ofeverything that is happening and can describe any scene at any #ocation andkno hat characters are thinking. 3 narrator using a third*person omniscientpoint of vie a#so communicates direct#y ith readers. +or instance, the narratormay sudden#y say, >!m sure you have e(perienced such an incident.> This pu##s

the reader into the story by avoiding the intervention of the narratoria# voice.

9ua# Narrative


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Writers using the dua# narrative techni6ue te## stories using to perspectives.This is an e/ective ay to give readers detai#s about an event, character orscene. +or instance, a $re$ghter in a story may speak of his e(perience in aburning bui#ding. 3nother character itnessing the event might ne(t provideadditiona# detai#s about the scene. This techni6ue a##os readers to gain a #argerperspective of the ho#e event. -rime riters often using dua# narratives to give

readers g#impses of intense action on one hand and a character!s persona#reHection on the other.

Part To: The Basics

4enre 'ang#ingometimes, riters get a great story idea that fa##s outside their area ofkno#edge. t is a serious mistake for an author not to #earn more about thegenre before riting for it. When an author is unfami#iar ith the genre, it is very#ike#y that he or she i## not use the accepted #anguage or sty#e of the genre.3 riter ho attempts science $ction ithout knoing the science had better bevery c#ever about getting around it to survive. 3 crime riter needs to kno #ega#terms and procedures, crimina# science, behaviour science and a## sorts of

5urisdictiona# detai#s. 3n author of chi#drenKs books shou#d have someunderstanding of hat appea#s to chi#dren, as e## as hat the industrystandards are for format, #ength and artork.Read up on the genre or $nd books in the genre to #earn the sty#e and #anguage.

Rea#ity -heckResearch is vita#. 3 riter #oses credibi#ity hen the facts are rong. The readerdepends on the author to estab#ish the rea#ity and stick to it throughout thestory, especia##y in niche genres #ike fantasy, horror, history and science*$ction. fone estab#ishes that b#ue #ights make human Hesh me#t, then that is the rea#ity ofthat story*or#d. t must not change un#ess the author c#ari$es that there arespecia# circumstances. +or e(amp#e, b#ue #ights make human Hesh me#t, e(cepthen the humans are earing a magica# amu#et. n such a case, a ne #a isestab#ished that must a#so be adhered to in the story.The movie, Time#ine demonstrates this onderfu##y. The rea#ity as set to matchcurrent day #as of physics as e kno them. 3n e(ception is made byintroducing time trave#. This e(ception to the rea#ity is e(p#ained @a ormho#ethat connects present day to a speci$c era and #ocation in the pastA. tsmechanics @the time machine and the pendants needed to reca## the trave##ersAbecome #a for the story. The characters must abide by the ru#es: No one canmove back in time ithout the machineKs connection to the ormho#e and thetrave##ers cannot return to present day ithout the pendants.+or history nove#s, this means knoing the era of the story e(p#icit#y. 3 historica#riter i## be comp#ete#y discredited if a hoit)er shos up in feuda# Lapan. fcourse, that is an e(aggerated e(amp#e. 3 shuriken @throing starA in the hands

of a samurai is 5ust as big of an error to a reader ho knos that a samurai ou#dnever dishonour himse#f by using one.

Meeping t traight

ne ay to keep a## the facts straight is to create a story bib#e. This is a book ordocument that contains a riterKs story out#ine, research, descriptions, specia#ords or phrases, re#igious andor po#itica# e#ements, customs, time#ines, specia#dates, genea#ogy, #ocations and even pictures. "ssentia##y, everything that theauthor needs to kno about the or#d, era and peop#e he or she is ritingabout. +or fantasy riters, this ou#d inc#ude descriptions of races, eaponsand armour, and the magic system @if anyA. cience $ction riters ou#d inc#udedescriptions of the science that makes their rea#ity function. 'ystery ritersmay keep a bib#e of poisons and their e/ects. 3 story bib#e is the authorKs best

friend.
http://iamrosa.hubpages.com/hub/Golden-Rules-of-Writing-2http://iamrosa.hubpages.com/hub/Golden-Rules-of-Writing-2


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0itting too -#ose to 0ome+iction readers are #ooking for an escape from the orries and troub#es of their#ives. They often donKt ant to be confronted ith Orea#ity in their readingmateria#.Readers can be turned o/ by topics that are too simi#ar to the every day horrorsthey face in the rea# or#d. ne of the reasons that tephen Ming, 3nne Rice and-#ive Barker do so e## is that the nightmare things they rite about arenKt rea#*#ife prob#ems for their audience.3 good riter takes the reader outside of rea#ity. The characterKs troub#es arethings the reader doesnKt have to orry about facing in every day #ife. This isay, the reader is a##oed to fee# emotions they ou#d norma##y avoid @sadness,fear, anger, etc.A. This Oemotiona# therapy he#ps the reader better confront theiron rea#ity. t a#so bui#ds a bond beteen reader and author that i## bring thereader back for more.Nes artic#es, informationa# re#eases and non*$ction dea# ith rea#*#ife issues thatare important to the reader. That is their ho#e purpose. They i## be betterreceived if ritten constructive#y ith optimism. "ven hen the topic is upsetting

or b#eak, it is vita# to give the reader a sense that the prob#ems can be overcome./er a#ternative opinion or options. "(p#ore possib#e so#utions that are avai#ab#eor being investigated. When a reader is given a sense of hope, 5ustice or re#ief,they i## keep coming back for that authorKs vies and thoughts on other topics.

The 4o#den Ru#es of Writing: -rafting a Re#atab#e -haracter

Re#atab#e -haractersn the rea# or#d, peop#e donKt ant to spend time ith those they dis#ike orcannot re#ate to. The same is true for characters in a story. 3 storyKs maincharacter, the protagonist, may have some bad habits or traits that the readermay not appreciate, but he or she sti## needs to be re#atab#e. There must be someredeeming 6ua#ity or #ikeabi#ity to make the reader ant to take this 5ourney ith

the character.

-haracters ith ubstancen acting, they say, OThere are no sma## ro#es, 5ust sma## actors. This means, nomatter ho insigni$cant a character may seem due to #ack of #ines or stage time,a## the characters have importance. therise, they ou#dnKt be in the sho. fyouKve ever atched a movie here someone in the background as Oo/ or ap#ay here the si#ent character is staring into space hi#e the other actors arede#ivering the scene, you kno ho important even one Osma## ro#e is to theho#e scene.tKs the same in riting. 3 good author doesnKt put in characters ithout apurpose. "ven if theyKre on#y mentioned once in the ho#e book, that character ispart of the overa## tapestry that is being oven. Whi#e the author may not create

an entire back*story for the more incidenta# characters, it is a good idea to havea so#id grasp of each. 0air co#or, height, eight, dress sty#e and mannerismsQthese things make a character more rea# to both the riter and the reader.Ways to Hesh out characters i## be covered in more detai# in a separate artic#e.

Pardon 'y 0Kack*ent3ccents can be tricky. Whi#e the author ants to give a good Havour to his or herriting, ritten accents 6uick#y become tiresome, especia##y ones that make itnecessary for the reader to Otrans#ate hatKs being said. Too much of: Oe u) a*goinK ta de market, sar and the reader is going to start skipping that characterKsdia#ogue or simp#y stop reading a#together.f a character has an accent, consider a#ternatives to riting their dia#ogue as itsounds. Perhaps #ighten up the accent or rite the dia#ogue ithout it andmention it in the narrative:


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O donKt kno hat you mean, sir, the gent rep#ied, s#urring the #ast ord in aouthern dra#.

3 Word 3bout the +*ordUn#ess your target audience is that sma## niche here profanity is comp#ete#y

acceptab#e, never use o/ensive #anguage in a narrative. When used sparing#y,profanity can sometimes be used in dia#ogue to give emphasis and estab#ish afee#ing of the character. 0oever, this is de$nite#y here the riter must knohis or her audience. -haracters ho sear in materia# geared toard -hristiansor youth ou#d de$nite#y turn o/ the readers @and their parentsA.There are ays of conveying the idea of searing and even inc#uding crass orpotty*mouthed characters ithout using actua# profanity. 4enera##y, itKs enoughto simp#y a##ude to it and a##o the reader to $## in the b#anks:

Penny spat out a fe choice cuss ords. O hate it hen that happensSrWith a stream of profanity, Losh e(p#ained that they ere trapped on the is#and.9epending on the tone of the story and the audience, the author can even get

aay ith a bit of fun Oa#most said it moments to tease the reader:O0o about you te## me a story1 she ventured.O0o about you read one to me1 he returned.O0o about shove this book up your O%ouKve made your point, thank you.&ike everything e#se, #ess is more. Too much profanity #oses its e/ectiveness andcan even resu#t in a negative response from the reader. The riter needs to $nd aba#ance that i## sit e## ith the target audience. -are to guess ho many timestephen Ming uses profanity in one of his )i##ion*page epics1 Lust enough not toa#ienate his audience.

VtKs Not What %ou ay G0o a riter says things ith ords has a big impact on ho appea#ing theirmateria# i## be. Whi#e itKs nice to get a fee# for the environment and characters,an author can go overboard ith descriptive. nstead of spending a paragraphdescribing the shade, te(ture and origin of a tab#e, a simp#e description such asOhoney*co#oured ood ith beve##ed edges i## often su2ce. Meep descriptionssimp#e un#ess itKs important for the reader to kno a #ot about the item, personor environment. 3fter a##, some things are better #eft to the readerKs imagination.n an e/ort to Okeep it rea# ne riters often make the mistake of ramb#ing onafter making their point, using too many ords to say something or riting theay he or she ou#d speak. These habits can serious#y hurt a narrative. Writingneeds to Ho smooth#y and convey ideas smooth#y.o, she goes don to the market to get some of that stinky cheese. he anted

to make that fancy ta#ian pasta dish for her ne beau. ee1Whi#e the above is perfect#y acceptab#e as part of a characterKs dia#ogue, a storynarrative ith such a tone and Havour ou#d 6uick#y #ose its nove#ty.

ho, 9onKt Te##ne of the most important ski##s a riter must have is the abi#ity to sho thereader hat is happening or ho the characters are fee#ing ithout actua##yte##ing them. ThereKs a big di/erence beteen the e/ectiveness of:The shado scared 0annah so much that she near#y peed her pants.

3 shiver raced across 0annahKs seat*covered spine. 0er breath came in 6uickgasps as she kept her eyes on the shado. 0er b#adder convu#sed and she

c#enched her musc#es tighter to keep contro#.


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To keep readers engaged, it is vita# to paint a picture ith descriptions andreactions instead of p#ying them ith Hat statements. 3 riter can create a betterrea#ity for the reader by saying:Robert g#anced behind as his hand beat a staccato rhythm against his #eg.instead of:Robert as nervous.

ho the reader hat the characterKs fear @grief, 5oy, etc.A #ooks #ike throughaction.

No matter hat kind of riting a person is doing, there is one ma5or ru#e that a##riters must fo##o: Mno %our 3udience. s the materia# aimed at ado#escentgir#s1 tressed managers1 n6uisitive DI*something men1 nfants #earning toread1 tay*at*home mothers1 3 riter ho doesnKt kno their audience i## #ike#ymiss the target.Mnoing the target audience is vita# to the marketing of a riterKs ork, but it is5ust as essentia# to the crafting of it. magine picking up a book on dating after adivorce to $nd that it is ritten at a grade to #eve#, uses high schoo# s#ang or dryscienti$c termino#ogy. That book ou#d not be very successfu#.

Readers ant things ritten in a ay that they can understand and re#ate to,i##ustrated by the great popu#arity of the O9ummies books hich takecomp#icated topics and e(p#ain them in simp#e terms that the average personcan understand. This app#ies to a## formats of riting, hether nove#s,screenp#ays, artic#es, poems, short stories or stage p#ays.To keep an audience, the riter must make sure he or she knos ho theintended audience is for the pro5ect and structure their riting according#y.Whether riting $ction, opinion or rea# #ife, a riter is creating a space here thereader can enter to #earn, emote, imagine and be free from their on troub#esand rea#ity. n a #arge part, the environment that a riter creates determines ifthe reader stays unti# the end, returns for another story or even invites others toshare the e(perience.WeKve a## come across a book that e ere e(cited read on#y to #ose interest part

ay through. Why does this happen and ho can a riter avoid it1 There are anumber of reasons hy this may happen. ome are simp#e mistakes that can beeasi#y corrected. thers may re6uire further research and study beforemastering. This cannot be avoided if one is to become a competent ordsmith,but the resu#ts are e## orth the e/ort.

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