NARRATIVE WRITINGContributions from “Writing to Command Success” Workshop By Mark Diamond

CAN YOU BUILD A HOUSE WITHOUT A BLUE PRINT?

No, it would fall apart!

Without a solid plan, your narrative will fall apart as well creating boredom & confusion for the reader!

STEP 1 – PLAN (PREWRITE)Brainstorming (Reject no ideas!)

Make decisions (about plot, setting, characters)

WOW! LINE

TRICK #1 THE WOW! LINE Draw a horizontal line to represent your narrative. Divide it into 3 parts

WOW!

Beginning Middle End

WHAT IS THE WOW! MOMENT?When reader says, “Wow!” as they read your story.

The most intense part of the story.

Without it, your story is boring.JOT IT DOWN AT THE *

SUSPENSE“Wow!” moment first - then think back to when the story begins.

Your story cannot begin with the “Wow!” moment. It will give it away and ruin it for your readers.

“Once I was stalked by a tiger….”

EXAMPLE WOW! MOMENT My favorite pet parakeet, Mickey, flies out the

kitchen door into a blizzard!

WOW!

Beginning Middle End

REWIND & FAST FORWARD Go back to the beginning of story

Story beginning (Mickey & me – when I first got him, describing him, training him)

Go forward to after the WOW! moment. Search & rescue of Mickey

Make just a few, short notes about the in-between events in the order they happened. Special day for Mickey – out of cage

TRICK #2 THE LEAD First sentence to catch reader’s attention. The LEAD does NOT:

Tell what happens at the WOW moment Mention the what happens to the subject Start like a child: “One day,” “One night,” “One

warm windy Thursday afternoon,” “Hi, my name is Tiffany,” or “Have you ever…?”

“One day I fell and broke my leg.” (BORING)

THE LEAD… is the most important sentence in your

narrative. creates pop up questions in the reader’s

mind so he or she will want to keep reading! Most common effective leads are

Dialogue Small movement What someone thinks or feels

DIALOGUE “Come downstairs, Derick. You’re late,”

squawked my mom.

Pop-up Question(s): “What is Derick late for?”

“Why can’t you be responsible for just once?” Lynda questioned?

Pop-up Question(s): “How was the person not responsible? Is this something I can relate to?”

MOVEMENTAllison kicked the can into the stream.

Pop-up Question(s): Who is Allison? Why is she kicking a can into the stream? Where is she?

The yellow parakeet’s wing brushed my shoulder as it landed on the couch.

Pop-up Question(s): Why is there a parakeet flying around the house? Whose parakeet is it?

FEELING/THOUGHTS

“I don’t want to do this,” Jamie thought.

Pop up questions: What doesn’t Jamie want to do?

Beads of sweat formed on my forehead.

Pop up question(s): What’s wrong?

REVIEW Lead is your narrative’s most important

sentence(fiction or non-fiction)

Professional writers don’t start with, “One day..” or “I’m going to tell you about….” or “This is going to be about…” or “One night….” or “Once I broke my leg…”

WHY SHOULD YOU???????

TAKE A LOOK Let’s take a few minutes to examine your

own personal Reading Counts books.

Read the first sentence of your book. Does your book begin with one of these:

Dialogue Small Movement Someone’s thoughts or feelings

1s/2s discuss your books

STEP 2: SLOPPY COPY (1ST DRAFT) Write quickly Don’t worry about mistakes (“WE LOVE EM’!) Use pencil only Write on every 2nd line to leave revising

space Use complete sentences. No erasing!!!! (You might want to put

something back.) Instead - cross it out -------------------

No throwing in the trash (loss of ideas!)

DON’T SWEAT IT! Even professional writers aren’t happy with

the 1st draft.

You’ll add the heart & soul in REVISING.

1st drafts are the bare bones of your story.

STEP 3: REVISING MOST IMPORTANT STEP OF WRITING

Revising “BOOSTS” your writing from

GOOD---------------------------GREAT!!!!!

1) Add Stuff2) Delete Stuff3) Move Stuff4) Substitute better words

TRICK 3 REVISING A

LOCATE THE WOW! MOMENT in the Sloppy Copy

Add specific details Add dialogue It’s alright to make it up if you can’t remember

exact dialogue/happenings ADD in the extra lines

EXAMPLEBefore: As Maria slammed the door behind her, she saw a flash of green shoot toward the clouds.

After: As Maria slammed the door behind her>heard the flutter of wings, and she saw a flash of green shoot toward the clouds.

ADDING MORE THAN A FEW WORDS? Write the extra sentences on a new sheet of

paper. Label the extra sentences with a symbol like

, *, etc. Also place that symbol where the extra

sentences go in your sloppy copy.

TRICK 4 REVISING B

Find the place in the sloppy copy where you first mention the main character or subject.

Add unusual or fascinating details about this person, pet, place or thing.

Add the words between the lines with a caret or on an extra sheet with corresponding symbols.

REVISING B

BEFORE Mickey was a parakeet. He was pretty. We had lots of

fun together.

AFTER Mickey was a fist-sized parakeet. He had a green chest,

yellow head, and black and white wings. I trained him to say 25 expressions, like “Cheeseburger, cheeseburger,” “I love you,” and “Kiss, kiss, kiss, smack, smack, smack.” He learned to sit on my finger, shoulder, and head. We had a lot of fun together, like when he used to sit on the edge of my cereal bowl and throw rice krispies across the table.

TRICK 5 REVISING C Substitute Special Words

Replace normal common words with precise Vivid Uncommon

Words & Phrases

EXAMPLES Maria walked over in the snow and ice. After

she got there, she got the snow and ice off her coat and hat before taking them off. “Want to sit and have some hot chocolate?” said mom.

Maria trudged through the blizzard. After she arrived, she brushed the snow and ice off her coat and hat before removing them.

BOOST!!!! These words and phrases =

Good ---------------------GREAT

“C”-------------------------”A”

TRICK #6 THE CONCLUSION Do not just stop and say “The End.”

“I reached the bottom of the paper.”“ I ran out of time”“I got tired of writing.”“I couldn’t think of anything else to say.”

What works? A thought, A feeling, or A lesson learned

about the main topic.

ENDINGWON AN ELECTION FOR CLASS PRESIDENT After dinner, we drove home, and I went to

sleep.

After dinner, we drove home, and I went to sleep. All that night, I couldn’t stop thinking about the exciting projects I’d be working on as the new class president.

(A THOUGHT, A FEELING, or A LESSON LEARNED ---- ABOUT THE MAIN TOPIC)

TITLES Only hint at what is to come – don’t give

away the “WOW” moment! Make the reader wonder what your story is

about. Save writing a title for after you paper is finished

Our Family Camping Trip – YUCK!

Mountain and Mosquitoes – YES!!!!

PROOFREAD A = In a low voice so your ears hear

B = point to each word with a pencil as you say the word

C = Proofread in slo-mo

PARAGRAPH BREAKS

At the beginning At a change of time At a change of place At a change of speaker in dialogue At a change of ideas, event or topic