Big Ideas in Narrative Writing

A narrative is a story told by a narrator.

The narrator may have a direct part in that experience. They may be a direct participant as a first person narrator or may observe the events as a third person narrator.

Narrative can take different forms: Personal Narrative: a personal recount of a story written in first person. Fictional Narrative: is an imaginative recount and can be written in first or third person. Non-Fiction Narrative: is a factual recount written in a storytelling voice.

Elements of narrative writing include: Characters: the people or animals in the story. Setting: the location(s) and time(s) in which story events take place. Plot: the sequence of events. Confliction: the challenge the character(s) face. Resolution: how the character(s) over comes the challenge(s).

Good narrative writing includes: • a clear beginning, middle and end. • main character(s) and setting(s). • use of precise detail and figurative language to create a picture in the reader’s mind. • a powerful lead which hooks the reader. • a narrator (storyteller) voice. • uses dialogue, thoughts, and feelings to develop character(s) and bring them to life. • has scenes to show different action. • has a story arc with events building up to a climax and leading down to a resolution. • allows the reader to see the events through the eyes of the narrator. • has an ending that gives the reader a sense of closure.

The process of narration is intuitive to humans. We are a storytelling culture. Developmentally people begin as oral storytellers and move to written storytelling. In our daily lives we text, email, call and interact with others on social media telling the stories of our lives.