Narrative Writing

Guide

Function: What is a Narrative?

Narrative writing tells a story. It can be fiction or non-fiction (as with

writing personal narrative, or memoir writing). The main feature of

narrative writing is that it spans time and has a plot - something happens

that keeps readers reading to see what's next. A narrative often (but

certainly not always) is written in chronological order.

To become more familiar with the elements of narratives complete the

three activities below. Complete a new, knew and do chart as you

engage in the following lessons.

1. Story Planning

2. Explore, imagine and entertain - Activity

Plan your own narrative. You can use a map or another graphic

organizer. Make sure that your planning system features the following

things:

Superb Story Plans

Escape into fiction

Story Plans

Setting

Two or more believable characters

One or more problems

Resolution: Show how they solve the problems?

Y? Who what when where how why?

Personality

Link the ending to the beginning

Appearance of Characters?

Names?

Show through senses.

Form: Studying Expert Examples

Studying examples of how real authors write narratives is the best way to

become an expert narrative writer. Read the following examples.

Story and Play Writing (Grades Four to Five)

Story: The Terror of Kansas Story: Chloe’s Day Story: The Haunted House

Creative Writing (Grades Six to Eight)

Story: Linden’s Library Story: How the Stars Came to Be Poem: The Call Poem: My Backyard

1. What are five things that these short stories

have in common?

2. Why do the authors begin new paragraphs?

Compare your list of

five things with a few

class mates and create

a checklist entitled:

“Five Things Every

Story Must Have.”

Form: Studying the Elements of Short

Stories

As you complete each lesson, complete the corresponding section of your

own narrative. Your narrative should be connected to your current Unit

of Inquiry.

Story Openings

Stories can begin in at least four different ways. They can start with:

A description of a character;

A description of the setting;

Action;

Dialogue. Below are some different openings to a story.

Do: Read these story openings and decide which type of opening it is.

“Quiet!” shouted Jim. He was fed up with Sarah telling him to have a bath. He would have one when he wanted! Rebecca was a lazy girl-even her mother thought so. She was so lazy, she couldn’t even be bothered picking her own nose. The door burst open, leaves swirled around the passage. Distant screams could be heard, as the misty night grew darker and colder. Ingrid lived in a small, quiet town in Doncaster, surrounded by fields and meadows. At this time of year, it was especially beautiful, as all the flowers were out to bloom. “Oh for goodness sake! Who stole my Groovy Chick pencil this time?” “Not me. Don’t even try to blame me. I didn’t take it!” protested Lucy. Ugly. That’s how you’d describe Billy Bobbins. Ugly. What with his large spotty nose, crooked teeth and lazy eye, he wasn’t exactly a model. But nevertheless, Lucinda still fancied him rotten! Graham had the letter in his hand. Time was running out, he had to get to the post office in double quick time, this was his last chance. The sun went down over the tall towers that loomed over the smoke filled city. New York was a pretty impressive place. A place that once you’d been, you didn’t want to leave.

Discuss: Which story opening wants you to read more? Why? Do: Take a look at the openings of some of your favourite stories to see how the authors started their stories. Try: Write the beginning of a story using one of the methods described above.

S.T.E.P into

Fiction PARAGRAPHS

When should a new paragraph start when writing

nonfiction?

Change of setting: The action in the story happens

in another place.

Change of time: The story moves on to another time

that day or the next day etc…

Change of event: Something new happens in the

plot.

Change of person: A new character is introduced,

they may say something or just be described.

S.T.E.P into

Fiction PARAGRAPHS

When should a new paragraph start when writing

nonfiction?

Change of setting: The action in the story happens

in another place.

Change of time: The story moves on to another time

that day or the next day etc…

Change of event: Something new happens in the

plot.

Change of person: A new character is introduced,

they may say something or just be described.

Characters

Do: Read this page about characters and

complete a knew, new and do chart.

Discuss: Which of these things do you actually do when you describe characters in your own stories? What are you going to try and do when describing characters in your own stories?

Two or three characters are usually enough for

a short story. Read on to find out how to make

the characters seem real.

Give them suitable names.

For example:

Pirates: Captain Peg-Leg, Scar-faced Bill, Sly Sam,

One-eyed Pete

Astronauts: Commander Ben Lewis, Assistant

Commander Buzz Owens, Captain Tilly Jones

Don't just use your friend's names in a story!

Describe what they look like and how they move. For

example:

A wizened old man shuffling about the house in

slippers.

A giant, hairy, orange caterpillar creeping slowly

along.

A ten year old girl, rather small for her age, skipped

merrily along the street, her long fair hair flying in the

wind.

Try to show their personalities in the things they do,

for example:

Careless – John was always breaking or losing things.

Lazy – Jim never wants to do anything, he always

finds quicker ways of doing things.

Coward – Billy was nervous. He always hid behind

the others, stammered and stuttered.

Competitive – Jill always tries to do things better and

faster. She always wants to win.

Posh – Victoria talks very properly. She is snooty

and thinks she is better than everyone else.

Try to show how characters feel using adjectives and

adverbs, for example:

Although tired, he excitedly ran towards the door.

With an ungrateful sigh he angrily unwrapped the

present.

Sadly, her curiosity turned to worry as she nervously

read the test. Three hours seemed like three years.

Paddy was relieved to his little brother…

Write what they say and what they think. For

example:

"I'm sure I'll be able to fix the spacecraft." At that

moment she believed herself.

Improving Setting Descriptions

I want you to practise describing the setting of your stories, by hinting rather than being direct in order to keep your

reader interested. Look at these story openings. I haven’t told you where the story is set, but I have described it

through the things you might see and hear if you were there. Can you guess where these stories are set?

Story 1

The automatic doors opened swiftly as Jade strode in.

She glanced quickly at the cluster of signs and

pressed on down the wide polished corridor. Ahead

of her a set of double doors flew open and a trolley,

pushed by five concerned faces, passed rapidly by.

The smell of antiseptic caught at the back of her

throat. Pushing through the doors at the end of the

corridor, she emerged into a brightly lit room. Rows

of plastic seats groaned with injured people. Where

was Manny? The call had been brief. All she knew

was that Manny was here somewhere… .

Story 2

Sadie thrust the ticket into the man’s hand. Half-torn

he returned it and pulled open the door. Her eyes

narrowed as she stepped forward urgently into the

dimly-lit room. Stale popcorn collapsed under her

feet. She felt her way down the narrow aisle. She had

agreed to meet Gerry somewhere in the middle. The

front was too close, whilst the back meant you spent

most of your time staring at the hairstyle in front. A

young couple stood up to let her pass, their coats fell

from their laps and were lost in the dark alley

beneath their folding seats.

Story 3

The vegetables gleamed under the lighting as special

offers swung giddily on their strings from the ceiling.

He inched forward, keeping himself well hidden

behind the woman whose child rocked in the metal

cage provided at the back of the trolley. As they

passed the cheese and milk a cool draught caught the

back of his neck, sending a shiver down his spine…

Story 4

The warm dusty draught flapped at her coat,

revealing the lining and causing her to pull it tight

around her. She thrust her ticket into the metal slit

and strode forward confidently. The dull whirring of

the escalators carried her down, lost in the confusion

of posters advertising West end shows and cheap

phone calls. She thought she saw a familiar face

passing upwards to her right and stared back to see if

she were right...

Think about the settings described above and answer the questions below:

I think the setting for story one is:

The words and expressions that helped me guess were:

I think the setting for story two is:

The words and expressions that helped me guess were:

I think the setting for story three is:

The words and expressions that helped me guess were:

I think the setting for story four is:

The words and expressions that helped me guess were:

Do: Try to write a story opening in which your character passes through a classroom, a messy boy’s bedroom or a car park. Remember, describe the things you might see and hear if you were there. Don’t tell your reader directly.

Characters

You should always try to describe one of the characters in your story. For example:

Scientists (they’re the ones with white coats, test tubes and weird flyaway hair) Professor Longbottom looked exactly

like a scientist.

Many people believe that that you make a judgment about someone in the first ten seconds, based purely on their appearance. You look them up and down, and think to yourself, ‘Yuck! That’s the ugliest jumper I’ve ever seen!’ or ‘What hairy nostrils!’ We all make decisions about someone based on aspects of their appearance. It could be their hair, eyes, smile, clothes or posture.

Your aim is to create a picture of the character’s appearance in the reader’s mind. You really don’t need to describe more than a few small details – the reader’s imagination will fill in the rest. By zooming in on a mouth, this writer creates a vivid picture of an old lady:

Anna dreaded kissing her Gran goodbye. There were something about Gran’s obviously false teeth and thin chapped

lips, not to mention a bristly moustache, that made Anna feel quite ill.

Sure, the ‘Gran’ you’ve imagined is different to the ‘Gran’ the writer pictured, but it doesn’t matter – the detail created a small picture, and your imagination filled in the rest.

Do: Describe only the eyes of an evil character. Show your description to a friend and see if they can guess whether your character is nice or nasty.

Events or Plot

Do: Read this page about events or plot and complete a knew, new and do chart.

Discuss: Which of these things do you actually do when you describe plot or events in your own stories? What are you going to try and do when describing plot in your own stories?

An interesting story will contain several events. A strong exciting plot centers on an unexpected event, a crisis, or a

problem, which needs to be sorted out by the end of a story. Stories can contain more than one problem. Plans could go

wrong:

There could be an accident.

Someone or something could get lost.

A machine could break down.

Something important could get stolen.

Suspense or mystery is created by building up to events slowly. Don't just write: The monster attacked. Hint at the attack

by, for example, using speech:

A very hairy monster slid amongst the trees, hid behind a bush and watched hungrily. The monster growled.

"What was that?" asked Christopher in a very scared voice.

"Probably just the wind," replied Luke.

"No, it sounded like a lion's roar," said Christopher anxiously.

"Listen and see if you can hear it". The monster growled again and this time Luke heard it.

"That noise?" he asked.

"Yes!" replied Christopher. Next moment the monster leaped from behind a bush and started to attack.

Story Endings

Explain the result of the events or show how the problem was solved. (But don't end with everyone going home for tea or

someone waking up to find it was all a dream - that's boring!) Endings usually bring the story round 'full circle'. For

example:

Start: Three scruffy pirates sat gloomily around a table in the Lord Nelson pub, staring down in to

their empty beer glasses. One by one they emptied out their pockets. It seemed they had all run out

of money.

Ending: The pirate gang made their way down the quay to their favourite pub to celebrate their

success. They had earned enough money now to buy a year's worth of beer - and have change.

The final sentence is as important as the opening sentence. It usually sums up the story's theme or message.

It had been the best day of my life.

I'll never forget her.

If only he hadn't been so selfish.

She realised taking part is much more important than winning.

It just goes to show, crime really doesn't pay.

They were richer than they could ever have dreamed.

I still laugh when I think about it.

For more ideas, look at some of your favourite stories and check out the very last sentence in each.

Discuss: Which story ending would leave you feeling most satisfied? Why? Which story ending teaches the reader a lesson?

Try: Rewrite the ending to a story you have written.

Perspective:

Compare the Quality of

Short Stories

Compare two narratives. In your

opinion, what makes some narratives

better than others? What does a buddy think?

Story: Linden’s Library Story: How the Stars Came to Be Poem: The Call Poem: My Backyard

Responsibility: Use your Knowledge to

Create a Narrative Connected to Your

Unit of Inquiry

Follow the writing process to create a top quality

narrative.

Scintillating Story Checking

Stop and Check with

Cops Clues Pass!

Capitals

Omissions. What’s missing?

Punctuation, paragraphs?

Spelling!

Clues

L inks – Everything links or belongs. Ending links to beginning.

Characters link to setting. Problems link to characters.

U nderstandable dialogue?

E motion?

S uperb verbs

Problem solved.

Adverbs and adjectives.

Show through senses.

Symbolism or Similes?