The Art of Narrative Writing

August 11, 2014

English 9

Mr. Pettine

Narrative Writing

What is a story?

What are some things all stories have in common?

What are some of the words we use to talk about stories?

Short Clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6I24S72Jps

This is really annoying, but I bet you’ll remember the words.

Narrative Writing Assignment

Over the course of this semester, you will turn in 4 sections of a short story.

Each “episode” will be 1-4 pages. You should concentrate on one main character and a small group of supporting characters.

Warnings

Avoid profanity. You may write however you like outside of class, but profanity is inappropriate for class assignments.

Beware of abuse stories. I must report abuse to school.

Avoid excessive violence and sexual themes. Keep violence to an “cowboys movie” level (Villain clutches stomach and falls to ground). Keep displays of affection PG.

Narrative Writing Assignment

Grading:

Each narrative episode, in order to earn a passing grade (70), must contain at least four of the eight criteria listed on the checklist. Refer to the following scale:

Meets 4 of the 8 criteria= 70

Meets 5 of the 8 criteria= 77

Meets 6 of the 8 criteria= 85

Meets 7 of the 8 criteria= 92

Meets 8 of the 8 criteria= 100

The Criteria

Dialogue

Point of View

Conflict

Imagery

Setting

Introduce and develop characters and narrator

Format (indention)

Sequencing

Dialogue

Dialogue is the spoken communication between the characters. Dialogue is set apart by quotation marks and indented. Thought is depicted using italics and does not use quotation marks.

John sighed and said, “No one believes we will win this game. I do, this town does, and so does Coach Prescott!”

I cheer them on to victory, but I don’t really believe it.

Point of View

1st Person – The narrator is the main character and the audience only knows his or her thoughts and motives.

2nd Person – Written from the viewpoint of “you.” Only a few experimental French novels written in this view – don’t do it.

3rd Person Limited – Narrator is disembodied voice which knows the thoughts / motives of one character. Most modern fiction uses this.

3rd Person Omniscient – Narrator knows all, sees all, about all characters.

Conflict

Conflict - the problem that drives the story. It could be internal, external or both

Man vs. Self – character battles against self to overcome some problem

Man vs. Nature – character battles nature in order to survive; survival stories (Gary Paulsen, Jack London)

Man vs. Man – character battles aginst other human

Man vs. Society – character must challenge a societal tradition / belief in order to reach goal

Imagery

Imagery - creates a picture in the reader’s head by using the senses (sensory details).

TWO EXAMPLES: John walked into the classroom and sat down. John lazily walked into Mr. Brown’s classroom.

The students were diligently working of their grammar exercises. John looked at the poster of Shakespeare and wondered what it would have been like to see one of his plays. As Ms. Simms cleared her throat to get John’s attention, he scurried to the counter and took a sheet of paper. He slumped into his desk, accidentally bumping into Shelly, his classmate.

Setting

Setting: the time, place and social circumstances in the story. All are not directly stated. Social circumstances mean what is going on in that time: Is there a war going on around the characters?

Example: Time: 1958 Setting: US Army base in Korea, Cold War Social circumstances: John Lancaster misses his

family and worries about possible war with the Soviet Union

Caution Regarding Setting

Your setting may be realistic or fantasy

Beware of choosing a setting you know little about

Example: Dog races in 1930s Alaska. The life of a buccaneer in 1640s Caribbean.

Warnings from Last Semester

The “dead parents” or “car crash” story – Inordinate number of car crash / dead parents stories. If you do this, do you know where story is going over four chapters? Most people did not.

The “sports hero” story – It’s fine if you want to write about sports, but make sure you don’t have the protagonist win the game in the first chapter!

Introduction / Development of Characters

Introduction - the exposition of each story. It includes the setting, characters, and background. Once the exposition is established, the remaining episodes should develop the setting as well as character(s)/narrator(s).

Two types of character: Static (characters do not change) and Dynamic (characters change throughout the story – John overcomes his worries and successfully completes a jet spy mission)

Aim for dynamic characters!

Format

Format - Characters’ or narrators’ speech are always accompanied by quotation marks and their thoughts are often italicized. Indentions are necessary to separate dialogue from prose.

Sequencing

Sequencing – Sequencing is the pacing and order of the story. Authors choose these sequences to suit their purposes in the story. Most common story sequences follow: chronological order, flashback, and flash-forward (or it may be a combination of any of them).

Plot – Your Old Friend!

Episode One will likely deal with Exposition and beginning of rising action.

A More Realistic Plot Pyramid

Identifying Plot Stages

Read Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s narrative poem, “The Ride of Paul Revere”

Follow along to reading – I will be watching who is actually reading along.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7IAwUQkmho

Identifying Plot Stages

On a sheet of notebook paper, identify where the stages of the pyramid begin with regards to “The Ride of Paul Revere”

Character Development

Fill out character questionnaire

On opposite side of sheet, draw circle with dotted line down the middle – Put character’s good qualities on left, troublesome qualities on right

Cliches

AVOID CLICHES when trying to describe your characters:

“as pretty as a rose,” “face like a flower,” “she was pure as the most refined gold”

-- Very few successful stories start with “Slam, bang, pow, etc.” This is not elementary school, you know more about stories.