What is Narrative Writing?

A type of writing that is designed to tell a story that is fictional

Some examples of narrative writing are:• Plays

• Short stories

• Novels

• Novelettes

• Fairy tales

• Myths

• Picture and story books

The Elements of Narrative Writing

Characters

Atmosphere

Theme

Setting

Plot

What is PLOT?

The series of events in a piece of narrative writing

The Three Types of Plot Lines

Flat

Simple

Complex

A flat plot line:

• Has little, if any, action. It contains no climax, just a beginning, middle, and end to the story

A simple plot line:

• Has an introduction, a rising action, a climax, a falling action, and a conclusion

• Has one peak of excitement; the action builds to this point and then falls off

• When it is drawn, it looks like a mountain with one peak

A complex plot line:

• Contains more than one climax or peak of excitement in the action and may end as a cliffhanger

How do you create a cartoon of the plot of a narrative text?

• Read the text, looking for the major events related to the story’s plot.

• Write a set of jot notes that capture these plot parts.• Change these notes into well-written sentences.• Read over these sentences to make sure they fit together

well and capture the story’s basic plot.• Proofread the sentences for mechanics.• Write the sentences under the correct cartoon boxes.• Draw sketches to capture the events. Label the cartoon.

Sentences for Cartooning “The Little Match Girl”

• On a cold New Year’s Eve, a little girl is on the streets of London trying to sell matches.

• When she gets cold, she lights her matches. She sees visions of a warm stove, a delicious dinner, and a glorious Christmas tree.

• As she lights her last matches, she sees her grandmother, the only person who ever loved her.

• The little girl is taken to heaven by her grandmother.

• The next morning the townspeople find the little girl dead, but with a smile on her face.

On a cold New Year’s Eve, a little girl is on the streets of London trying to sell matches. 

When she gets cold, she lights her matches. She sees visions of a warm stove, a delicious dinner, and a glorious Christmas. tree. 

As she lights her last matches, she sees her grandmother, the only person who ever loved her.

The little girl is taken to heaven by her grandmother. 

The next morning the townspeople find the little girl dead, but with a smile on her face.  

Cartoon of the Plot

“The Little Match Girl” 

Climax

Rising Action Falling ActionIntroduction Conclusion

Two orphans, Polly and her brother Jack, live a hard life on the streets of London, England.

Dr. Barnardo rescues the children from their street life, and Jack and Polly travel to Canada where they are sent to separate farms to work. Polly lives with the Sommers while Jack moves in with the Whippleys...

The two children struggle to survive in their new homes. They face many obstacles.

Jack is mistreated by his employer and runs away.

Fortunately, Jack is found and comes to live with the Sommers, who have come to accept Polly as part of their family. Things are looking up as the story ends.

Cartoon of the PlotThe Tin Lined Trunk

Climax

Rising Action Falling Action

 Introduction Conclusion

Polly and Jack are sleeping in Spitalfields Market because they have no true home. This is Polly’s first time sleeping in the market; she normally goes to Old Briggs’ for shelter.

Dr. Barnardo finds Polly and Jack and takes them to his shelter. Later on, Polly is sent to a Village Home where she learns basics like sewing and cooking.

Polly and Jack get sent to Canada where they each work on separate farms. Jack lives at the Whippleys’ while Polly lives at the Sommers’. They do get to occasionally see each other at church.

Both Polly and Jack work hard on their farms, but Jack’s owner works him too hard. Jack runs away and starts working at a farm close to Toronto.

Jack is finally found. One day he saves Mrs. Sommers’ life and is invited into the Sommers’ home. The Sommers no longer see the children as home children, but as family.

Cartoon of the PlotThe Tin Lined Trunk

Climax

Rising Action Falling Action

Introduction Conclusion

How do you create a SUMMARY of the plot of a narrative text?

• Follow the steps for creating a cartoon of the plot of a narrative text. Use the strategy sheet of steps to help you.

• Create a mini-summary that will be used as the topic sentence of your summary paragraph. Include the text’s title, its author, the type of writing it is, as well as a brief statement of the text’s theme.

• Write a first draft of the summary. Begin with a title for the summary and use the mini-summary as the first sentence. Make your cartoon sentences a bit more detailed and add transition or connecting phrases to join the ideas. These sentences will make the body of the summary paragraph.

• Revise and proofread your paragraph and create a final copy.

The Ingredients of a Mini-Summary

• The title of the piece of writing

• The name of the author

• The type of writing it represents

• A brief statement of its theme

The fantasy novel, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, written by J.K. Rowling, is about a young wizard and his friends who go on many exciting, and sometimes dangerous, adventures.

Examples of mini-summaries:• Heartland 6, a novel by Lauren Brooke, is a story

in which Amy Flemming’s fears, feelings, and passion for saving horses get mixed up with friendship problems.

• The novel The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson is about a group of strange characters that try to return a kidnapped prince to his home on a far-off island.

• In the novel, Why are the Best Clues Always in the Garbage?, written by Linda Bailey, a young detective named Stevie Diamond tries to catch a thief in her neighbourhood.

A mini-summary:

The short story “The Little Match Girl”, written by Hans Christian Andersen, focuses on a little girl facing death.

A Summary of “The Little Match Girl”

On a cold New Year’s Eve, a poor little girl is out on the streets of London trying to sell matches. When she becomes cold, she begins to light her matches to warm herself and suddenly sees visions of the things she desires the most: a warm stove, a delicious dinner, and a Christmas tree surrounded by family. As the story reaches its climax, she lights her last bunch of matches. Suddenly, her grandmother, who was the only person who ever loved her, appears. Sadly, the little girl dies and is taken to heaven by her grandmother. The story concludes when the townspeople find the little girl dead the next morning, with a smile on her face.

A Summary of The Tin Lined Trunk

In the novelette, The Tin Lined Trunk, written by Mary Hamilton, Polly and Jack, the main characters, start a new life by moving to Canada. In the beginning, Polly and Jack are homeless and living in London, England, where they have barely any money. Dr. Barnardo, a very religious man who is dedicated to helping the needy, insists that they go to his shelter, Stepney. At Stepney, Polly and Jack are well educated and their needs are taken care of. Within a short period of time, Polly is sent to a Girls’ Village Home to learn basics like sewing and cooking. Time passes quickly and before they know it, Jack and Polly are on their way to Canada to work on a farm. Jack works and lives on the Whippleys’ farm and Polly does the same at the Sommers’. Although they are sent to separate farms, they see each other at church. Mr. Whippley works Jack too hard, and Jack feels that this is not the life for him. As a result, he runs away to a farm near Toronto. Meanwhile, Polly, with some trials and tribulations, is enjoying learning new things at the Sommers’ farm. She works very hard to prove to them that although she is a small girl, she is capable of doing anything she sets her mind to. In the spring, the Barnardo people find Jack. One day soon after when he helps save Mrs. Sommers’ life, he is welcomed into their home. For once, Polly and Jack are not thought of as ‘Home Children’, but as family.