Writing a NarrativeGrade 7/8 Language Arts

An account of a sequence of events, usually in the order that they occurred.

Narrative is the general term for telling a story.

What is a Narrative?

There are two main kinds of narratives:◦Fictional (made up)◦Nonfiction (true)

Types of Narrative

In a fictional narrative, the writer creates the characters, decides on the setting and plans the story to teach some kind of lesson to the reader.

Fictional Narrative

In a nonfiction narrative, the writer learns about a real person or event and writes a story to tell the reader about that person or event in an interesting way.

A non-fiction narrative can also be used to teach the reader a lesson

Non-Fiction Narrative

All narratives should have several characters, different settings, some kind of conflict and a message.

When writing it is important to plan out all of the elements so your narrative is complete and well thought out.

All Narratives

BrainstormingWhat makes up a narrative?

Clear purpose (a message or lesson you want to leave with your reader)

Planning (brainstorming and outline) Organization (Sentences & Paragraphs) and…

◦ Beginning (Introduction)◦ Middle (Body rising action, climax, falling action)◦ End (Conclusion)

Dialogue (talking between people or characters) Descriptive language (create vivid images for

reader)

What Makes a Good Narrative?

Purpose (why are you writing?) Audience (who are you writing for?) Form (what is the best way to

communicate your ideas?)

When writing you ALWAYS need consider…

Writing With Purpose! A narrative should always have a specific

point◦ A narrative strives to teach a lesson or make a

specific point◦ A narrative is not a diary entry – the story

always has a purpose

Writing With Purpose! To write with purpose you need to plan If you don’t your story will ramble on and

on, but it will have no clear purpose and no clear beginning, middle, and end.

A long story doesn’t equal a good story

Steps to Writing a Narrative

Writing Prompt Write a short narrative that illustrates

the importance of following directions

What Would You Expect From This Prompt? As the reader, you will expect to learn why

following directions is important. As the reader, you will also expect there to

be a twist in the action.

ExampleHere’s how you could approach it…

Outline the Parts of the Story and Write Out the StoryAn Informal Outline of the Story: Two campers go camping and ignore rules They leave out food An animal finds the food One of the campers tries to scare off the

animal Campers learn to follow the rules

Let’s Read The ExampleIt was a wonderful week to camp in the great outdoors, even if some of their friends thought it was a strange way to honeymoon. Amanda and Jeff were looking forward to their week at Banff National Park in Alberta. Little did they know what a learning experience this trip would be. Oftentimes people do not follow simple directions. However, these campers learned just how important following directions can be.

Your Turn!

Write a short narrative that illustrates the importance of following directions

Improve Your Dialogue

What is Dialogue?It's the conversation that takes place between characters in a story. You can tell more about your characters' thoughts and  feelings if you include dialogue in your stories.

Let's look at a story without dialogue.Sharing a room with her sister wasn't always fun.  Kristi was tired of always cleaning up after her sister Ashley. Just because they shared a room, that doesn't mean they had to share the mess!  Ashley was always leaving dirty dishes on her desk, and there were always dirty clothes under the bed.  Kristi had tried to talk to Ashley about cleaning up the mess, but somehow talking didn't help.

Let's add some dialogue to that story.Sharing a room with her sister wasn't always fun.  Kristi was tired of always having to clean up their room.

"Ashley, you've left your clothes on the floor again!  I'm not picking them up for you this time," remarked Kristi.  "I'm sorry, Kristi, I don't mean to be a slob!" joked Ashley.  "I just don't notice the mess--really!  I guess it just doesn't bother me,” exclaimed Kristi. "Well, it bothers me!  You know it does," said Kristi.

"I'll try harder, I guess," sighed Ashley.  "But I can’t promise anything.  Neatness just isn't my thing!"

Your audience will have a better understanding of Kristi and Ashley after reading the conversation that takes place between them.    It's more interesting to read...AND...it helps to understand how both Kristi and Ashley  FEEL .

Dialogue lets you tell so much more about your characters.

It allows your readers to understand your characters more too.

Reminder   When writing dialogue you must remember to:

1.Use Quotation Marks. 2.Identify who is speaking. 3.Indent each time the speaker changes. 4.Use commas and other punctuation

correctly.

Where is the Punctuation? Look at the example on your sheet. Take note of what punctuation is being

used and where it is being used.

Said is Dead!!!

Using a ThesaurusA thesaurus can extend your word power.

declaredexclaimed

questioned replied

repeatedbellowed

shoutedresponded

whisperedasked

Read the following story:Paul and his dad were planning their first fishing trip of the year.  Paul wasn't sure what to bring with him, so he asked his dad.  His dad told him to bring his pole.  His dad would bring everything else.  His dad also told him to dress warmly because it's always cold in the morning near the lake.  Paul told his dad he was excited about going and would have trouble sleeping. Rewrite the story adding dialogue. 

Check it Over! Trade with a partner and look it over

Did they…

1.Use Quotation Marks. 2.Identify who is speaking. 3.Indent each time the speaker changes. 4.Use commas and other punctuation correctly.5.Use synonyms for ‘said’

Here's a sample of what your story might look like.Notice the quotation marks and commas.  Check your story to make sure you have the correct punctuation.         Paul and his dad were planning their first fishing trip of the year.         "What should I pack, Dad?" asked Paul.  "I don't want to forget anything."  "Just bring your pole, Paul.  I've got everything else we'll need already in the car," remarked Paul’s Dad.  "Mom's already packed us a big lunch.  We want to get an early start!"        "Should I bring a sweatshirt?" questioned Paul.        "Oh, it's always cool in the morning near the lake.  You'll need more than a sweatshirt.  You need to make sure you dress warm."        Paul headed up to bed.  "I don't think I'll be able to sleep, Dad.  I'm too excited!“ exclaimed Paul.

[Being Unprepared] Because you have been sick, out of town, busy at work, or working on other homework, you didn't have as much time to study for an important test as you needed. Everyone going to school has been in this situation. Think of a specific test that you took that you felt unprepared for and narrate the events. Tell your readers about the preparation that you were able to do, the reasons that you didn't get to prepare as well as you wanted, taking the test, and any significant events that happened after you took the test. Your narrative should help readers understand what it felt like to be unprepared and why it is a good idea to be more prepared.

Prompt

[Standing Up] Choose a time when you did something that took a lot of nerve, a time when you didn't follow the crowd or a time when you stood up for your beliefs. Perhaps your friends were urging you to do something that you were uncomfortable with and you chose not to cave into peer pressure. Maybe you took a stance on a political issue that was important in your community. Whatever you choose, think about the details of the event and write a story that tells about what happened. Your narrative should show your readers why you decided to make a stand or try something that took nerve, give specifics on the events, and share how you felt after the event.

Prompt

Dialogue needs to:1.Use Quotation Marks. 2.Identify who is speaking. 3.Indent each time the speaker changes. 4.Use commas and other punctuation

correctly.5.Use synonyms for ‘said’

Review

Why do we always have so much homework said Tim

I think it is because sometimes we don’t work very hard in class said Sally

I guess you’re right, sometimes I’m not very focused

We could all do better at that. Let’s hold each other more accountable

REVIEW: Fix the Dialogue

Similes

Complete the following:1. The sun sank in the west like…2. The baby opened its mouth for food like…3. When he left, it was quiet…4. The shadow hung on the wall like…5. His words were as painful as…6. The sun on the water was like…7. On roller skates she looked as awkward as…8. The sky was as blue as…9. The clouds rolled across the sky like..10. After our huge dinner of fish and chips, we felt like…

Simile: A comparison using “like” or “as”

Examples: My attention was as far away as love on a battlefield.Her skin is pale as eggshells.

METAPHORSA metaphor is like a simile. That's because it is a comparison that is made between things, which is not always likely or obvious. We don’t use ‘like’ or ‘as’ in a metaphor.

We often use metaphors without realizing it. For instance, when we say that your parents 'bark a command' at you, you are comparing them to a dog, and hence engaging in metaphor! Other Metaphors

A heart of stone He has the heart of a lion You are the sun in my sky You are the light in my life Love is a lemon - either bitter of sweet

Sensory Language

Good writers use sensory language Sensory language addresses the five senses When writing consider:

◦ Smells◦ Sounds◦ Sights◦ Tastes◦ Textures

Sensory Language

Write a 2-3 paragraph story about trip to the fair.

Create Metaphors

Try to write three metaphors for each of the following examples:

the sun an appleclouds cheesea cat the oceanfog anger

LEARNING INTENTION: to understand that a metaphor is a word picture in which the writer replaces the thing to be described with another image. It makes a more direct and vivid comparison to a simile.

Examples: The moon is a pearl from a necklace.

Personification

Give the following items human characteristics:

wind refugee campnight coldmoon war

LEARNING INTENTION: to understand that in personification, the non-human is identified with the human or given human characteristics.

Examples: The steel beam clenched its muscles.Clouds limped across the sky.The pebbles on the path were grey with grief.Cricket has been good to me.

    The New Zealand dollar had a quiet month.  Life dealt him a heavy blow.

Onomatopoeia

Write onomatopoeia for the following:

gun sound windbomb tankplanes walking in snow

LEARNING INTENTION: to understand that Onomatopoeia is found in a group of words that attempts to replicate certain sounds.

We have words like woof-woof, or bow wow, tweet-tweet, and cock-a-doodle doo. However, these words are still the creation of the human mind.

Examples: crackle, splat, ooze, squish, boom. The tyres whirr on the road.The pitter-patter of soft rain.The mud oozed and squished through my toes.

IMPACTShow Don’t TellTo write what is happening in the story without explicitly stating it.Telling sentence: Joe was old.Showing sentence: Joe creaked when he moved, his arthritic limbs

bowed beneath the weight of his eighty years

Below are some telling sentences which simply state facts. Transform them into showing sentences:1. It was cold on the beach.2. Dad was angry.3. My friend is a great rugby player.4. The house needed repairs.5. The car braked suddenly.

Make every word count

Rewrite these sentences, eliminating all the unnecessary words to make each sentence more precise.

1. He looked at Mike. Mike was his brother.2. The people that I would like to tell you about are my father and mother.3. He let me know that the contest the Bulldogs were in resulted in a win

for the Bulldogs.4. In the vase were some daffodils. The vase of daffodils was on the

table.5. This recipe deals with and describes one method used to attain the

desired result in the preparation of scrambled eggs.

You can improve your writing by removing unnecessary words. It is possible to eliminate unnecessary words but still retain the same information.

First Draft The idea was thought of by Jim at four o’clock early in the morning. (14 words)

Revised Jim’s idea came at 4 am. (6 words)

Create Word PicturesWe can add details to a sentence to make an image more vivid and life-like.Bland The man had a hairy face.Interesting The hair on Mr Smith’s face didn’t grow smooth

and matted as it does on most hairy-faced men. It grew in spikes that struck out straights like

bristles of a nail brush.

Rewrite these sentences using details to make the image live.1. The room was dark2. The girl ran3. His dog was unwashed and smelly4. The lady next door is a busy body.

Focus on the FactsWe can add on sufficient information to help the reader understand better.Example A boat came to the island.

What kind of boat was it?Who was aboard the boat?What were the feelings of the passengers about reaching the island?When did the boat arrive?What was the purpose of the visit?

Read the following sentences. What questions would you ask the writer to ensure that all the essential information was given.1. I don’t like school.2. My aunt is in hospital.3. We like going out for dinner.Rewrite each of the sentences with sufficient information.

Replace Overworked Words

For my birthday I got lots of presents.It was a lovely day.We got off the train at Wellington.My sister got fifty dollars a week.In the war, lots of men got injured.Feeling annoyed, the teacher went out of the room.We had a nice holiday in Dunedin where we met many nice people.

LEARNING INTENTION: To think of as many different ways as you can to express the same idea.

Example: Mary is a good person. Mary is a lovely person. Mary is a wonderful person. Mary is a superb person. Mary is a delightful person.

Strong VerbsBy using strong verbs we can express movement and help to create a picture in the reader’s mind.Well-chosen verbs can give writing power. With throttles open all the way, big bad Bruce and his gang charge down the highway on their Harleys. Bruce blasts along the highway at top speed. Icy wind whacks into his face. He whacks it back, twice as hard. He zooms around corners and shoots up the straight. He pushes his bike to the max.

from Big Bad Bruce by Dianne BatesWrite a description of the action in each of these phrases using strong

verbs.• a man kicking a door• a lion stalking prey• a rabbit digging a hole• a getaway car speeding around a corner• a dog chasing a cat