ELA 9
P.A.T. TRAINING
NARRATIVE WRITING PACKAGE
Mrs.Lutze-PAT Training Workshop-Narrative Essay Prompts
1.
a memorable wedding or funeral
2.
one minute of a football game (or other sporting event)
3.
your first day at a new school or college
4.
your first day at a new job
5.
your last day on a job
6.
a disastrous date
7.
a moment of failure or success
8.
an encounter that changed your life
9.
an experience that led to renewed faith
10. a strange job interview
11. an experience that demonstrated how labor-saving devices can be more trouble
than they're worth
12. an experience that left you disillusioned
13. an embarrassing experience
14. a frightening experience
15. a memorable journey
16. an encounter with someone or something you were afraid of
17. an occasion when you experienced rejection
18. your first visit to the country (or to a large city)
19. the breakup of a friendship
20. an experience that showed how we should be careful of what we wish for
21. a significant misunderstanding
22. a dangerous experience
23. an experience that showed how appearances can be deceiving
24. an account of a difficult decision that you had to make
25. an event that marked a turning point in your life
26. a historic event
27. a memorable encounter with someone in authority
28. an act of heroism or cowardice
29. an imaginary encounter with a real person
30. a rebellious act
31. a brush with greatness
32. a brush with death
33. a time that you took a stand on an important issue
34. an experience that altered your view of someone
35. a trip that you would like to take
36. a vacation trip from your childhood
37. an account of a visit to a fictional place
38. your first time away from home
39. two different versions of the same event
40. a traffic accident
41. a day when everything went right (or wrong)
42. an experience that made you laugh until you cried
43. the day you decided to change your life
44. the experience of being lost
45. an unexpected encounter
46. surviving a hurricane or a tornado (or other natural disaster)
47. an experience that taught you a lesson
48. an important discovery
49. an eyewitness account of an important event
Short Story Leads:
Hooking the Reader
Begin a story in the middle of a conversation.
“Good morning Grade Nine’s. I’d like to introduce you to Mutuku Mamzi. He’s
joining us all the way from Kenya, Africa. His family arrived here several weeks ago in
search for a better future for Mutuku and his eight siblings.” After Mrs. Lannon introduced
him, the class was silent. No one spoke or moved while this tiny, thin boy with grey
chords and a vibrant…
"If you don't put that away right now, you and I are gonna have problems," Carla
snarled as Janet scribbled in her writer's notebook. Janet stared at her round face,
squinting eyes, and muscular arms crossed in front of her chest for just a second, snarled
right back at her, and continued to write furiously. All the other students around the
playground were quiet.
"Just who do you think you are?" Mrs. Fleming asked as April slammed her notebook
on the desk.
Begin with a description:
Millie's face turned red when she entered the room. Stapled on the walls all around
were pictures of her. There she was holding the first place trophy high above her head after
her team won the state basketball tournament. Above the dresser was a poster-size
photograph of her eighth grade graduation; she was standing proudly at the podium
delivering her class president's speech. To the left of the door was a collage of all her school
pictures dating back to first grade, her gap-toothed smile framed by her dark face and tangled
brown hair. How had someone she had never seen before created such a monument in
her honor?
Jason's house was a lot like a museum. There were pretty, breakable objects
everywhere and you weren't allowed to touch a thing.
Begin with background information (exposition):
Kevin was accustomed to being first. Since he had started track, a sixth grader on the
high school team, he had always been a champion.
As long as she could remember, Dimein's name had always been mispronounced by
the teacher on the first day of school.
Begin with a peek into a character's mind:
Not this time, you won't, I thought as I stood there staring into my father's eyes. I
picked up the basketball and began to dribble with my left hand.
How could things have gone so wrong? I asked myself, as I looked out over a sea of
laughing faces.
Start with a simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or pun:
They murdered him. (The Chocolate War)
Start with a startling statement:
When I was little, I would think of ways to kill my daddy. (Ellen Foster)
Start with a question:
What would you do if you were standing in the mall one day minding your own
business, when suddenly, the girl who you knew you would spend your whole life with . . . the
girl who makes your heart beat like the drumming in Metallica's best songs . . . the woman
whose fingers could crush you like a bug or hold you like a delicate flower . . . walks by? What
would you do if you had never seen her before and did not even know her name? You would
do what I did, turn red in the face and tell your posse to quit starin'.
Have you ever eaten one of those sugar-coated pieces of fried dough at the fair? I
think they're called elephant ears or some such.
Begin with a quote from a song, movie, famous person or book:
David stared at the poster through the store window. It was a sketch of a man.
"Nothing can be loved or hated until it is first understood" was written below the picture, with
the name Leonardo DaVinci. If only his parents would follow that DaVinci's advice.
"It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine." Kevin spun in circles as he
listened to his older brother's old R.E.M. record in the basement. In a time like this, the lyrics
seemed particularly suitable.
Teaching the Short Story
19
B.
PRESENTATION OF THOUGHT
= stream of consciousness writing ("Bewusstseinsstrom")
aim: author allows the reader to see things from a character's point of view

Free Direct Thought
1. Does she still love me?
2. Her ear too is a shell, the peeping lobe there. Been to the seaside. Lovely seaside
girls. Skin tanned raw. Should have put on coldcream first make it brown. Buttered
toast. O and that lotion mustn't forget.
 Direct Thought
1. He wondered, "Does she still love me?"
2. He asked himself what is a woman standing on the stairs in the shadow, listening to
distant music, a symbol of?

Free Indirect Thought
1. Did she still love him?
2. She had consented to go away, to leave her home. Was that wise? ... In her home
anyway she had shelter and food ...
3. He picked up the dagger and drew the beautiful thing lightly through his fingers. It was
sharp, polished, dangerous, marvelously integrated and sweetly proportioned.
4. Three years. Long in the aggregate, though short as they went by. And home was
very dear to me, and Agnes too - but she was not mine - she was never to be mine.
She might have been, but that was past.
• Indirect Thought (= the norm for the presentation of thought)
He wondered if she still loved him.
• Narrative Report of a Thought Act
1. He wondered about her love for him.
2. She tried to weigh each side of the question.
©J. Menrath/2003
What Feelings Look Like
Another aspect of elaborative detail, of "showing rather than telling" involves the
feelings of story characters. Showing reactions to story events (both physical and
emotional reactions) is a powerful means of revealing character, and of allowing the
reader to relate to the character.
However, when revealing a character's feelings, it is always more powerful to
"show" rather than to "tell":
Ex. Jack was really mad. That would be telling.
Jack stamped his feet. His face turned a deep shade of red. He slammed his fist on
the table. This would be showing.
"Showing" feelings involves facial and body movements. It can also involve
the internal sensations of the main character. Below is a list of some common
feelings and what those feelings might look like. Of course, there are countless other
examples -these are provided as a starting point.
Feeling
What it Looks Like
Happy
• smile on face • heart leaps • jump up and down
• hands clasped together • eyes open wide
Sad
• eyes well up • lips quiver • heart drops • wring hands
Angry
• brow furrowed • frown • fists clenched • heart pounds
• stamp feet • teeth clenched
Shocked
• mouth drops open • eyes open wide • heart pounds
Tired
• cover mouth with your hand • jump back • gasp
• slump • yawn • eyes droop • legs feel heavy
Hot
• sweat beads on forehead • face gets red • wipe your brow
• move slowly • fan yourself
Cold
• shiver • teeth chatter • hug yourself • blow into your hands
• rub hands together
Frightened
• heart pounds • eyes wide open • start to sweat • knees feel weak •
butterflies in stomach • mouth drops open
The following lessons are designed to introduce students to showing rather than telling
the feelings of story characters. Read through the lesson plans for suggestions on
introducing and practicing these techniques.
2004 Empowering Writers, LLC
Eight Ways to Reveal Character
by Dewey Hensley
Actions
As Kevin moved down the street his feet made a steady echo sound against the
pavement. He whistled despite the loud rumble of the traffic and the car horns. When
someone yelled out the window of his or her car to watch where he was going, he just waved
back like he was watching a best friend heading home. He passed by the garbage on the
sidewalk and the old woman pushing the shopping cart filled with newspaper, and continued
to smile as he headed toward Cindy's house. Nothing could erase that smile from his face,
not even the coldness of the streets he called home.
Dialogue
"I ain't gonna leave you here, Ma'am . . . not with you needin' help and all," Jimmy said as
he walked back to his truck to get the jack. "I'd help anybody who needed it; my momma
taught me better'en to just leave people. The good Lord'll make it up to me."
"I don't know .. .," Linda stuttered. She had barely rolled down her window to hear Jimmy
when he had left his pick-up truck and offered help. "You know what they say about your
kind..."
Physical Description
Other guys walking through the hallway were taller and even more handsome, but there
was something about Billy Belaire. His arms swung loose at his side and his dark hair was
long and pulled back behind his head, held by a rubber band. The dark jacket he wore was
straight out of the local thrift shop, she could tell, but the way he wore it suggested a sense of
pride, or at least a lack of caring what others thought about him.
Idiosyncracies
Junior tapped his fingertips against the table and looked at his watch constantly. His leg
bounced up and down and he gulped the hot coffee as if it would hurry up his friend's arrival.
Objects/Possessions
Michael touched the locket around his neck and rolled it between his fingers. His mother
had given him that locket, with her picture inside, when he had left to live with his father. What
would she think of him now?
Eight Ways to Reveal Character (continued)
Reactions
Tony's words stung Laura. It wasn't what she expected to hear. They had been dating for
over a month now, how could he do this to her? How could he break her heart? All three of
their dates had been fun; he had said so himself.
As Tony watched the floodgate of her eyes begin to open he looked at his watch. Jeez, I
hope I can make it to the gym on time.
Thoughts
He began to remember when he was a freshman in high school. The seniors really
thought they were something back then, always trying to play their little pranks on the ninth
graders. He knew at that moment he couldn't be one of those kinds of people. He walked over
to Jeff and Larry to tell them it was time to stop.
Background Information
Miles knew what it meant to be alone. When he was a child growing up his father had
been in the military. They had traveled from Florida, to Georgia, to California, to Kentucky.
He had rarely had a friend for very long. By the leap from California he had already decided
having friends was a risk; the fewer the friends, the easier it was to leave. This philosophy
had made him a real outsider at Glenview High School. In the six months he had been there
he had not really made a single friend but as he stood there staring at Sheila, he realized that
just might have to change.
From Teaching the Short Story
Short Story Structure

Create a narrative lead:
o show the main character in action, dialogue, or reaction.

Introduce the main character's character.

Introduce the setting: the time place, and relationships of the main character's life.

Introduce and develop the problem the main character is facing.

Develop the plot and problem toward a climax:
o e.g. a decision, action, conversation, or confrontation, or confrontation that shows
the problem at its height.

Develop a change in the main character:
o e.g. an acknowledgement of understanding of something, a decision, a course of
action, a regret.

Develop a resolution:
o how does the main character come to terms - or not - with his or her problem?
Source: Lessons that Change Writers, Nancie Atwell, 2002
The Narrative Essay Features of a Great Introduction
1. The story should have an introduction that clearly indicates what kind of narrative
essay it is (an event or recurring activity, a personal experience, or an observation),
and it should have a conclusion that makes a point.
2. The essay should include anecdotes. The author should describe the person, the
scene, or the event in some detail. It's okay to include dialogue as long as you know
how to punctuate it correctly and as long as you avoid using too much.
3. The occasion or person described must be suggestive in that your description and
thoughts lead the reader to reflect on the human experience.
4. The point of view in narrative essays is usually first person. The use of "I" invites your
readers into an intimate discussion.
5. The writing in your essay should be lively and show some style. Try to describe ideas
and events in new and different ways. Avoid using clichés. Again, get the basic story
down, get it organized, and in your final editing process, work on word choice.
Assignment I: Narrative /Essay Writing
(suggested time—70 minutes)
Assignment
Write a narrative (short story) or an essay (personal essay) about how the advice or
suggestions of others can influence young people. You may write about yourself or
other people, real or fictional. You may set your writing in the past, present, or future.
Ideas
The following material may give you ideas for your writing. You do not have to refer directly:
to any of it. Consider your own experiences gained through reading, listening, viewing,
discussing, thinking, or imagining.
Assignment I: Narrative /Essay Writing
When writing, be sure to
•
•
•
•
•
•
consider your audience
focus on your purpose and point of view
organize your thoughts appropriately in sentences and paragraphs
use vocabulary that is interesting and effective
edit your work directly on your writing
budget your time
Assignment I: Narrative/Essay Writing
(suggested time—70 minutes) Assignment
Write either a narrative or an essay about the importance of being kind to others. You may
write about yourself or other people, real or fictional. You may set your writing in the past, present,
or future.
Ideas
The following material may give you ideas for your writing. You do not have to refer directly
to any of it. Consider the knowledge and experience you have gained from reading,
listening, viewing, discussing, thinking, or imagining.
Dickinson, Emily. The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. Edited by Thomas H. Johnson. Boston: Little, Brown and
Company, 1960.
Guest, Edgar A. "Creed." In Collected Verse of Edgar A. Guest. 7th ed. Chicago: The Reilly & Lee Co., 1943.
Assignment I: Narrative/Essay Writing
When writing, be sure to
•
•
•
•
•
•
consider your audience
focus on your purpose and point of view
organize your thoughts appropriately in sentences and paragraphs
use vocabulary that is interesting and effective
edit your work directly on your writing
budget your time
Aesop. "The Lion and the Mouse." Aesop's Fables - Lessons in Living. Translated by Samuel Croxall and Sir Roger
L'Estrange. With applications and morals by G. F Townsend and L. Valentine. Fort Worth: Brownlow Publishing Company,
Inc., 1969.
Pope. Alexander. "Universal Prayer." In The Complete Poetical Works of Alexander Pope. Cambridge Edition. Edited by Henry
W. Boynton. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1903.
Sophocles. Ajax. Edited and translated by A. F. Garvie. Warminster: Aris & Phillips, 1998.
Short Story Outline
* Connect all plot characters conflict to “prompt/issue”
- vocabulary
- deeper meaning
For each section complete in point form information that you would want to put in your
short story.
1.
Setting:
a. Setting can be composed of the following :
i.
Time
ii.
Place/location
iii. Weather
iv. Mood/atmosphere
v. Deals with the 5 senses
2.
Problem/Conflict and Solution: (Developing the Plot line)
a. What is going to be the main conflict in your short story.
b. What events do you want to put in to make the conflict more difficult and
build suspense?
c. What is going to be the solution to the problem?
d. What is going to be the climax of the story?
3.
Characterization: Developing your characters in your story.
a. A person's character may be revealed in five ways:
i. What a character says - dialogue
ii. What a character does - actions
iii. What a character thinks-thoughts
iv. What others say about the character
v. What the author says about the character
vi. Who are the characters going to be in your story?
1. What character traits do you want them to have?
4.
Mood - What is going to be the mood in your story? How are you going to develop
that mood through out the story?
5.
Point of View:
a. The point of view refers to the perspective from which the story is told,
i. First person: a person in the story is telling the story
ii. Third Person: a person outside the story is telling the story.
What point of view is your story going to be told in?
Short Story Graphic Organizer
I.
Setting
A. When?
B. Where?
II.
Characters
A. Character #1
1. Name
2. Age
3. Physical characteristics
4. Emotional characteristics
5. Other characteristics
B. Character #1
1. Name
2. Age
3. Physical characteristics
4. Emotional characteristics
5. Other characteristics
III.
Plot
A. Rising action event #1
B.
Rising action event #2
C. Rising action event #3
D.
Climax
E.
Resolution
Scrambled Stories
@1999.2003 www/beaconlearningcenter.com
Rev.7/23/03
PLOT STRUCTURE SCENARIO
Using a structure to create your own folk tale
Plot Structure Scenarios
Devised by Heather Forest Copyright @ 2000
Peruse the following sections and choose one or several elements from each. Write a
story that incorporates all the given items.
Introduce Character(s)
Choose one or more characters
• girl
• boy
• animal
• man
• woman
• idea
• spirit
• machine
• thing
• plant, etc.
Setting
Environment:
• farm
• village
• otherworldly
• city
• mountains
• forest
• arctic
• ocean
• desert
Time:
• olden
• modern
• future
Problem
In trouble:
• Caught stealing
• Told a lie
• Saw or heard a secret
• Lost something
• Been captured
• Under a spell or curse
• Goes to forbidden place
• Finds forbidden object
• Has enemy
• Is undervalue
• Is unrecognized
• Causes jealousy
• Forgets something
• Broke something
• Does not like something
• Needs something
• Needs to escape or hide
• Needs to rescue someone
• Needs to rescue something
• Needs to prove worth
Inner Traits
Inner Traits That Cause Original Trouble:
• Is greedy
• Dangerously curious
• Doesn’t follow advice
• Is lazy
• Is pessimistic
• Is blindly in love
• Is enraged & seeks revenge
• Is naïve & trusting
• Is clumsy
• Is untrained
• Lacks confidence
• Is foolish
Inner Traits That Aid Solution:
• Is courageous
• Is resourceful
• Is imaginative
• Is kind
• Is generous
• Is clever
• Is loyal
• Is strong
• Is optimistic
Solution
• Has helper (Magical or Non-magical)
• Is rescued
• Is transformed
• Discovers skill
• Finds Magic
• Helps self – Exercises cleverness
• Uses inner traits
• Journey undertaken to obtain solution
Conclusion
• Returns to original setting new in some way – is rewarded
• Is wiser
• Is transformed
• Comes with gift or treasure
End
•
•
•
•
Lives well
Passes luck or reward on to others
Has positive impact on the world
Offers wisdom