Narrative Checklist
Narrative Checklist:
Setting and Characterisation
Direct speech with subtext
Figurative language
Brief descriptive moment
Well planned paragraphing
Variety (of length and structure) in sentences
Advanced punctuation
Distinctive and advanced vocabulary
A reflective ending (showing a sort of change in your character or
situation)
Examples of Characterisation
• Characterising a kind girl: She gently knelt down and stretched out her hand to help her friend return to her feet after she fell
on the eld.
• Characterising a rich man: He chortled heartily before deeply pu ng on his Cuban cigar, brie y glancing at his jewel-
encrusted watch. He announced his driver would arrive any moment, then tossed back the rest of his aromatic whiskey.
• Characterising a gru man: "Look here," he said. "I'm not about to take nonsense from anyone. I've been around the block a
few times, and I'm no one's doormat. I don't care who you are or where you're from. I don't want to hear what you have to say."
• Characterising someone anxious: She twisted her ngers in her hands and bit her lip. Her leg shook, and her eyes darted
from side to side.
• Characterising an embarrassed man: He dropped his eyes toward the oor, and his face burned crimson red. His shoulders
hunched over, and he pursed his lips, clearly attempting to ght back tears.
• Characterising someone apologetic: Her eyes pleaded with him to understand what she was trying to say, her breath slow in
frequency but intense with each draw. Her quivering mouth revealed the shame she had for what she had done.
• Characterising someone stingy: Crinkling his brow and wrinkling his nose, Bill cringed when he saw the check for dinner.
Clearly displeased with the cost of his eggs, bacon, doughnuts, and co ee, he yanked open his wallet, tossed a dollar
haphazardly on the table for tip, and went to the counter to pay for the meal.
• Characterising someone messy: She answered the door in a hurry, putting her earrings on while telling me to come in for a
moment. I entered what looked like an abandoned war zone. Clothes and shoes were scattered across the oor. Dirty plates
with hardened noodles were piled on the table while magazines were spread haphazardly across the oor.
• Characterising someone inconsiderate: After she arrived 25 minutes late for the wedding, she proceeded to honk the horn
from her car, forcing me to scamper across the ice-covered steps in my stilettos.
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Example of dialogues with subtext
She sat down in front of me and put her head in her hands. The pale
light from the window cast a vague shadow on the table.
“So, how can you explain this?” I asked, watching her intently.
Slowly, she raised her head and looked at the opened envelope and the
single sheet of paper. She pushed the hair back from her eyes and finally
spoke.
“I … I…,” she paused.
“Go on,” I said, in a voice clearly giving away my impatience.
Metaphors
Metaphors draw comparisons between two things that are not alike
Metaphors draw comparisons between two things that are not alike, but make
them seem similar. Metaphors make these comparisons without using the words
“like” or “as.”
Example: What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet, the
sun! (This quote from William Shakespeare's iconic play compares Romeo's love
to the sun.)
The principal's eyes were a glaring light on our actions. (The principal's judgment
was like a bright light on us.)
This decision is really weighing on my mind. (compares the emotional weight of the
decision with the physical weight of something heavy)
Personification
Personification refers to giving human characteristics to a nonhuman entity, like an animal or an inanimate
object. Writers use this tool to connect with their readers more personally, even when talking about something that is
not human in nature.
• The run-down house appeared depressed.
• The first rays of morning tiptoed through the meadow.
• He did not realise that his last chance was walking out the door.
• The bees played hide and seek with the flowers as they buzzed from one to another.
• The snow swaddled the earth like a mother would her infant child.
• The river swallowed the earth as the water continued to rise higher and higher.
• The ocean waves lashed out at the boat, and the storm continued to brew.
• My computer throws a fit every time I try to use it.
Descriptive Passage:
The first thing that hit me was the sound. The sounds of birds, the sound of the
sea crawling onto the sand. I felt million grains of sand underneath my feet and
the cool breeze against my face. Moreover, the tantalising scent of the washed-up
waves, coconut and pineapple were all mixed into one. As I opened my eyes, I
was amazed by how easily fantasy and reality intertwined at that moment. It
was like continuing a dream after waking up. So I dragged myself up and turned
my head to the east. While the sky in the opposite direction was still dark, the
dawn on the east side already broke. A mixture of yellow and orange on the
horizon, beneath a dark neon blue ocean of night had begun to peek out. As the
sun continuously rose, all of the purple and deep blue faded away, and the sun
took its mighty position at the top of the sky, shining so very blindingly beautiful.
Descriptive Characterisation:
He was greeted by the barista—a young teen who had not yet matured enough to
be handsome. Once his soft cheeks hollowed and his jaw squared, and the
childish optimism fled his eyes, then he would have the chance to smoulder.
That crooked smile would win over many hearts in the blink of an eye, but not
just yet.
…in addition to being fun, smart, and quick-witted—in a feisty way that always
kept me honest—she’s quite easy to look at, with long slender legs, toned arms,
curly brown hair, and eyes that tease and smile and glint all at the same time.
Hyperbole
Hyperbole is a form of exaggeration used to get a point across. In the literal
sense, hyperbole makes no sense, but this use of figurative language gives the reader
or listener a sense of greater force.
Examples:
"I was helpless. I did not know what in the world to do. I was quaking from head to foot, and could
have hung my hat on my eyes, they stuck out so far.” — Old Times on the Mississippi by Mark Twain
“She’s got an indiscreet voice,' I remarked. “It’s full of—” I hesitated.
'Her voice is full of money,' said suddenly.
That was it. I’d never understood before. It was full of money—that was the inexhaustible charm that
rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it.” — The Great Gatsby by F. Scott. Fitzgerald
I had to wait in the station for ten days—an eternity. — Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad