What is narrative writing?

• Narrative writing tells a story or part of a story.

The general characteristics of narrative writing include:

• plot structure – introduction – rising action – climax – falling action – resolution

• conflict • characterization • setting • theme • point of view • sequencing • transitions

When do authors use narrative writing?

• Narrative writing appears in and is not limited to novels, short stories, biographies, autobiographies, historical accounts, essays, poems, and plays.

Parts of a Story  

Beginning

• Introduction and focus, pulls in the reader• Good if you jump right into it and begin the story

right away. The prompt may be stated or implied, or it may come later in the middle of the story. It shouldn't drag on. The beginning is crucial in a narrative; it sets the stage for everything else that follows. All the following questions should be answered as quickly as the story begins: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

Middle• Development, Movement, action, focus on prompt, elaboration's and

details• This is the heart or the meat of the story - the most important part in

the development of the problem or the situation. The middle should be well elaborated with lots of action to show what is happening. If you have not mastered writing the middle, you will start listing things - descriptions that don't move, or sentences relaying states of being that don't develop the story or provide any action, just statements of being. For example: the house is blue, the car is red, and he is cool). Some listing is okay, as long as the other components of good writing are evident. Papers that list and stall, or list and end in a hurry are typical "2" papers. The details and elaboration must be relevant to what is happening in the story; otherwise it is listing.

End

• Ties up all loose ends, has a resolution and a reaction

• Only papers with endings are passing papers. At the end of the story the reader should know what happened or what the result of the problem or situation was. You should also express a resolution (problem/situation resolved and how) and a reaction.

TRANSITITIONAL WORDS• Additional facts-   again, also, another, and besides, finally, further,

furthermore, in conclusion, initially, next, to begin with• Similarities- as, as though, also, in the same way, like, similarly• Contrasts- although, but, despite, either, even though, however, if,

in spite of, instead, neither, still, unless, yet• Place- above, among, adjacent, below, beyond, farther, nearby,

opposite, there, under• Cause- because, since, for this reason• Result- as a result, consequently, for this reason, obviously, so,

therefore• Specific Examples- a few of these are, especially, for example, in

particular, specifically• Emphasis- basically, essentially, certainly, in fact, indeed, of course• Time- after, afterward, as soon as, before, finally, later, now, not

long after, until, when, while

DEAD WORDSSome words in the English language tend to be overused and therefore lose their power.  These are called Dead Words.  Below is a list of dead words and more interesting alternatives that should be

used in their place when you are writing.

• Also:     too, moreover, besides, as well as, in addition to• Awesome, Cool, Rad:    fine wonderful, marvelous, great, fantastic• Scared:      afraid, fearful, terrified, frightened• Have to:      need to, must• Very:      extremely, exceedingly, fantastically, unusually, incredibly,        intensely, truly, fully, especially,

shockingly, bitterly,  immeasurably,  infinitely, severely, surely, mightily, powerfully,       chiefly• Like:     such as, similar to, similarly• Kid:      child, boy, girl, youngster, youth• Mad:      angry, frustrated, furious, incensed, enraged• Got, Get:      received, obtained, attained, succeed in• Then:      first, second, next, later, finally, afterward, meanwhile, soon• Nice:      pleasant, charming, fascinating, captivating, delightful,         pleasurable, pleasing• Lots:      Numerous, heaps, many, scores, innumerable• So:      thus, accordingly, therefore• Fun:      pleasant, pleasurable, amusing, entertaining, jolly• Good:      excellent, exceptional, fine, marvelous, splendid, superb,         wonderful• But:      however, moreover, yet, still, nevertheless, though, although, on the    other hand• Awful:      dreadful, alarming, frightful, terrible, horrid, shocking• Great:      wonderful, marvelous, fantastic• Guy:      man, person, fellow, boy• Funny:     amusing, comical, laughable, jovial

Name a time that you were very surprised. Write a story

about what happened that surprised you. – On my ninth birthday it came a big storm. My

dad went out on the porch and lookted up and it started to sleet he came back and after that abouit an hour it started to hail. Theice got as big as golf balls. Fiten manits lator thay go biger and untill thay were the size of baceballs. My mom was out in it driving. But she got luckie it just sleated where Dad siad that it was a tornado he got some of the hail that had busted in fore peaces he put it in the freaser and left it there

Name a time that you were very surprised. Write a story about what

happened that surprised you.   – One day I was surprised. I was surprised on my birthday. It was

July 28, 1995. My friends came over. My friends are Ashley, Ashley, Heather, and Casey. They are girls.

–  Then we played Bingo. We played for dolles. My friend Kim came late. When she go there we whent and jumped on my trampaleen. My mom pop 6 bags of popcorn. We lied down on the trampaleen and talk about our club we had.

–  Next we talked about boys. We got of.  We went in side and ate lunch. We ate soup. We got threw. Got are swiwing-soups on and got in the pool.

–  Finaly we swam in the pool tille super. We ate hotdogs. We wached TV. It was time to got to bed. My dad said I was having a sleepover. Then some ovey my friends sleap on the flor and my waterbed.

–  I feel good for my friends to surprise me on my birthday. We will be friends forever. I was happy. My friends are happy too.

Name a time that you were very surprised. Write a story

about what happened that surprised you. The Magnificent Surprise

–  One bright sunny day I was sitting on my couch watching t.v. I looked out the window and saw a truck pull up in the driveway. The truck had a shiny white, and blue trailor behind it. I figured they were just turning around.

–  All of a sudden I heard the doorbell ring. I got up and opened the door. There was a tall man in a blue suit at the door. He asked "if he could see my dad."  I told him, "I would go and get him." My dad came to the door. They talked for quite a while.

–  I was very curious to know what they were talking about. Before I knew it they had gone outside. My dad called me and "told me to come here." When I got outside I saw my dad holding on to a horse. I loved horses. All my life I had wanted one, I figured the man had come to get his horse a shot or a checkup. My dad said, "this horse is for you. I couldn't believe it. I figured my ear's were playing tricks on me, but they weren't. The man gave us the saddle, briddle, holter, and lead rope. Then he left. I very surprised. The horse's name is Toby. He is brown, with a few white spot's on him, and a golden blonde maine and tail.

 In conclusion I felt extremly good when I recieved the horse. It was a total surprise. That was the best surprise I could have ever recieved.

Name a time that you were very surprised. Write a story

about what happened that surprised you. There have been lots of times that I have been very surprised. But the one time I remember

the best was one Christmas when I got my first kitten….  It was Christmas Eve morning. There was a slight breeze in the house. I woke up humming

gracefully. I walked to my window and peeked out. Snow was falling softly, landing on the ground making white hills. I sighed. Christmas was the next day. I couldn't wait for Santa to come and place presents under the tree. Christmas Day was such a wonderful day.

  That night my brother, sister, and I got a plate out from the cabinet and put cookies all around it. We put a halfway filled glass of milk in the middle for Santa. We added carrots on another plate for the reindeer. After that I changed into my pj's and my dad tucked me into bed.   The next morning was Christmas! I went into my brother and sister's room to wake them up. Then I woke my parents up. We all went downstairs. When I got in the living room I saw shining presents everywhere! I ran to my presents and got the stuff out of my stocking. I sat down to play with them. As I started playing, I noticed a shiny blue present with holes in it behind the tree. I crawled behind the tree and picked it up. It had my name on it. I put it in my lap and sat on the couch and tore off the wrapping paper. It was a box. When I opened the box lid out jumped an orange striped kitten with big, round, blue eyes. It had a blue ribbon around its neck. The ribbon matched its eyes. It started licking me. I was very surprised. I thanked Santa a million times and went to my room to think of a name for it. I sat on my bed and put the kitten next to me. I stared at me with its big eyes. Then it crawled into my lab and started to purr. It liked me a lot. I decided to name the kitten Lovely because she loved me so much. I picked her up and played with her until dinnertime. She was really fun to play with. At nighttime when my dad tucked me in I asked him if Lovely could sleep with me. He said yes and put her next to me on my bed. She put her paw on my heart and purred. Soon I fell asleep. So did Lovely.

And that was a time that I was very surprised. I got Lovely as a kitten, and I still have her. She is now a mother of three baby kittens. All with big, round, blue eyes-just like their mother.     THE END

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Examples

• Write a story about your the best celebration you have ever had; tell why this is your favorite.

• Think of a time when you were nervous. It might be your first plane ride or the first time you slept over night with a friend. Tell what happened and how you reacted.

• Write a fictional story about being an eyewitness at an historical event.