narrative writing

1. NARRATIVE WRITING

2. A narrative Essay tells a story.
- Even though the narrative essay has the same basic form as most other academic
essays, it allows the writer to be more creative than academic essay usually do.
A narrative is a story containing specific elements that work
together to create interest for not only the author but also the
reader.
• This type of writing makes the reader feel as if her or she were
part of the story, as if it was being told directly to him or her.

3. Types of narrative essay
1. Fictional narrative
2. Non fictional
narrative
1. Writing that is imagined and
not based on real event
2. Based on real events and could
be narrative writing.

5. Elements of narrative writing
1. Plot:
• The who, what, where, when, why, and
how outline that gives the narrative
direction.
• What is the story about?
• Events unfold as they happen.
• The frame of the narrative.

6. Plot Structure of Narrative Writing
• Beginning:
– Enticing opening to capture readers’
interest.
– Setting revealed.
– Main characters introduced.
– Conflict presented.

7. Plot Structure of Narrative Writing
• Middle
– Characters attempt to resolve conflicts or
problems.
– Action progresses sequentially, step by step.
• Climax
– The turning point of the narrative.
– Reveals the process involved for solving the
conflicts.

8. Plot Structure of Narrative Writing
• End
– Tells how the resolution of the conflicts
have affected the characters.
– No new characters or plot ideas
introduced.
– Theme or message understood by
reader.

9. Elements of Narrative Writing
CHARACTERS
•The people, animals, or inanimate objects who
are affected by the actions of the plot or who
are the cause of certain events.
•Characters, real or imaginative, should be
brought to life through the narrative.
•If a character is not described well, the story
will not be believable.

10. Elements of Narrative Writing
Setting
• Where and when the narrative takes place.
• Allows the readers to visualize the scenes
and the characters in those scenes.
• Although the setting may be clear for the
author, he/she must create a picture for the
readers.

11. Elements of Narrative Writing
Style
• The figurative language (similes, metaphors,
etc.), sensory imagery, vivid verbs, strong
sentences, dialogue, and point of view that
makes each author unique.
• Every student has his/her own style and
technique. Although we have the same topic,
everyone will write differently.

12. Sensory Imagery
• Using the five senses when writing a narrative
helps the reader picture and feel what is going on.
• Describe what you see, hear, taste, touch, and
smell to make your reader become involved in the
story.
Figurative Language
Figurative Language is the use of descriptive
words that bring your reader into the story.

13. 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.
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 lives in the sandbox.

14. PERSONIFICATION
Personification assigns human characteristics and traits to non-human objects.
Example: The pencil fought furiously with the eraser, battling over question number three
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.
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).
ONOMATOPOEIA
Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates a sound.
Example: The cow moos in the pasture. (Moo is the onomatopoeia.)

15. Elements of Narrative Writing
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

16. Types of Conflict:
External Conflict: A character struggles
against an outside force: Man vs. Man Man
vs. Nature Man vs. Society
Internal Conflict: A character struggles to
understand opposing ideas or feelings
within himself: Man vs. Self

17. Elements of Narrative Writing
Theme
• A theme is a message revealed in the story.
• It may be directly stated, like in a fable where the
moral is told at the conclusion.
• It may be indirect, leaving the reader to decide
the story’s message.
• There can be more than one theme for a
Narrative.
Anecdote:
An anecdote is a brief, revealing account of an individual person or an incident.As nouns
the difference between anecdote and narrative is that anecdote is a short account of a
real incident or person, often humorous or interesting while narrative is the systematic
recitation of an event or series of events

18. Different Points 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…

19. Different Points 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!”
– “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.”

21. Fictional narrative:
It includes
1. Noval
2. Short stories
3. Comic
4. Play and music
5. Narrative poetry
6. Epic poems
7. Novella
8. Folk tales
Non fictional narrative:
1. Biography
2. Autobiography
3. Personal essay
4. Documentary

22. Fiction narrative:
Noval: A fictitious prose narrative of book length >100
Novella: short form of noval, 25-100 pages
Short story: <25 pages
Folk tale: a story originating in popular culture, typically passed on by word of mouth.
Comic: causing or meant to cause laughter.
Narrative poetry: A narrative poem tells the story of an event in the form of a poem.
●It may or may not rhyme.
● It could be short or long.
● It has a beginning, middle, and end.
● There is a strong sense of narration, characters, and plot.
Epic poems:Traitionaly , an epic poem is a long, serious, poetic narrative about a
significant event, often featuring a hero. Before the development of writing, epic poems
were memorized and played an important part in maintaining a record of the great deeds
and history of a culture.

23. Narrative Poem
Examples:
I Still Love You, You're My Big
Brother by Jade You were always a risk
taker, Especially in the car, you liked to
burn rubber, My mates thought it was
funny, it was cool, When you gave them
a lift and played the fool. Driving with no
hands, hanging out the sun roof, Shutting
you eyes and generally being a goof
Thinking you were some Evil Knieval.
Did you know you'd cause this upheaval?
Epic poem example:
Paradise Lost
John Milton
The poem concerns the Judeo-
Christian story of the Fall of
Man: the temptation of Adam
and Eve by Satan and their
expulsion from the Garden of
Eden.

24. Non fictional narratives:
Biography:
The course of a person's life.
Autobiography:
An account of a person's life written by that person
Documentary:
Using pictures or interviews with people involved in real events to provide a factual
report on a particular subject
Personal essay:
A story about an experience in your life. It is not a fiction not an autobiography.

25. Personal narrative essay:
There are 5 main elements that are found in
all narratives:
1. Character, That is you!
2. Setting, Where does your story take
place?
3. Conflict,What are you struggling to do in
your story?
4. Plot, What events happen?
5. Theme, What is the lesson, purpose,
point, or message of the story?

26. Personal Narrative Elements
Character, setting, conflict, plot, and theme can be found in narratives. These are some
other common elements that are specific to personal narratives:
1. 1st Person POV
2. Reflection
3. Change
Point of View Personal narratives “I”use first person point of view. “I”, “me”, and “we”
are OK. Generally, you should not address the reader by saying “you” in your narrative.

27. Change:Personal narratives tend to depict change. Maybe your skill level changes,
your beliefs change, the way you understand the world changes, your mood or habits
change…etc. Often characters learn something from the change.
Reflection : Reflect, or share your thoughts, about why the story you are telling is
meaningful.
YOUR GOALS AS THE WRITER: • Make your thoughts in your narrative more
important than the events you are describing. Events are generic, but your thoughts are
unique. • Reveal what you or other people learned by sharing thoughts • Reflection
doesn’t always have to be positive or uplifting, and you do not have to shy away from
the truth of what you experienced, even if it resulted in failure or tragedy. Honesty,
vulnerability and even confrontation of difficult lessons will make your essay even
more poignant.

28. Dialogue writing:
Make sure your dialogue has a purpose to reveal character
to highlight the relationship between characters to intensity
the action to add suspense or combination of these
purposes.
Write dialogues in words and phrasing to appropriate
character.
Use dialogues according to character personality.
Use words that capture experience. Use of specific nouns,
vivid verbs, transition word and well chosen modifiers
makes more good dialogues
There should be sentence fluency, no breakage of
sentences. Use compound sentences.
Check the Grammer at end (punctuation, spellings and
capitiliaztion etc)