Narrative Writing

Definition
Narrative writing can be broadly defined
as story writing that includes a main
character that encounters a problem or
engages in an interesting, significant, or
entertaining activity or experience.
 Definition
What happens to this main character is called the
plot.
The plot has a beginning, middle, and end sequence
that includes a resolution.
As writers develop, the plot will progress into a series of
highly related and connected events that include rising
action and a climax.
 Narrative Writing Purposes
The main purpose of narrative writing is
to entertain an audience
 Narrative Writing Goals
The main goals of a narrative are:
 Tell a sequence of events & scenes
 Develop PLOT
 Develop CHARACTERS
 Narrative Writing Types
There are many variations or genres
under the umbrella of narrative writing.
The main types of a narrative are:
 Fictional (not true)
 Biographical or Autobiographical(true)
 Narrative Writing Types
Autobiographical writing tells a story about an
event or experience in the writer’s own life. It
can be as simple as a description of a recent car
trip or as complex as the entire story of a
person’s life.
 Narrative Writing Types
Folk tales, fairy tales, fables, tall tales,
realistic fiction, fantasy, historical fiction,
science fiction, adventure, and myths and
legends that feature unique characteristics and
patterns are all examples of fictional narrative
writing.
 Personal Narrative
is an interesting story about the writer
is written in the first person (using the pronouns I, me, and my)
has a beginning, a middle, and an end
presents events in a clear order
uses details to help readers see people, places, and events
shows how the writer feels about the experience and why it is
meaningful to him or her
 A Personal Narrative Tells about
A good time
A bad time
An important time
A memorable event
A first time
A last time
 A Personal Narrative Includes
Conflict:
As with any story, your personal narrative must have a
conflict.
Arguably, the most interesting personal narratives have
an external conflict.
It is likely that since your narrative is personal, you will
have an internal conflict as well.
 A Personal Narrative Includes
Characters:
Your narrative must have characters, including you, the
narrator.
Question: Is it okay to have just two characters in your
narrative?
Answer: Yes! As with any other story element, just be sure that your
characters drive your narrative rather than hinder it. (Too many
characters will overwhelm a short piece of writing.)
 A Personal Narrative Includes
Dialogue:
A well-written personal narrative includes meaningful
dialogue.
As the writer, you must ask yourself: when should I
narrate a passage, and when should I allow my
characters to speak?
 A Personal Narrative Includes
Dialogue Example:
“ Hurry or you’ll be late!” called my mother from the
bottom of the stairs. “Today of all days you want to
be on time.” If I had only known what that day would
bring, I would have stayed in bed.
 A Personal Narrative Includes
Sensory Details:
Although you are telling a story, you will still be using
sensory details to paint a mental picture for your readers.
It is important to include specific details.
However, a reader doesn’t need to know every little
thing.
Select details that are important to retelling the story.
 A Personal Narrative Includes
Sensory Details Example:
The sun was warm on my back as I raced toward the waiting
yellow school bus. As I nestled into the worn leather seat, I was
greeted by the friendly voices of other excited children. The
look on my face was one of confidence and contentment. With a
jerk, the bus rumbled down the road, and I was on my way into
one of the worst days of my life.
 A Personal Narrative Includes
Transitions:
As with any strong piece of writing, be sure to
transition between your ideas. Otherwise, the
connection between your ideas will not be clear to
your reader. Transitions also improve the flow of
your narrative.
 A Personal Narrative Includes
Point of View:
A personal narrative is typically told through a 1st-person
point of view.
The narrator has a persona, or a personality or voice,
that is displayed and developed throughout the
narrative. In some ways, you are playing a role in your
own narrative as you tell your story.
 Writing Tips

Write on one experience with a conflict

Ask the 5 W how questions:
Who( characters)
What happened (plot)
Where & When(setting)
How (plot progression and details)
Use lots of dialogue
 Writing Tips

Use rich words.

Remember words such as said, went, and put
are DEAD. Use words that describe the
action.
 NOT

My dad went to work.

BUT

My dad raced to work.

 NOT

Jane said she had a secret.

BUT

Jane whispered to Peter a wonderful secret.

 Wow Words!

Show your reader that you have a high-

quality, first-class, superior, excellent,
exceptional, outstanding, brilliant,
extraordinary vocabulary.
Don’t Use Use These Instead:
acceptable, admirable, commendable, praiseworthy,
good virtuous, accomplished, skilled,

bad Defective, erroneous, inadequate, substandard,

corrupt, vile, distressing, severe, offensive, immoral

thing material object, article, concept, entity, apparatus, device, detail, statement, items.

big considerable, colossal, immense, sizable, vast, eminent, influential, paramount, prime, prominent

small diminutive, immature, minute, slight, negligible, petty, trivial, limited.

important far-reaching, grave, momentous, significant, substantial, prominent, notable

happy content, joyous, jubilant, thrilled, advantageous, favorable, fortunate, exultant

sad sorrowful, cheerless, dismal, gloomy, melancholy, mournful, somber, grievous

 Writing Tips

Use sensory details

Use transitions
Make sure you have a climax
Make sure there is a resolution to the story
 Show, Don’t Tell!

The Show, Don’t Tell method of writing is when

the writer is able to create a picture in the
reader's mind, to get away from the repetition of
such empty words like went, big, or said.
 NOT

Susan exercised.

BUT

Sweat poured from Susan’s forehead as she

continued to do one hundred sit-ups .
 Use Figurative Language

Use a little figurative language to add interest to

your story.
Simile
Metaphor
Alliteration
Onomatopoeia
 Simile
It is comparison between two unlike things that have something in
common using like or as.
Examples:
1. It's been a hard day's night and I've been working like a dog. - The Beatles
2. My heart is like an open highway. - Jon Bon Jovi

3. like two peas in a pod

4. as hungry as a bear
5. as nutty as a fruitcake
6. as quick as lightning
 Metaphor
It is comparison between two unlike things that have
something in common without using like or as.
Examples:
1. Patty was a raging tiger when she lost her lunch money.
2. During the night, the forest was a dark, frightening battlefield.
 Alliteration
It is the repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring
words or syllables
Examples:
down in the dumps
do or die
right as rain
sink or swim
pay the price
back to the basics
green as grass
live the life
 Onomatopoeia
It is the imitation of natural sounds in word form. These words help us form mental
pictures about the things, people, or places that are described
Examples:
buzz
hiss “Buzzzzzz!” The sound of my alarm clock
roar droned in my ears as I struggled to come
woof awake. With a start, I sat straight up in my bed.
bang This was my big day, and I had to be on time.
pop
hiss
sizzle
 Personal Narrative
You may be given a writing test
prompt that asks you to write a
personal narrative. Imagine that you
have been given the prompt below:
 Prompt
Have you ever had a day when you wished you had
stayed in bed? Write a narrative in which you
describe a personal experience that had a strong
impact on you. Use vivid, specific details to portray
the experience and relate its meaning to you.
 Studying the Prompt
Begin by reading the prompt carefully to determine exactly
what you need to do. Look for key words and phrases that relay
the nature of your task.

Spend no more than five minutes studying the prompt. .

 Planning Your Response
To begin planning your personal narrative, you must choose an
experience to write about. The experience that you choose
should:
be meaningful and interesting
NOT be too personal (You should feel comfortable relating the story.)
be full of details that you can readily remember and recount
 Planning Your Response
Make a quick list of the series of events involved in the
experience.
Exclude any events that may confuse readers or that are
unnecessary for your retelling.
Put the events in chronological order, the order in which they
happened.
 Planning Your Writing
Gather descriptive details about your experience. Once
again, exclude unnecessary details. Provide specific
information about:
People: describe words, actions, and appearance
Places: describe time and setting, detailing specific sights, sounds, and
smells
Thoughts: tell specific thoughts that you had during the experience
Feelings: tell the way that you felt during and after the experience
 Planning Your Response
Think about the meaning of the experience. Ask yourself the following questions:

What did I learn from How did the experience

the experience? change me?

What can the

experience teach
readers about life or
the world?
Spend about fifteen minutes planning your response.
 Planning Your Writing/Introduction
Using your notes, begin your draft. In your introduction, grab the
reader’s attention and set the scene. You may want to hint at the
meaning of the experience, but avoid stating the meaning directly. See
the example below:

This sentence hints (foreshadowing)at a reconciliation between the

brothers, but it does not directly state that the brothers reconcile.
 Planning Your Writing/Introduction
You may grab the reader’s attention with an interesting fact.
Example:
Shock has been known to kill ten year olds. It can cause their brains
to explode and their heart to stop dead still. These facts raced through
my mind as I stood dumbfounded in front of my ninth grade classmates.
I wish I had stayed in bed!
 Five Ways to Start the Narrative
Start with a description
Start with a question
Start with an anecdote
Start with a quotation
Start with dialogue
 Planning Your Writing/Body
When writing the body of your narrative, relate the events and
descriptive details. You will usually want to use chronological order.

As you describe the events, be sure to

keep the experience’s meaning in mind.
As your narrative unfolds, readers should
be able to recognize the meaning.
 Planning Your Writing/Body
Be sure your story has paragraphs.
They tell when you're switching time, place, topic or speaker, and they help break the
page up so it is not just a solid block of writing.
There are a few standard times to make a new paragraph:
When you start in on a new topic
When you skip to a new time
When you skip to a new place
When a new person begins to speak
When you want to produce a dramatic effect
 Planning Your Writing/Conclusion
In your conclusion, directly state and explain the meaning of the
experience. For example, you might state:

Rediscovering my friendship with my

brother was well worth losing a Saturday
afternoon in our wreck of a garage.

Spend about twenty minutes writing your draft.

 Improving Your Response
Save at least five or ten minutes for improving your
response. Begin by rereading the prompt to make sure
that your narrative meets all of the requirements.
Revise your narrative to address any issues that you
notice.
 Improving Your Response
Take the time to read through your narrative one more
time before turning it in. A final check can reveal
stubborn errors that managed to slip through your initial
checks. Always remember that quality writing often
requires numerous reviews and revisions.
 I’ve made my plan; now what?

•Brainstorm
•Plan for each paragraph
•First draft – actually get your ideas into paragraphs
•Second draft – improve each paragraph ONE at a time
•Look at each paragraph separately and see how you can expand your ideas and add
details.
•You may want to write each paragraph on a separate piece of paper to leave room for
your changes…
•Revise – add transitions, improve verbs, add adjectives and adverbs, include similes…
•Edit – check spelling, punctuation, sentences…
You may need to write another draft if you’ve made a lot of additions
•Final draft
Rubrics
 Sample (Score 4)
Frustration at the Airport

1 I had never been more anxious in my life. I had just spent the last three
endless hours trying to get to the airport so that I could travel home. Now, as I
watched the bus driver set my luggage on the airport sidewalk, I realized that my
frustration had only just begun.
2 This was my first visit to the international terminal of the airport, and
nothing was familiar. I could not make sense of any of the signs. Where was the
check-in counter? Where should I take my luggage? I had no idea where the
immigration line was. I began to panic. What time was it? Where was my plane?
I had to find help because I could not be late!
3 I tried to ask a passing businessman for help, but my words all came out
wrong. He just scowled and walked away. What had happened? I had been in this
country for a whole semester, and I could not even remember how to ask for
directions. This was awful! Another bus arrived at the terminal, and the
passengers came out carrying all sorts of luggage. Here was my chance! I could
follow them to the right place, and I would not have to say a word.
4 I dragged my enormous suitcase behind me and followed the group. We
finally reached the elevators. Oh, no! They all fit in it, but there was not enough
room for me. I watched in despair as the elevator doors closed. I had no idea
what to do next. I got on the elevator when it returned and gazed at all the
buttons. Which one could it be? I pressed button 3. The elevator slowly climbed
up to the third floor and jerked to a stop. A high, squeaking noise announced the
opening of the doors, and I looked around timidly.
5 Tears formed in my eyes as I saw the deserted lobby and realized that I would
miss my plane. Just then an elderly airport employee shuffled around the corner.
He saw that I was lost and asked if he could help. He gave me his handkerchief
to dry my eyes as I related my predicament. He smiled kindly, and led me down
a long hallway. We walked up some stairs, turned a corner, and, at last, there was
customs! He led me past all the lines of people and pushed my luggage to the
inspection counter.
6 When I turned to thank him for all his help, he was gone. I will never know
that kind man’s name, but I will always remember his unexpected courtesy. He
helped me when I needed it the most. I can only hope that one day I will be able
to do the same for another traveler who is suffering through a terrible journey
 Happy
writing!