Learning How to Write a
Great Narrative
FICTIONAL STORIES
Have you ever read a story that stays with you long after
you finished reading it? Or where you can’t wait to find out
what happens next?
The light faded slowly from the screen even as
Santron tried frantically to reset the controls. It was no
good. Something was jamming the signal. At this
rate, the entire ship would be blacked out
within….Santron checked the time dial. Three minutes
at most. Santron frowned. Three minutes to fix the
problem or face obliteration! When the sensor buzzed
overhead, Santron swallowed. If ever she needed to
call on her Frontline Trooper skills to get her out of
trouble it was now……
This is only one type of story, - a ‘cliffhanger’ or thriller style of narrative. But
all successful stories ‘hook’ the reader.
Think back to the novels/short stories you
have read and try to determine why you
enjoyed reading some as opposed to others.
What was it about the character/s, the story
itself, or the imaginative world the author
created?
Narrative
When you are asked to write a short story, or asked to do
some "creative writing", you are doing what is called “narrative
writing." Narrative writing is meant to entertain. Part of being
human is getting to tell great stories.
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Examples: Story (personal, true, imaginative), Fable, Myth, Poem,
Play, Biography, and Autobiography.
TYPES OF NARRATIVE
• A narrative is a story with characters and there is
a definite plot line. A narrative normally has a
beginning, a middle and an end.
• There are two types of narrative – fiction and non
fiction
FICTIONAL NARRATIVE
• This includes novels, plays, short stories and mini
sagas.
• In each instance the focus of the writing is what
the writer’s imagination has created, the world and
the situations and the characters he/she has
conceived of and written about.
• Scripts (film, TV and radio) also belong in the fiction
narrative category. They are so different though in
presentation and the demands they make on the
writer, that they have their own section.
NON-FICTION NARRATIVE
• This includes personal narratives (i.e. Real life stories
about yourself or someone else), bibliographies and
autobiographies, as well as feature stories in magazines
and newspapers, and travel articles.
Step One- Get your story rolling
Beginning a narrative
• Talk about where or when the story takes place (setting)
• Introduce a character or continue with a character that
has been introduced and characterized
• Use dialogue that is authentic to the representation of the
character in the story
• Make an interesting/noteworthy comments
• Use action words- vivid verbs and audacious adjectives
Step Two- Use transitions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The next day
When we arrived
Finally
As soon as
Around noon
During
One evening
example
Beginning
One warm, breezy summer night I was trying to get
to sleep. I stared over into the piercing dark to see
my sister, Janice, sleeping fitfully. I had our window
open to let in the cool, caressing air. All of a sudden, I
heard what sounded like a bat go, “squeak, squeak.”
example
Middle
Janice heard it too and with a bloodcurdling scream
scuttled wildly from the room. The door slammed shut like
a prison door sealing my fate, and I was alone with the
bat, my opponent. I stared at the beastly vermin prepared
to do battle with my trusty Louisville slugger that I had
grabbed from under my bed. However, panic and fear
coursed through every fiber of my being causing me to
ultimately quake and throw the blanket over my heard and
scream for help. Finally, my dad heard me and came
running.
example
Middle
As the bat flew wildly and haphazardly
around my room, my dad snuck up on
it with a net. He captured the enemy
and then set it free to fight another day.
Step Three- End Your Story
• Feel a feeling – Thinking about that poor bat still makes
me sad.
• Remember a character- My dad did his best to protect
me.
• Think about the ending/ reflect- Maybe the bat could have
been set free.
example
End
My room was again safe from the
creatures that go bump in the night,
but I never slept with the window
open again.
Step Three- edit, revise, and publish
Edit- spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence
structure
Revise- make it better, reword parts, does the story
make sense?
Publish- recopy or word process and share!
Batty Night
Final Product
One warm, breezy summer night I was trying to get to sleep. I stared over into
the piercing darkness to see my sister, Janice, sleeping fitfully. I had our window open
to let in the cool, caressing air. All of a sudden, I heard what sounded like a bat go,
“Squeak, squeak.”
Janice heard it too and with a bloodcurdling scream scuttled swiftly from the
room. The door slammed shut like a prison door sealing my fate, and I was alone
with the bat, my opponent. I stared at the beastly vermin prepared to do battle with
my trusty Louisville slugger that I had grabbed from under my bed. However, panic
and fear coursed through every fiber of my being causing me to ultimately quake and
throw the blanket over my heard and screamed, “Somebody, help! Help! Help!”
Finally, my dad heard me and came rumbling. He comforted me, “Bethany, I’ll take
care of this. Stand back.” As the bat flew wildly and haphazardly around my room, my
dad snuck up on it with a net. After several minutes of meandering around the room
like to heavy weight boxers my dad captured the enemy and then set it free to fight
another day.
My room was again safe from the creatures that go bump in the night, but I never
Let’s Practice: Rapid write
• Using the handout provided by your teacher:
1. Pick character
2. Select a setting
3. Choose an event
4. Write a short story using 1-3 make sure to include
dialogue using vivid verbs and audacious adjectives
Spice it up with Adjectives
You can use your senses to describe nouns. This helps
your reader get a clear picture (imagery) of what you
are writing about.
Using clear adjectives/ vivid verbs helps your reader
experience what you are writing about.
Adjectives answer WHAT KIND and HOW MANY about
nouns.
Spice it up with Adjectives
Issues with Narratives
• Don’t attempt to use explanatory/expository or argumentative
writing structures
• Narratives DO NOT have quotes from the text
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Bold Beginnings for Narratives
Bold beginnings get your reader excited about the story you are
about to share. Bold beginnings are interesting and fun!
Start with a question:
Have you ever been fishing? I have. It all started on a sunny day when...
Start with a description:
Wet water splashed as the sun shone down on the two girls in the boat.
Start with a lesson:
Never run by a pool. Jack had to learn that the hard way when...
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Bold Beginnings for Narratives
Start with a list:
Wind, lightning, thunder. Miki and
Christina shivered under the covers
as the storm raged outside the
window. Suddenly...
Start with dialogue:
“Look out!” Sam shouted, as his bike began to roll down the hill.
Start with a sound:
Pop, pop, pop... do you know what that sound is?
CHARACTERS
It is impossible to have a successful story without characters
• Here is an example of how central
characters are.
Trev has a disgusting habit. He
collects cockroaches. He calls them
his ‘Pet Dinosaurs’ and he loves
them. He stores them in little plastic
bottles and feeds them food scraps.
Now that wouldn’t be a problem,
except for one thing – Trev doesn’t
do this in the safety of his own home
– he does it at school.
One day, when……
Character development
•
Your characters must look and sound
‘real’ or credible
• Characters should move a story along –
they need to have a specific role
• Interactions between characters should be
believable
• There needs to be a purpose to any
character traits given
CHARACTER, SETTING AND PLOT
• Telling a story is not something that happens by accident.
Even a true- life story has to be ‘shaped’ with an
interesting beginning, a ‘page-turning’ development, and
a clear and satisfying ending.
• It is important to bring out character, to sketch in the
setting, and to create energy of some kind – whether by
structuring the piece around what amounts to a plot or at
least adding a strong dramatic element (tension between
characters). An interesting tone, like humour or satire, can
add flavour.
Compare the two stories that follow.
Which one is more effective?
When I was at school I
used to sit at the back
of the class. I sat there
so I could do stuff. I
got away with lots of
stuff by sitting at the
back of the class
where the teacher
couldn’t see me
properly. I liked to
make people laugh
when I felt like it. A lot
of people did laugh.
STORY 1
STORY 2
The back desk at school was the best. Why?
Because that’s where I could sit and plan my plots
of mischief. It was so cool. I remember sitting
behind Wayne, this huge kid with a really big head
and broad shoulders. He was the best shield a guy
like me could have wished for. There was no way
the teacher could see past him to me. Perfect. I
used to lob water balloons and itchy-itchy balls
into the laps of the girls from my desk and they
would think it was Wayne! It was a scream to see
Wayne look up from his books and just say, ‘What?
What did I do?
One day, I…….
Excellent Endings for Narratives
Excellent endings wrap up your story and leave the reader feeling satisfied.
Excellent endings are interesting and fun!
End with a question:
Do you think you will ever go camping again after reading this tale?
End with a laugh:
And just as I went to give my friend a hug, I let out a huge burp! Welaughed and I
knew she wasn’t mad at me anymore!
End with a lesson:
And now you know why you should never run near a pool!
Excellent Endings for Narratives
End with an open ending... maybe it will happen again...
Finally, Jenny caught the last magic bean and shoved it in the box. She smiled and
walked away... as one magic bean fell from the box onto the grass below.
End with a surprise...
The trap rattled and the kids were sure they had caught the leprechaun. They
opened the trap and found a tiny shoe inside.
End with a word of wisdom...
I learned that day that I will always love my sister, even when she picks on me... I
know she loves me too!
Excellent Endings for Narratives
Look at each story idea below. Under each flap, write an excellent ending that would leave
readers satisfied. Remember...you’re not writing the whole story– just an excellent ending! You
can end each as a personal OR fictional narrative.
Alliteration for Narrative Writing
Alliteration is the repeating of beginning sounds.
For example...Shiny seashells shimmered on the shore.
Alliteration is a great way to add adjectives and extra details to your
writing. Alliterations are fun to read too!
Alliteration for Narrative Writing
Look at each story idea below. In each box, write a line using alliteration that could appear in
the narrative to make the story more interesting and descriptive.
Onomatopoeias for Narrative Writing
Onomatopoeias are sound words.
For example...POP! BANG! Meow! Tweet! Swish! Splash!
Crunch! Crinkle! Drip!
Onomatopoeias are a fun way to make your writing even
more interesting. Sound words help your reader experience
your story.
Onomatopoeias for Narrative Writing
Look at each story idea below. In each box, write a line using onomatopoeias that could
appear in the narrative to make the story more interesting and descriptive.
Dialogue for Narrative Writing
Dialogue is conversation between characters.
Writers use dialogue to move a story along and
give a peek into how characters think and feel.
Dialogue is important to a narrative but must be used correctly!
Do not write everything with dialogue... it gets confusing and hard for
readers to follow!
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Dialogue for Narrative Writing
Mom said, “Go clean up your room!”
*When telling who is talking first, use a comma before the dialogue.
*Use quotation marks around the words the character says.
“I already cleaned my room,” I yelled.
*When telling who is talking after the dialogue, place your comma inside
the quotes.
“Don’t argue,” mom said. “Go start cleaning!”
*Sometimes the dialogue is in parts. When that happens, end the first part
with a comma and start the new part with a capital letter.
Dialogue for Narrative Writing
Look at the conversation below. The dialogue is not written correctly. Under each flap, rewrite
the dialogue correctly. Be sure commas and quotation marks are placed correctly!
Similes for Narrative Writing
Similes compare two things using ‘like’ or ‘as’.
Using similes can help your reader understand how one thing is like
another.
Sometimes we want our reader to understand something we have
experienced.
Using a simile can help them connect our experience to something
they are familiar with.
Similes for Narrative Writing
Want to describe a hot day?
The sun on my skin felt as hot as coals in a fire.
Want to describe a cold day?
The freezing rain was like tiny shards of ice, whipping against my
face.
Similes for Narrative Writing
Look at each story idea below. In each box, write a line using a simile that could appear in the
narrative to make the story more interesting and descriptive.
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Metaphors for Narrative Writing
Metaphors compare two things by saying one thing is another.
Comparing things this way can help your reader understand your
writing.
Metaphors are fun and interesting to write. They can sound
beautiful and make your writing interesting and descriptive!
Metaphors for Narrative Writing
Want to describe a hot day?
The sun was a furnace, heating all of us until we were sweating and
red faced.
Want to describe a cold day?
Each freezing raindrop was a frigid knife. The drops fell on my face,
burning my skin with their cold.
Metaphors for Narrative Writing
On each sticky note, finish the metaphor. Write a metaphor that could appear in a narrative to
make the story more interesting and descriptive.
Let’s Practice: What’s the Story
• Using the handout provided by your teacher
1. Look at the image.
2. What’s happening?
3. Answer the questions (brainstorm)
4. Write story to describe the image.
5. Use vivid verbs and audacious adjectives.
6. Use dialogue (at least two).
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Let’s Go Deeper (Ocean): Week Two of Narrative Writing
“Oranges” by Gary Soto Culminating Writing Task A
 Prompt
• Using Gary Soto’s poem, “Oranges,” as the basis for a narrative, transform the
poem into a short story. Use narrative techniques such as dialogue,
description, and reflection to develop the experiences of the characters. Your
narrative must include specific phrases or descriptions from the poem, but
should expand the details from the poem.
 Instructions
1. Identify the evidence they will use to outline your story using the chart below.
An example is provided.
2.
On loose leaf, record the class heading, assignment title: “Oranges” Narrative.
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ER: Narrative Intervention
• <iframe width="420" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DTft-l5LTG4"
frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
• Still having problems with narratives? No problem, I got you
covered!
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Prompt for Narrative Writing
Common Core Standard W.CCR.3
• Great historical events often have deep effects upon the people who live
through them. Depending on the person and the situation, those effects can
be very different.
• You are going to read a short article about the Dust Bowl days in American
history titled “Black Blizzard.” You will also look at some photographs taken
during that time period. As you read and study the photographs, think about
how this experience may have affected the individual people who lived
through it.
• Finally, you will write a narrative, showing how a particular small moment
during this experience affected (influenced/impacted) one person.
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Narrative Writing
Common Core Standard W.CCR.3
Remember, a good narrative:
• Establishes a clear point of view
• Focuses closely on one character or characters
• Uses strong sensory details to make the character(s) and event
come alive
• Uses precise language
• May use dialogue and description to capture the character(s) and
event
• Concludes effectively
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Narrative Writing
Common Core Standard W.CCR.3
Here are your choices for your narrative:
1. A young child watching the “black blizzard” rolling in over the plains
2. A young child, watching a tractor knock down his family home in
Oklahoma, several years into the Dust Bowl drought
3. A mother sitting on her front steps in a migrant camp in California
4. An unemployed father, arriving at a squatter camp in California from
Oklahoma
• You will have three class periods to complete this
reading/thinking/writing task. The narrative will have a single draft, and
you may want to take some time to plan your writing before you begin
work. When you have finished, be sure to proofread.
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