What is Narrative Writing?
A type of writing that is designed to tell a
story that is fictional
Some examples
writing are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Plays
Short stories
Novels
Novelettes
Fairy tales
Myths
Picture and story books
of
narrative
The Elements of Narrative Writing
Characters
Atmosphere
Theme
Setting
Plot
What is PLOT?
The series of events in a piece of narrative
writing
The Three Types of Plot Lines
 Flat
 Simple
 Complex
A flat plot line:
•
Has little, if any, action. It contains no
climax, just a beginning, middle, and end
to the story
A simple plot line:
•
•
•
Has an introduction, a rising action, a
climax, a falling action, and a
conclusion
Has one peak of excitement; the
action builds to this point and then
falls off
When it is drawn, it looks like a
mountain with one peak
A complex plot line:
•
Contains more than one climax or
peak of excitement in the action and
may end as a cliffhanger
How do you create a cartoon of the plot of a narrative text?
• Read the text, looking for the major events related to the
story’s plot.
• Write a set of jot notes that capture these plot parts.
• Change these notes into well-written sentences.
• Read over these sentences to make sure they fit together
well and capture the story’s basic plot.
• Proofread the sentences for mechanics.
• Write the sentences under the correct cartoon boxes.
• Draw sketches to capture the events. Label the cartoon.
REMEMBER
TO
STRATEGY SHEET.
USE
THE
Sentences for Cartooning “The Little Match Girl”
• On a cold New Year’s Eve, a little girl is on the
streets of London trying to sell matches.
• When she gets cold, she lights her matches. She
sees visions of a warm stove, a delicious dinner,
and a glorious Christmas tree.
• As she lights her last matches, she sees her
grandmother, the only person who ever loved her.
• The little girl is taken to heaven by her
grandmother.
• The next morning the townspeople find the little
girl dead, but with a smile on her face.
Cartoon of the Plot
“The Little Match Girl”
Climax
Introduction
On a cold New
Year’s Eve, a
little girl is on
the streets of
London trying to
sell matches.
Rising Action
When she gets
cold, she lights
her matches. She
sees visions of a
warm stove, a
delicious dinner,
and a glorious
Christmas. tree.
Falling Action
As she lights her
last matches, she
sees
her
grandmother, the
only person who
ever loved her.
The little girl
is taken to
heaven by her
grandmother.
Conclusion
The next morning
the townspeople
find the little girl
dead, but with a
smile on her face.
Cartoon of the Plot
The Tin Lined Trunk
Climax
Rising Action
Falling Action
Introduction
Two orphans, Polly
and her brother
Jack, live a hard
life on the streets
of London, England.
Conclusion
Dr. Barnardo rescues
the children from
their street life, and
Jack and Polly travel
to Canada where
they are sent to
separate farms to
work. Polly lives with
the Sommers while
Jack moves in with
the Whippleys...
The two children
struggle to survive in
their new homes.
They
face
many
obstacles.
Jack
is
mistreated by his
employer and runs
away.
Fortunately, Jack
is found and comes
to live with the
Sommers, who have
come to accept
Polly as part of
their family. Things
are looking up as
the story ends.
Cartoon of the Plot
The Tin Lined Trunk
Climax
Rising Action
Falling Action
Introduction
Polly and Jack are
sleeping in Spitalfields
Market because they
have no true home. This
is Polly’s first time
sleeping in the market;
she normally goes to
Old Briggs’ for shelter.
Conclusion
Dr. Barnardo finds Polly
and Jack and takes them
to his shelter. Later on,
Polly is sent to a Village
Home where she learns
basics like sewing and
cooking.
Polly and Jack get sent
to Canada where they
each work on separate
farms. Jack lives at the
Whippleys’ while Polly
lives at the Sommers’.
They
do
get
to
occasionally see each
other at church.
Both Polly and Jack
work hard on their
farms, but Jack’s
owner works him too
hard. Jack runs away
and starts working at
a farm close to
Toronto.
Jack is finally found.
One day he saves Mrs.
Sommers’ life and is
invited
into
the
Sommers’ home. The
Sommers no longer see
the children as home
children, but as family.
How do you create a SUMMARY of the plot of a narrative text?
• Follow the steps for creating a cartoon of the plot of a narrative
text. Use the strategy sheet of steps to help you.
• Create a mini-summary that will be used as the topic sentence of
your summary paragraph. Include the text’s title, its author, the
type of writing it is, as well as a brief statement of the text’s
theme.
• Write a first draft of the summary. Begin with a title for the
summary and use the mini-summary as the first sentence. Make
your cartoon sentences a bit more detailed and add transition or
connecting phrases to join the ideas. These sentences will make
the body of the summary paragraph.
• Revise and proofread your paragraph and create a final copy.
REMEMBER
TO
STRATEGY SHEET.
USE
THE
The Ingredients of a Mini-Summary
The fantasy novel, Harry Potter and the Goblet of
Fire, written by J.K. Rowling, is about a young
wizard and his friends who go on many exciting,
and sometimes dangerous, adventures.
•
•
•
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The title of the piece of writing
The name of the author
The type of writing it represents
A brief statement of its theme
Examples of mini-summaries:
• Heartland 6, a novel by Lauren Brooke, is a story
in which Amy Flemming’s fears, feelings, and
passion for saving horses get mixed up with
friendship problems.
• The novel The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva
Ibbotson is about a group of strange characters
that try to return a kidnapped prince to his home
on a far-off island.
• In the novel, Why are the Best Clues Always in
the Garbage?, written by Linda Bailey, a young
detective named Stevie Diamond tries to catch a
thief in her neighbourhood.
A mini-summary:
The short story “The Little Match
Girl”, written by Hans Christian
Andersen, focuses on a little girl
facing death.
A Summary of “The Little Match Girl”
On a cold New Year’s Eve, a poor little girl is out
on the streets of London trying to sell matches. When
she becomes cold, she begins to light her matches to
warm herself and suddenly sees visions of the things she
desires the most: a warm stove, a delicious dinner, and a
Christmas tree surrounded by family. As the story
reaches its climax, she lights her last bunch of matches.
Suddenly, her grandmother, who was the only person
who ever loved her, appears. Sadly, the little girl dies
and is taken to heaven by her grandmother. The story
concludes when the townspeople find the little girl dead
the next morning, with a smile on her face.
A Summary of The Tin Lined Trunk
In the novelette, The Tin Lined Trunk, written by Mary
Hamilton, Polly and Jack, the main characters, start a new life by
moving to Canada. In the beginning, Polly and Jack are homeless and
living in London, England, where they have barely any money. Dr.
Barnardo, a very religious man who is dedicated to helping the needy,
insists that they go to his shelter, Stepney. At Stepney, Polly and Jack
are well educated and their needs are taken care of. Within a short
period of time, Polly is sent to a Girls’ Village Home to learn basics like
sewing and cooking. Time passes quickly and before they know it, Jack
and Polly are on their way to Canada to work on a farm. Jack works and
lives on the Whippleys’ farm and Polly does the same at the Sommers’.
Although they are sent to separate farms, they see each other at
church. Mr. Whippley works Jack too hard, and Jack feels that this is
not the life for him. As a result, he runs away to a farm near Toronto.
Meanwhile, Polly, with some trials and tribulations, is enjoying learning
new things at the Sommers’ farm. She works very hard to prove to them
that although she is a small girl, she is capable of doing anything she
sets her mind to. In the spring, the Barnardo people find Jack. One day
soon after when he helps save Mrs. Sommers’ life, he is welcomed into
their home. For once, Polly and Jack are not thought of as ‘Home
Children’, but as family.