Slides for 8_14_24 (CW)

Today is Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Still to do:
● Join REMIND (8/12)
● Beginning of the Year Survey (8/12) Today’s Agenda
● Syllabus Scavenger Hunt (8/13)
● Journal Entry #1
Lo:SWBAT understand what narrative ● What is Narrative

writing is and how to use it Writing?
● Exit Ticket (8/14)

DoL:Given 3 questions to answer about what
narrative writing is and how it should be
used, students will answer 2 out of 3
questions correctly.
Journal Entry #1
I’m an open book, but written in a cryptic dead language.

What is narrative writing?
● Providing story structure to any form of writing.
● Narrative writing = the art of storytelling (regardless if it is a novel, a biography, an
article, or an essay)
● Goal: hold people spellbound.
● Some narrative examples:
○ Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”
○ Citizen Kane is a biographical film of a fictional character.
Narrative writing is the use of every writing tool at your disposal to create a
compelling story.
Basic Elements of Narrative Writing:
● Plot:
○ Exposition
○ Rising Action
○ Climax
○ Falling Action
○ Resolution
● Theme
● Characters
Different Styles of Narrative Writing:
● The Quest
● The Non-Linear Form
● Viewpoint Shifts
● The Narrator (reliable/not)

The Quest:
● This straightforward style of writing takes a character, give them a purpose,
and then watch events unfold as the character struggles for that purpose.
● For example: in The Odyssey, Odysseus’ perilous voyage to his home of Ithaca to
Dante’s sojourn through the afterlife.
● Can be simple, but must be relatable and compelling

The Non-Linear Form:
● This type of writing is the trickiest type of writing
● The story can start in the middle of the story and travels back and forth in time
using flashbacks
● This grabs the reader’s attention by getting to the problem/conflict right away
● For example: The Odyssey starts off at Odysseus’ home rather than at the end of
the Trojan War; it has been 10 years have gone, and Odysseus has yet to return
The Viewpoint Shift:
● This type of writing creates layers of complexity and tension
● Each chapter could come from a different character’s viewpoint; shifting the viewpoint in the
narrative can take a straightforward narrative writing outline and inject some tension and suspense
into it
● Using this type of narrative writing can create suspense and reveal hidden twists in the end
● For example: In the book, Ask Alice, each chapter is from a different character’s point of view so the
reader hears about the same situation, but they are all different. As a reader, you do not know which
reader is the closest to what actually happened.

The Narrator:
● This type of writing is written for one person’s point of view ; essentially a character who tells the
story
● Reliable? Not reliable?
● For example: Gone GIrl is a book of diary entries by a woman named Amy who, during the first part of
the book, persuades her reader that her husband has murdered her. However, in the second half of the
book, the author learns of Amy’s well-thought out plans. The reader is left wondering who to believe
is telling the truth.

How to start your narrative writing:
1. Choose a theme
○ This will help invigorate your story with a sense of purpose
○ Think of it as laying the foundation before you can build the
skyscraper
○ a topic provides you with the structure your narrative writing needs
2. Where is your most compelling starting point?

○ Start as close to the end as possible.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut
○ What is the most compelling starting point you can use?
○ What starts the story with a bang?
○ This works will with non-fiction writing also
Tips on narrative writing:
SHOW, don’t tell:

○ Rather than just telling a straight-forward story, use
descriptive language to create images in the reader’s mind so
that they can “see” the events happening from what you have
written on your page, into their minds.
○ This is one of the most essential tips on writing narratives

(creative writing in general).
Limit “I”:
○ Using “I” too much loses the audience attention
○ It shows that you are writing your own thoughts rather than
telling a story; focus on the story as it unfolds
○ Using “I” reduces your ability to use more descriptive language

and you are forced to select key details that tell the same
story; take away the “I” crutch
No goal = No narrative:
○ Everything you write should have a goal
■ stories, speeches, poems, etc.
○ What is your purpose/what do you want to accomplish when your reader

is reading your writing– beginning, during, end?
○ Make sure it is compelling and that your reader can relate to it

Exit Ticket

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Today is Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Lo:SWBAT understand what narrative ● What is Narrative

● Exit Ticket (8/14)

I’m an open book, but written in a cryptic dead language.

● The Non-Linear Form

● The Narrator (reliable/not)

● This straightforward style of writing takes a character, give them a purpose,

Dante’s sojourn through the afterlife.

● Can be simple, but must be relatable and compelling

reader is the closest to what actually happened.

● Reliable? Not reliable?

is telling the truth.

2. Where is your most compelling starting point?

SHOW, don’t tell:

○ This is one of the most essential tips on writing narratives

○ Using “I” reduces your ability to use more descriptive language

○ What is your purpose/what do you want to accomplish when your reader

○ Make sure it is compelling and that your reader can relate to it

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