Narrative Writing

Learning to tell a tale

What happens next?

JOURNAL

What is a narrative?

• A story told and the order in which it is told

• May be fiction or non-fiction

Elements of a StorySetting: time and place of story.

Conflict: problem in the story.

Plot: what happens in the story that surrounds the problem

Types of Characters

• Protagonist• Antagonist• Supporting Characters

What is Plot Structure?

Most stories follow a pattern.We will study the most common pattern.This is a way of identifying parts of a story.

Plot Structure

Climax FallingAction

RisingAction

Exposition Resolution

ExpositionEvents before the plot is set in motion. (How it begins)

• Characters • Setting • Exposition ends when the conflict begins.

Example

Rising Action

Any important events leading up to the climax.

ClimaxThe turning point in the story.

The point of crisis and may be the most exciting part

• Main character may learn something new• A change takes place• Now the conflict can be addressed.

Falling Action

Events after the climax.

Events leading toward the resolution.

Resolution

Events after the conflict is resolved.

Simply: How the story ends.

Tips for Identifying

1. First, identify the climax

2. The climax usually isn’t the most exciting part of the story.

Things go from bad to good or from good to bad.

Review

Story Structure

Climax FallingAction

RisingAction

Exposition Resolution

Not every story follows this pattern, but most do.

Bellringer•Journal: Write about what a

perfect birthday party would be like. Who would be there? What would you see? Hear? Taste? Touch?

• Be as descriptive as possible.

Sensory Details

“There was a dog in the alley.” = 7 words“There was a wet, one-eyed beagle covered in black mud, smelling like the inside of a sewage drainpipe in the alley next to the deserted bus station.” = 27 words

A thunderstorm

• How does it make you feel?

• Smell like?• What do the clouds

look like? What does the rain gathering in the streets look like?

• What does it sound like?

• What does the rain taste like?

A Rock Concert

• How does it make you feel?

• Smell like?

• What do you see?

• What does it sound like?

An Abandoned House

• How does it make you feel?

• Smell like?

• What do you see inside?

• What do you hear?

Quiz Tuesday/Wednesday on the following:

6 Traits of Writing- Be able to identify by definition or by question askedex:

Identifying Simple Parts of Speech in a sentence-• Nouns• Adjectives• Verbs (also helping verbs)

Sentences• Identifying fragments and subjects (remember subjects identify who or

what)Plot Structure of a Narrative-Know what exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution isMust be able to rewrite sentences using sensory details