NARRATIVES

Write this in your Warm-Up Journal:

LEQ 1: What is a narrative? Answer: A story or account of events or

experiences. Narratives can be fictional, or based on actual events.

Fact vs. Fiction

Many people think that all narratives are completely fictional (made-up,) but that’s not necessarily true.

A narrative can be a made up story, but it can also be a description of something that actually happened to you (personal narrative.)

All narratives must include three concepts:

CharactersSettingPlot

Structure of Narratives

All narratives follow a set of steps called the plot diagram.

These steps are:ExpositionRising ActionClimaxFalling ActionResolution

Exposition

The exposition serves as the introductory phase of the story.

In the exposition, you are introduced to the:CharactersSettingConflict

Additionally, the exposition establishes the point-of-view in which the story will be written.

Conflict

There are many types of conflict in narratives. Some of these include:

Character vs. Character Character vs. Self Character vs. Nature Character vs. Society

Rising Action

During the rising action portion of the story, a few important events occur:

1. You learn more about the characters. Often, secondary characters are introduced.

2. The conflict is further revealed.3. Tension builds.

Climax

The climax serves as the turning point of the story.

Typically, this is the part of the story in which the main character directly confronts the conflict.

As a result, tension is usually the highest during the climax.

Falling Action

During the falling action phase, the conflict begins to be resolved.

Ideally, this leads to a return towards normalcy for the characters (i.e. life begins to return back to normal.)

The reason falling action is so important is because it helps the tension decrease after the climax.

Resolution

By the time of the resolution, the conflict has been resolved.

It is important to consider that not all narratives have a resolution.

Sometimes an author deliberately avoids a resolution so that the story can continue in later narratives.

Other Considerations

A few other important concepts for authors to consider are:

Selection of Point-of-ViewPacingCharacterizationCharacter Development

Selection of Point-of-View

Authors must be careful when selecting which point-of-views to use.

First Person Point-of-View

It is easy to recognize first person point-of-view because it uses pronouns such as I, me, my, mine, we, or us.

First person point-of-view often tells the story from the perspective of the main character.

While this point-of-view can give unique insight into the feelings and thoughts of the character telling the story, the audience is limited on information because it is only coming from one character.

Third Person Point-of-View

Third person point-of-view can be recognized through the use of third person pronouns such as he, she, it, they, them, him, her, his, hers, its, their, or theirs.

Third person point-of-view can be limited or omniscient.

In third person limited, the narrator focuses on the perspective of one character in the story.

In third person omniscient, the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all the characters in the story.

Pacing

Authors must be careful that their narratives do not move too quickly or too slowly.

This is called pacing. If the plot moves too quickly, readers

may have difficulty keeping up with the events. They may also forget important points.

In the plot moves too slowly, readers may become bored and lose interest in the piece.

Characterization

Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character.

There are two major types of characterization: direct characterization and indirect characterization.

Direct Characterization

By using direct characterization, the author tells the audience what a character’s personality is.

Ex. The shy girl sat by herself in the cafeteria.

Indirect Characterization

By using indirect characterization, the author shares details that show a character’s personality.

Ex. The girl avoided any eye contact with her peers as she nervously scurried across the cafeteria. She hurriedly made her way to a table in an isolated corner where she always ate alone.

The author can accomplish indirect characterization through a variety of ways: STEAL.

STEAL

Speech What does the characters say? How does the character speak?

Thoughts What is revealed through the character’s private thoughts and feelings?

Effect on others

What is revealed through the character’s effect on other people? How do other characters feel or behave in reaction to the character?

Actions What does the character do? How does the character behave?

Looks What does the character look like? How does the character dress?

Character Development

Character development is the way a character changes throughout a piece.

Static characters are characters whose personalities change little, if at all.

Dynamic characters are characters whose personalities change due to their actions or experiences.

QUESTIONS?