A refresher course on

NARRATIVE
CONVENTIONS
Year 8 English
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of the presentation, students should be able to do the following:

Provide a clear definition for each of the six main types of narrative
conventions.

Identify some of the main elements or parts of each narrative

convention.

Demonstrate their understadning of each convention through a

creative or analytical exercise.
 CHARACTER SETTING POINT OF VIEW

Who the story is about Where the story takes place Who is telling the story

NARRATIVE CONVENTIONS
Narrative conventions are the tools a writer uses when creating a story. These tools ensure that it can be understood,
visualised, and enjoyed by the reader. They include:

PLOT THEME STYLE

What happens in the story The message of the story The choice of words in the story
CHARACTER
 CHARACTER
Characterization is the means by which writers construct, present and reveal characters. This affects how we will react or respond to
a character. Characters can perform any of the following roles:

PROTAGONIST ANTAGONIST SUPPORTING MINOR CHARACTERS

CHARACTERS

The main character who
faces the main conflict,
develops strengths or learns
lessons.
Any character who creates
opposition for the
protagonist.
May support the protagonist
in times of trouble or
support the antagonist in
creating conflict.
Not developed in much
detail but serve a purpose,
potentially to provide
catalysts for change or to
present contrast.
CONSTRUCTING SPEECH
What they say and how they say it

CHARACTERS THOUGHTS
Characters can be constructed through the following: What they think about

APPEARANCE
How they look and what they wear

ACTIONS
The things they do and how they behave

OTHERS
How other characters feel about them
OTHER INFO
When analysing characters, remember:

• They often represent things about human beings that the author has observed. Look out for what
the author might be exploring about human behaviour.

• They are not real. Discuss how they have been constructed, rather than write about them as
though they are real people.

• The protagonist isn't going to be perfect or likeable. They should represent the flaws and
weaknesses of everyday people.

• As the protagonist develops, the reader learns about conflict resolution

 STEP 1:

Let's create an original character.

Consider their gender, age, appearance, personality traits, hobbies and

interests. Also consider their speech and behaviours.

Choose an archetype from the following if you’re stuck – a mother, a surfer,

ACTIVITY an artist, a farmer, a ballerina or a businessman.

STEP 2:

Next, share and discuss with a partner how your characters would interact
with each other.
SETTING
 SETTING
Setting includes the time, place and atmosphere or mood created in the narrative. Setting relies heavily on descriptive language and
connotation (the ideas and feelings associated with particular words). When analysing setting, consider the following:

TIME PLACE ATMOSPHERE

The time of day or year in which the
story is set. Consider the associations
we have with particular times of day,
seasons, months and historical eras.
The room, building, town, state or
country in which the story is set.
Consider the associations of particular
places e.g. indoor, outdoor, rural, urban,
beaches, school, mountains etc.
Mood and atmosphere are created
through particular word choices,
descriptive language and structural
features.
 WAYS TO CONVEY SETTING
The gruesome murder had made the front page news in
Direct mention of DATES
1998.

She looked at the clock. "It's nearly ten," she said to her
Direct mention of TIMES
uncle.

It seemed that the whole of London was covered in thick

Direct mention of SPECIFIC PLACES
fog.

He slid from the saddle of his horse as it pulled up at the

Clues about HISTORICAL ERAS
entrance to the castle.

Thelma's garden had a winding pebble path that led

Description of FICTIONAL LOCATIONS
straight into the Forbidden Forest.
OTHER INFO
When analysing settings, remember:

• Settings are described to help engage the reader's five senses.

• Look at how the weather contributes to the mood of the setting or the emotions of the
characters e.g. rain for sadness or sunshine for joy.

• Look for big places (like towns) and small places (like rooms).

• We don't always need to know when the story is set, particularly when the author intends the
story to be read at any time so that it has universal meaning.
 Select three ways settings can be communicated and create your own
sentence that could be part of a story for each.

• Direct mention of DATE

• Direct mention of TIME

ACTIVITY • Clues about HISTORICAL ERAS or LOCATION

• Direct mention of SPECIFIC PLACE

• Direct description of FICTIONAL LOCATION

• Weaving details about times and places into the character's ACTIONS
POINT OF VIEW
 POINT OF VIEW
Point of view establishes the distance between the reader and the characters in the story and offers them a lens by which to view the
events of the story. It is sometimes called the narrative viewpoint or narrative perspective. There are four main points of view.

FIRST PERSON SECOND PERSON THIRD PERSON THIRD PERSON

LIMITED OMNISCIENT

I, me, my, we, our You, your They, them, their, his, They, them, their, his,
hers, he, she hers, he, she

1 2 3 4

LIM OMN
 1 FIRST PERSON
POINT OF VIEW
It presents the events from the perspective of one character and privileges their
viewpoint over others.

The narrator is an eyewitness to the events making readers feel as if they are
there.
The narrator is usually the
protagonist but can be It personalises the story and brings the reader closer to the character.
another character.
The narrator cannot know everything about the other characters and can really
only know his or her own mind.
 2 SECOND PERSON
POINT OF VIEW
It is an unusual form of storytelling that is not used very often.

It addresses the reader directly and the reader becomes a character in the story.
This draws the reader into the action.

The narrator is an observer or You sometimes see this technique used with ‘choose your own adventure’
participant in the story. novels.

It is very difficult to keep writing in this way throughout an entire story.

 OMNISCIENT

The narrator knows all and sees all. Lots

of information provided about all
characters’ feelings, desires and
motivations.
THIRD PERSON POINT
OF VIEW
3 The reader can receive a lot of information about all characters and their
thoughts and feelings.

They come to understand multiple viewpoints to give them a better

understanding of the world of the text.

LIMITED It creates distance between the reader and the narrator.

The style might sound more detached/objective so the reader isn't involved
The narrator focuses on the thoughts
with any particular character more than others.
and feelings of one character. Their
perspective is privileged over others.
OTHER INFO
When analysing point of view, remember:

• The narrator is not the author. A writer can adopt a certain voice or persona when telling the
story.

• Second person P.O.V is rarely used apart from 'choose your own adventure' stories.

• Some stories have more than one narrator for creative effect.

• Some first person narrators tell their own story in a way we call 'unreliable', which means they
may say things that are untrue or biased because they do not know the whole truth. This can
make a story engaging.
 Read each sentence identifying which P.O.V is being used:

• Jane was looking forward to her upcoming vacation, but her boss was
concerned about some deadlines.

• She heard a loud crash in the middle of the night. She was scared as she
didn't know what she should do next.

ACTIVITY
• We love walking the dogs in the woods. We all think it's great fun.

• Amy was looking forward to a girls' night out, but her friends were
secretly hoping that it would get cancelled.

• I always look forward to my summer vacation at the beach. I like to

collect seashells and swim in the ocean.

• To make a great chilli, you must season it early and often.

PLOT
 PLOT
The plot is the sequence of events and the organisation of these elements so that they generate interest, suspense and surprise for the
reader. The plot of a narrative usually follows this basic structure.

CLIMAX

RISING ACTION FALLING ACTION

RESOLUTION

EXPOSITION
 PLOT STRUCTURE

EXPOSITION RISING ACTION CLIMAX FALLING RESOLUTION

ACTION
The reader learns The protagonist This is the highest These are the actions The final outcome of
background faces one or more point of tension. It that help to unravel, the conflict, whether
information needed challenges or could range from a solve or deal with the it is resolved or
to understand the complications. The 'life or death' problem that leads us unresolved. The
story. Setting is issue begins to situation to a tense towards the tension is broken and
established, worsen and these emotional moment. resolution. It can the reader feels a
characters are problems start to The reader realises sometimes involve a sense of closure
introduced and a move the plot who or what is going surprise twist. although the story
conflict is introduced towards the climax, to suceed in winning may not always end
or hinted towards. creating suspense. the conflict. positively.
 TYPES OF CONFLICT
The main plot of the story revolves around a conflict that the protagonist must face. The most common conflict types include:

PERSON VS SOCIETY
PERSON VS PERSON
A character's beliefs and desires differ from the
A character faces a problem with another
‘norm’ or they aren’t accepted into society for
character
one reason or another.

PERSON VS ENVIRONMENT
PERSON VS SELF
A character faces threats to their survival or
A character faces an internal struggle within safety within the natural environment.
themselves.
OTHER INFO
When analysing plot structure, remember:

• There are other common structural features in stories including foreshadowing, flashbacks or
flash forwards, withholding and surprise revelations.

• Readers can learn about life through characters' struggles and experiences.

• Readers enjoy experiencing the tension and suspense of stories, as well as the sense of relief
when the tension is broken.

• The exposition is usually about one quarter of the story and the climax usually takes place about
three quarters into the story.

• It's usually through the conflict and resolution that we identify the theme or message of the story.
 Come up with a scenario or a story idea for each of the following conflict
types:

• Character vs character

ACTIVITY • Character vs self

• Character vs society

• Character vs nature/environment
THEME
 THEME
A theme is the central idea of a text. Sometimes it can be stated as a moral or a message. Themes explore human
experiences and focus on important things in our world.

Writers communicate their thoughts about things they find interesting or concerning through the experience of the
protagonist and the challenges or conflicts they face. Most stories have multiple themes and we usually state them as
ideas.
 WRITING THEME STATEMENTS
Themes are written as statements rather than a single word. Use a keyword to help you build a phrase. It does not need to identify
any specifics from the story but rather, the broader idea. For example:

MONEY Money can’t buy happines

FREEDOM It is better to die free than to live under tyranny

You shouldn't judge people based on appearances.

JUDGEMENT

CHANGE Coping with change can be difficult.

OTHER INFO
When analysing themes, remember:

• The reader doesn't have to agree with the theme.

• A theme is not explicitly written or told to the reader, but rather implied in the storyline.

• Stories can have multiple themes.

• Themes are written as statements and not a single word. Use the keyword to help you build a
sentence.

• Do not include specific details from the story (such as a character's name).
 Try to write a theme statement for each of the following themes. Think
about texts you've read or watched and state the topic as an idea, moral or
message.

• Love

• Friendship

ACTIVITY • Bravery

• War

• Truth

• Family
STYLE
 STYLE
Style refers to the selection of language and structural features the writer employs to help tell their story. These choices help set the
mood and atmosphere, create imagery, convey ideas and engage the reader, positioning their response to the story. Stylistic elements
might include:

DICTION POINT OF VIEW

SYNTAX PUNCTUATION

LANGUAGE FEATURES STRUCTURAL FEATURES

 DICTION
Diction refers to word choice. We can also call it 'vocabulary' or 'lexical choice'. Discussing diction means identifying word class
and connotation and considering how these create meaning.

Words are divided into classes or groups depending on their function. When discussing descriptive writing, we might focus on the
three main types of words - nouns, verbs and adjectives. After identifying specific words, we then need to consider their meaning:
denotation and connotation.

DENOTATION CONNOTATION
Refers to the literal definition of a word – the Refers to the ideas or feelings associated with
concept to which it refers (or the ‘dictionary’ a word. These might go beyond the literal
definition of a word). definition.

For example, the words ‘house’ and ‘home’ have the same denotation but the word ‘house' seems more neutral, whereas the word
'home’ has more emotional connotations. It evokes feelings of warmth and safety and suggests ideas of family and belonging.
 SYNTAX
Syntax refers to the ordering or arrangement of words in a sentence. It includes the structure of sentences, their lengths, and various
arrangements of these through repetition and patterning. Syntax must be analysed as to how it produces or enhances meaning. We do
this by considering the following:

SENTENCE SENTENCE SENTENCE BEGININGS OR ARRANGEMENT

TYPES BY TYPES BY LENGTH ENDS OF IDEAS
FUNCTION STRUCTURE
E.g. declarative, E.g. simple, E.g. telegraphic (less Any patterns? E.g. parallel
interrogative, compound, complex, than 5 words) short E.g. anaphora, structure, antithesis,
exclamatory or compound-complex (5-10 words), epiphora tricolon, tetracolon,
imperative medium (15-20 inverted order
words) or long (30+
words)
DESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE & IMAGERY
VISUAL
Descriptive language that calls upon our sense of
sight. E.g. The shimmering sun bounced waves of
light off the ocean.
AURAL
Descriptive language that calls upon our sense of
sound. E.g. He could hear the whisper of the breeze
and the chirping birds.
OLFACTORY
Descriptive language that calls upon our sense of
smell. E.g. The sticky sweet scent of cinnamon
donuts wafted in the air.
GUSTATORY
Descriptive language that calls upon our sense of
taste. E.g. She could still taste the salty sea water on
her lips.
TACTILE
Descriptive language that calls upon our sense of
touch. E.g. The grass prickled his skin as he lay on
the sports ground.
KINESTHETIC
Descriptive language that calls upon our sense of
movement. E.g. As he shifted his weight to each side,
the skis glided smoothly.
 FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

SIMILE METAPHOR PERSONIFICATION METONYM IDIOM

Making a comparison Making a comparison Giving human The use ...

of part of An expression
... or
by using the words by saying one thing qualities to something or saying in which the
'like' or 'as'. is another. something that is not something closely meaning is quite
human. associated with a different from the
thing to represent the literal meaning.
thing itself.
E.g. He's as bald as E.g. Her stomach was E.g. The sun peaked
an egg OR her cheeks a twisted storm of out from behind the
were red like a rose. butterflies. cloud. E.g. All hands on E.g. She was over the
deck moon.
OTHER INFO
When analysing style, remember:

• The writer's choices are intentional, and they desire to have a specific effect on the reader.

• Specific style choices are used to trigger an emotional response from the reader.

• When discussing the text, be sure to identify the correct stylistic technique being used and its
effect on the reader.
 Read each sentence and identify the feeling or mood it's trying to create
through the use of syntax (sentence structure) and punctuation.

• Now! Right now! I want you to stop... just stop. Now.

ACTIVITY
• So I was really, really worried that maybe they thought I was the wrong
person because my ID didn't match the name I gave them even though
the name I gave them was my nickname and not my real name and now
I am totally freaking out.

• It was beautiful. It was truly beautiful. Truly, breathtakingly beautiful.

 YOUR TURN
Learning about narrative conventions can help us to understand and analyse a range of text
types including short stories, novels, feature films and a whole lot more.

It also helps us to create our own narratives, considering the way that specific choices
might help to communicate key ideas and position audience response.

Keep these in mind as we begin our next unit.

Good luck!