- NARRATION -- NARRATION -

TELLING A STORYTELLING A STORY

What is Narrative What is Narrative Writing? Writing? 11

•A strategy used by writers to tell a A strategy used by writers to tell a story about a subject, possibly to story about a subject, possibly to enlighten or explain something to enlighten or explain something to their readers. their readers.

Narrative Writing = Personal Narrative Writing = Personal ExpressionExpression

Letters Poems Diaries JournalsLetters Poems Diaries Journals

Songs Discussions Reflective Songs Discussions Reflective EssaysEssays

Narration- A Huge Area to Narration- A Huge Area to Cover Cover 22

•Can be… short /long; Can be… short /long; formal/informal; formal/informal; instruct/inform; send a instruct/inform; send a message/ be significantmessage/ be significant

• Tell stories, explain, illustrate Tell stories, explain, illustrate points, report information, points, report information, argue/persuadeargue/persuade

Narrative Shape Narrative Shape && Purpose Purpose 33

•All narratives need a All narratives need a PurposePurpose

•Purpose depends upon Purpose depends upon AudienceAudience******

•After audience is determined, After audience is determined, you can shape’ your you can shape’ your narrative/storynarrative/story

Structure, Point of View, Tone, Structure, Point of View, Tone, Diction and SyntaxDiction and Syntax

Narrative Thesis Statement Narrative Thesis Statement 44

• Thesis is usually revealed at the end!Thesis is usually revealed at the end!

•Writer chooses this structure to build Writer chooses this structure to build suspense suspense

•A thesis stated too early will ‘rob’ the A thesis stated too early will ‘rob’ the reader of watching the suspense reader of watching the suspense build build

•Suspense is the ‘key’ to good Suspense is the ‘key’ to good narrationnarration

Narrative Point of Narrative Point of View(s) View(s) 55

NARRATORNARRATOR

The teller or speaker of a The teller or speaker of a personal experience; the personal experience; the one who was there.one who was there.

Narrative Point of Narrative Point of View(s) View(s) 55

11stst Person Point of Person Point of View View

(I, me, my, mine, etc)(I, me, my, mine, etc)• Story is your own Story is your own

experienceexperience

• The telling is The telling is SubjectiveSubjective

• The telling is The telling is BiasedBiased

• Details Details && language reflect language reflect the writer’s feelings, the writer’s feelings, thoughts, opinionsthoughts, opinions

33rdrd Person Point of Person Point of View View (he, she, they, (he, she, they,

him, her, etc)him, her, etc)

• Story is Story is NOTNOT yours; you yours; you are a witness not an are a witness not an ‘actor within’‘actor within’

• The telling is The telling is ObjectiveObjective and and UnbiasedUnbiased

• Details Details && language are language are factual, dispassionate, factual, dispassionate, and accurateand accurate

Narrative Tense- Narrative Tense- Pros and Pros and Cons Cons 66

Present TensePresent Tense

-PRO- -PRO-

Gives a sense of Gives a sense of immediacy- everything immediacy- everything is happening is happening NowNow

-CON- -CON-

Seems artificial. Is Seems artificial. Is difficult to sustain difficult to sustain throughout an entire throughout an entire narrativenarrative

Past TensePast Tense

--PROPRO- -

• Easiest tense to Easiest tense to write in and write in and sustainsustain

-CON- -CON-

• Can seem removed Can seem removed and lacks and lacks immediacy. immediacy.

Questions to Answer Questions to Answer 77

The The 5 5 ww’s a ’s a 11hh

WhatWhat happened? happened? WhenWhen did it take did it take place?place?

WhereWhere did it take place? did it take place? WhoWho took took part?part?

WhyWhy did the events happen? did the events happen?

HowHow did it happen? did it happen?

Importance of Importance of Information Information 88

•Good story-tellers prepare by having Good story-tellers prepare by having more information than they needmore information than they need

•Depending upon Depending upon purposepurpose and and audience, audience, good story-tellers make good story-tellers make careful choices about what they will careful choices about what they will include and delete?include and delete?

Why?Why?

The Two Narration The Two Narration Strategies Strategies 99

SceneScene

• Visualizing an event as if Visualizing an event as if you were thereyou were there

• Extended version of an Extended version of an eventevent

• You portray people and You portray people and events using dialogue events using dialogue and descriptionand description

• Takes up Takes up a lot a lot of time of time and and aa lot lot of spaceof space

SummarySummary

• Just the essentials; no Just the essentials; no great detail is provided.great detail is provided.

• Concise version of an Concise version of an eventevent

• You simply mention You simply mention people and eventspeople and events

• Takes way less time and Takes way less time and uses fewer words.uses fewer words.

Mixing Scene and Mixing Scene and Summary Summary 1010

•Good writers know Good writers know whatwhat to to emphasize, emphasize, whenwhen to emphasize it, to emphasize it, howhow to emphasize it, and to emphasize it, and wherewhere to to emphasize it. emphasize it.

--SceneScene- Detail/development is needed- Detail/development is needed

--SummarySummary- A scene is less important; - A scene is less important; the writer wants to move onthe writer wants to move on

Organizing a Narrative Organizing a Narrative 1111

Simplest Approach = Chronological Simplest Approach = Chronological OrderOrder

Why?Why?

The story is already organized, so The story is already organized, so just list the events as they occurred.just list the events as they occurred.

Professional writers do deviate from Professional writers do deviate from this patternthis pattern

Flashbacks, Transitions, Flashbacks, Transitions, Dialogue Dialogue 1212

--FlashbacksFlashbacks- -

- Create suspense/provide background - Create suspense/provide background detaildetail

--TransitionsTransitions- -

- Helps audience to follow events (can be a - Helps audience to follow events (can be a

word, brief phrase, or whole sentence)word, brief phrase, or whole sentence)

--DialogueDialogue- -

-Means to reveal information; creates -Means to reveal information; creates

suspense and provides ‘legs’suspense and provides ‘legs’

Verbs, Imagery, Tone Verbs, Imagery, Tone 1313

VerbsVerbs- - Use strong/connotative verbs; Use strong/connotative verbs; maintain amaintain a

consistent tense; use active verbsconsistent tense; use active verbs

ImageryImagery - Utilize all forms of sensory imagery; - Utilize all forms of sensory imagery; useuse

strong adjectives and adverbs for detailstrong adjectives and adverbs for detail

ToneTone- Use your natural voice and - Use your natural voice and everyday everyday

speech/vocabulary; be conversationalspeech/vocabulary; be conversational

Narrative Essay Narrative Essay (prelude)(prelude)

In the next few weeks you will be In the next few weeks you will be writing a Narrative Essay. Be sure writing a Narrative Essay. Be sure

to connect all of this information to to connect all of this information to the pieces we read in class and the pieces we read in class and

become familiar with the manner in become familiar with the manner in which the authors write- purpose, which the authors write- purpose, audience, style, organization, etcaudience, style, organization, etc

Al so, start to brainstorm idea for your Al so, start to brainstorm idea for your own essayown essay