NARRATIVE

WRITING
TIPS
 THE STORY
Remember:
The beginning where you introduce the
characters, set the scene and set up the
problem.

The middle in which the hero has to deal with

the problem.
The end where the characters sort out the
problem (or not!) and the story finishes.
 CHARACTERS
Having too many characters can be a
disadvantage as it may be difficult for your
reader to distinguish between them.
Try to stick to two or three characters and
really concentrate on letting your reader know
what they are like by describing their
appearance and revealing their personality.
 POINT OF VIEW
Who is telling the story?

First Person point of view

“I” as the narrator
Good for personal accounts.
Example: I will never forget the day
that my hamster died…
 POINT OF VIEW
Third Person point of view limited

“He,” “she,” “it,” “they” perspective

Written as if the story is observed from outside of
the characters.
Reader must guess the feelings of the characters
by their actions and words.

Example: He pounded his fist against the wall

and screamed, “Let me out!”
 POINT OF VIEW
Third Person point of view omniscient

“He,” “she,” “it,” “they” perspective

Narrator can write about the thoughts
and feelings of all the characters.
Example: “She called him a liar, though
she knew he was telling the truth.”
CHARACTER DESCRIPTION
When describing your character’s appearance, try
using a ‘sentence of three’.

For example:
Mrs Maples was wearing a shiny overcoat, black
wellingtons and a peaked hat.

Or

Buster McVey had slick, black hair, brooding eyes

and hands like shovels.
 Character Description
Describe your character’s thoughts and actions.

Use an ‘ing’ clause to add on to a simple sentence to describe

what someone is doing or thinking. This is called a ‘supporting
action’. Look at these, which tells you more:
Tom ate his breakfast. Or
Tom ate his breakfast, wondering where he should start searching.

Mr Potts began to study the map. Or

Mr Potts began to study the map, noticing that there was a forest
in Bigham.
 CONFLICT

The problem that must be overcome or

resolved so that the readers will not be left
hanging.
Types of Conflict:
Person versus Self
Person versus Person
Person versus Society
Person versus Machine/Technology
Person versus Nature
Types of Conflict:
Examples
Person versus Self:
One month ago, Abby was assigned a book
to read for a book report. Upon sitting at
the computer to work on it, Abby
struggled with the decision to do the
reading or to surf the web instead. She
felt guilty, knowing she should do the
work, but was really motivated by her
desire to look up new information about
her favorite rock band.
 Types of Conflict:
Examples
Person versus Person:
Abby and her best friend Megan were
working together on a group project.
Abby did not do any work, leaving it all
for Megan to do. When the girls got
together to do the project, Megan found
out Abby had not done any work. She
became angry, yelled at Abby, and
stormed out of the room.
 Types of Conflict:
Examples
Person versus Society:
Abby needs to go to the library to begin
working on her project. When she
arrives, she finds out that juveniles
under the age of eighteen cannot enter
the library without a parent. Her mom
is at work. Abby is enraged about it,
completely out of her control. She
writes a letter to the library, expressing
her disgust.
 Types of Conflict:
Examples
Person versus Machine/Technology
Abby begins her report, finally! All of the
sudden, there is a power surge and her
computer crashes. She loses all of the
information that she has been working
on for four hours.
 Types of Conflict:
Examples
Person versus Nature:
Abby tries to remember exactly where she
left her book for the report. She
remembers that she was sitting on a
bench outside of her house, so she
returns to that spot. She finds it,
however, it had rained the night before
and the book is in shambles.
 Figurative Language
SIMILES
A simile is a comparison between
two unlike things, using like or as.
Examples: Her smile was so wide it
looked like a piano keyboard.
He was as sick as a dog.
 Figurative Language
METAPHOR
A metaphor directly compares two unlike
things without using like or as.
Example: The boy was a golden knight,
protecting his little sister from the
fire-breathing dragon that lived in the
sandbox.
 Figurative Language
PERSONIFICATION
Personification assigns human
characteristics and traits to non-human
objects.
Example: The pencil fought furiously with
the eraser, battling over question
number three.
 Figurative Language
HYPERBOLE
Hyperbole is the use of gross
exaggeration to describe something that
could never happen in real life.
Example: The teacher’s voice was so loud
the astronauts orbiting Earth could hear
her lecture.
Figurative Language
ALLITERATION
Alliteration is the repetition of two or
more sounds.

Example: The witch’s washed-out,

withered lips whispered, “Watch what
awaits you at the bewitching hour!”
(Alliteration of the “W” sound)
 Figurative Language
ONOMATOPOEIA
Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates a
sound.

Example: The cow moos in the pasture.

(Moo is the onomatopoeia.)
 Final Check
Editing your story is a very important part of the
process.
No-one gets it right first time around!
Make sure you read it through carefully and check:
Will your story makes sense to your reader and will

it interest them?

Are your characters believable?

Have you given a satisfactory ending?

Are your spellings correct?

 Final Check
Make sure you have used a range of punctuation.
Long paragraphs can be off putting. Start a new paragraph
for:
A change of time, e.g. Early the next morning…

A change of place e.g. On the other side of the mountain

stood…

A change of action e.g. At that moment the lights went out.

A change of character e.g. Unexpectedly, Dr Townley
rounded the corner.