The Methods of Engaging a Reader
DESCRIPTION
THE BEDFORD READER CHAPTER 4
NARRATION IN ADVERTISEMENTS
Turn to pages 80-81
 Look at the advertisement and answer the
questions in the blue box

WHAT DOES “DYNAMIC TENSION” INVOLVE?

www.charlesatlas.com
DISCUSS

Turn to an elbow partner and discuss. Be ready
to share
TELLING A STORY

Let’s read pages 82-83 together

Anecdotes add:
 Color
 Specifics
 Are
memorable
THE PROCESS

Every story has a purpose
 Read
“Purpose and Shape” p. 83
THE THESIS
In narration there is no formal thesis
 However, by the end of the
writing a thesis should be
obvious

THE NARRATOR IN THE STORY
Narratives report personal experience
 narrator=speaker
 First person=“I”
 Third person=“he” she” “they”

TENSE OF TEXT

Unlike writing about literature, a narrated story
can be…
 Present
tense (I stare, he stares)
 Past tense (I stared, he stared)
WHAT TO EMPHASIZE

You need to tell the whole story (think of a
newspaper article)
 What
happened?
 Who took part/
 When?
 Where?
 Why did it take place?
 How did it happen?
SCENE VERSUS SUMMARY

Two main strategies of narration:
 Tell
it by scene
 As
if it were a movie, vivid description
 Turn to page 82-83. Read the scene and record what the
author is doing
 Tell
it in summary
 Relate
events concisely
 Just the essentials
ASSIGNMENT
Write two paragraphs, one as a summary and
one as a scene. Write the same story but in
these two different narrative ways.
 Topic:


The main character (you can name them)
travels forward in time.
CHAPTER 4 DAY TWO

Organization of narration
 Chronological:
the order in which it happens
 “in medias res” (in the middle of things): a dramatic
event
 Flashback
VERBS, VERBS, VERBS

Narration is heavily dependent upon verbs to
 Clarify
 Enliven
 Ex:
 Weak:
The wind made an awful noise.
 Strong: The wind roared around the house and rattled
the trees.
VERB EXERCISE
Sentence
My leg hurts," she ____
" I found it on the field. Don't tell
anyone," he ____
"It's mine I found it. Give it back,"
he ____
"It's mine I found it! Give it back
now,"
he ____
Speaker is Feeling
Alternative to Said
VERBS YOU COULD HAVE USED:
yelled
shouted
growled
bellowed
exclaimed
roared
grumbled
stammered
sobbed
whimpered
cried
pleaded
whispered
mumbled
interrupted
retorted
continued
explained
squealed
laughed
replied
warned
objected
asked
answered
ACTIVITY

Now choose 10 words from the previous slide
and write a short story using all 10.
(I was going for “squealed” here”) 