NARRATIVE

NARRATIVE Linguistic
WRITING TECHNIQUES
‘Every artist was first an amateur’
Ralph Waldo
Emerson
 Whenever you see an expert doing something
difficultly from the way a non-expert does it,
 It may well be that the expert used to do it the way
the novice does it,
 And that doing so is a necessary step on the way to
expertise.
Daniel T Willingham
‘Wisely and slow. They stumble

that run fast.’’
Romeo and Juliet Act 2
THE PROBLEM
 Why are so many students boring writers?
 What do you need to know to write well?
 Knowledge of grammar
 Understanding of structure
 Awareness of impact
 Knowledge of genre conventions
1. slow writing
technique:
 Slow writing improves ‘Thinking’.
 Think of ‘drafting’ and not ‘writing’!
 Concentrate on ‘how’ instead of ‘what’

to write?
The students have to slow right down in order to think
about their technique.
Generally speaking, students find it straightforward to
write what they want but it’s much harder for them to
think about how they’re going to write it.
The process that forces them to concentrate on the how
instead of the what.
Once they’ve finished they get to improve.
They learn to interrogate every single word and consider
whether there might be a better word.
They look at every sentence and ask, could it begin
differently and think about how do paragraphs link: do they
flow logically? Does each paragraph pick up where the
preceding one leaves off? Is there variety?
All this helps them to improve their narrative’s linguistics.
2. The Magic of Three
 1. The words or phrases must be the same length

and pattern or structure.
2. The words or phrases must convey a key image

or idea.
3. The order of the words should flow smoothly and

rhythmically.
4. There should be a comma between each word or

phrase.
MAGIC 3 EXAMLPES
 A magic three is a parallel group of words usually
separated by commas, that create a poetic rhythm or
add support for a point.
 For example ; The athletes ,prepared,confident,and
ready, took to field.
( The writer used three adjectives to describe the
athletes)
 This combination of pattern and brevity results in
memorable content, and that’s why the Rule of Three
will make you a more engaging writer.
The Rule of Three
 You see the Rule of Three used all the time across diverse
areas of life. Why?
 Because information presented in groups of three sticks in our
heads better than other clusters of items. For example:
 “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
 “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”
 “Blood, sweat, and tears”
 “Faith, Hope, and Charity”
 “Mind, body, spirit”
 “Stop, Look, and Listen”
 “I came, I saw, I conquered”
Rhetorical
3.
Question
 A rhetorical question is a device used to
persuade or subtly influence the audience.
 It's a question asked not for the answer, but for

the effect.
 Oftentimes, a rhetorical question is used to

emphasize a point or just to get the audience
thinking.
Rhetorical questions that have no
answer:
 What is the meaning of life?
 Why do we go on?
 What's the matter with kids today?
 There's no hope, is there?
 How much longer can this injustice continue?
 How many times do I have to tell you not to yell in the house?
 Why me?
 Who cares?
 Why bother?
 How should I know?
When a Rhetorical Question WOULD
be ASKED IN YOUR WRITING?
 Your sister asks if you love her. You say "Is the pope catholic?" to
suggest that it is obvious you love her.
 A parent is arguing with a child about the importance of good grades.
The parent says "Do you want to live at home in the basement for the
rest of your life?"
 A friend tells another friend she is going abroad. The other friend says
"Are you serious?"
 A student fails to bring in his homework assignment. The teacher
keeps him after class and says "Can we do better next time?"
 A boss is yelling at his staff member for a major mistake. He says "Do
you want to get fired?"
 A child is asking for a very expensive toy. His parent says "Do you
think that money just grows on trees?"
4. Flashback and
Foreshadowing
 Flashback and foreshadowing are different ways to
accomplish the same end: to introduce events that are
not happening in the story's current moment.
 Flashback, as suggested by the name, takes the reader

back into a past moment.
 Foreshadowing hints at or presages an event that has

yet to come.
5 . DIALOGUES
 Dialogue is a written or spoken conversational
exchange between two or more characters.
 It is used in a narrative for different purposes,
such as;
 To show character/setting
 To advance the development in the story
 To vary the tone
 To make narrative lively
 To express a conflict
6. Figurative Language
 Figurative Language creates ‘Mood.’

 Figurative language can affect the mood of a short story.
 The term mood refers to the atmosphere that envelopes the
reader and evokes certain feelings. ...
 Figurative language is used to draw the reader into the story
quickly.
 ‘Imagery’ is used to describe the setting or characters
 ‘Simile’ and Metaphor’ is used to describe characters in
comparisons.
7.DROP IN
DETAILS
 Adding
details to the narrative
brings different effects, such as;
 1. Invoke multiple senses
 2.
Create intriguing, complex
characters
 3. Evoke strong emotions
 4. Pull the reader into the action
8.SHOW , DON’T
TELL !
 When you tell rather than show, you simply
inform your reader of information rather
than allowing him to deduce anything.
 You’re supplying information by simply
stating it. You might report that a character
is “tall,” or “angry,” or “cold,” or “tired.”
 That’s telling.
 Showing would paint a picture the reader
could see in her mind’s eye.
SHOW DON’T TELL
 Rather than telling that your character is

angry, show it by describing his face flushing, his
throat tightening, his voice rising, his slamming a
fist on the table. When you show, you don’t have
to tell.
 Cold? Don’t tell me; show me. Your character pulls

her collar up, tightens her scarf, shoves her hands
deep into her pockets, turns her face away from the
biting wind.
SHOW DON’T
TELL :ACTIVITY
HAPPY NARRATIVE
WRITING!

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NARRATIVE Linguistic

‘Wisely and slow. They stumble

 What do you need to know to write well?

 Think of ‘drafting’ and not ‘writing’!

 Concentrate on ‘how’ instead of ‘what’

 1. The words or phrases must be the same length

2. The words or phrases must convey a key image

3. The order of the words should flow smoothly and

4. There should be a comma between each word or

 It's a question asked not for the answer, but for

 Oftentimes, a rhetorical question is used to

 Flashback, as suggested by the name, takes the reader

 Foreshadowing hints at or presages an event that has

 Figurative Language creates ‘Mood.’

 Rather than telling that your character is

 Cold? Don’t tell me; show me. Your character pulls

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