Narrative Writing
Defining Narrative Writing
• Narrative Writing: Writing that tells a story or gives
an account of something that has happened. The
purpose is to recount a story grounded in personal
experience or the writer’s imagination.
• Method:
• Uses a setting, characters, circumstances or events, a
plot, a point of view, and a sense of resolution to tell a
story.
• Description of these elements is a key factor.
• May employ strategies such as flashback,
foreshadowing, dialogue, tension, or suspense.
What Narrative Writing Is and Is
An effective narrative composition .Not
. . An effective narrative composition is NOT .
. .
Tells a personal or imaginative story A list of events and/or facts
May include the writer’s imagination and An abundance of facts or personal anecdotes
personal experiences that are related to the that are unrelated to the topic
story
Contains narrative elements such as A list of reasons, opinions, or unrelated
characters, plot, point of view, setting, episodes
conflict, and/or significant events
Contains narrative strategies such as, Formulaic, repetitive writing
flashback, foreshadowing, dialogue, tension
and/or suspense
Is multi-paragraph A single paragraph
Presents a story that has a well-developed A paper that lacks a clear beginning, middle,
beginning, middle, and end and end
What Narrative Writing Is and Is
Not
An effective narrative composition . . . An effective narrative composition is NOT .
. .
Uses a lively writing voice to engage the reader Flat, uninteresting writing
Uses vivid sensory details and concrete A story that contains imprecise language
language
Uses a variety of sentences A story with little sentence variety
Contains correct sentences, usage, grammar, Incorrect sentences, usage, grammar, and
and spelling that make the writer's ideas spelling that prevent the reader from
understandable understanding the writer's ideas
Overview of Ways to Organize
Narrative Writing
Purpose: What story is the writer telling?
-Beginning
-Middle
-End
Flashback:
-End (most dramatic event)
-Beginning
-Middle
-Beginning
-Situation or Conflict
-Climax
-Resolution of the conflict
Focus in Narrative Writing
• In narrative writing, the focus of the story
may be character development, the plot, a
setting and time period, or a deeper theme.
• Part of maintaining focus is selecting relevant
details that advance the story and leaving out
information that may distract the reader
from the focus of the story.
• The focus is usually implied rather than
stated directly.
• Maintaining a clear point of view also indicates
focus.
Narrative Purpose
• The purpose of a narrative is to tell a story and
capture the reader’s interest.
• Writers may have many purposes for telling a specific
story:
– Some stories have a meaning that goes deeper than
simply the events.
– Sometimes the writer has a point to make.
– Sometimes the writer wants the reader to
understand something personal about
himself/herself or to present a lesson about living.
Character Development
• Characters can be developed
through:
• Action
– What the characters do, feel, or think
• Dialogue
– What the characters say
• Description
– What the characters look like
Types of Language
• Interesting Language
• Sensory Details: what the characters see, hear,
taste, smell, and feel. Writers use details that appeal
to the senses to help the reader imagine the events
of the story.
• Descriptive: conveys an idea, image, or impression.
• Figurative: figures of speech or phrases that suggest
meanings different from their literal meanings
(hyperbole, metaphor, simile, irony).
• Simple, Ordinary Language
• common words that are correct but not precise.
Narrative Organizational
Patterns
• Beginning, middle, end
• Flashback: end, beginning, middle
• Beginning, situation or conflict,
climax, resolution of the conflict