Tasty Stories - Narrative Writing

 

Every week it is something new. Last week we started looking at the different Genres of Writing. We started with Descriptive Writing. This week it's Story Time!

Last week when learning about Descriptive Writing, we learnt that authors use (5) five techniques to make their writing 'pop'. These techniques are specific details, word choice, dialogues, sensory images and figurative language. As we speak about Narrative Writing, keep these five techniques in mind. 

                                                What is Narrative Writing?

Components of a Narrative Composition

Narrative writing is like making a delicious, juicy burger as it has a beginning, middle and an end. 

When writing a story we must first brainstorm and think about what and who will our story be about. This is the prewriting stage the first stage of the writing process. At this point writers become aware of what theme their story will fall under. The theme of a story basically describes the central or main idea of a story. 

 

Everybody sees the world from different point of views. .Writers use one out four of the following view points to tell a story:

        

           1. Objective View Point: This is where the writer is not influenced by emotions, opinions or 

               personal feelings. However, the writer writes facts based on what is hear or seen. 

            2. Limited Omniscient Viewpoint: Also known as the third person, allows the readers to

                get into the characters head. 

    

            3. Omniscient Viewpoint: This is where the story is narrated by the main character.

            4. First -Person Viewpoint: This is where one of the character tells the story from their 

                point of view using the pronouns such as I, we and us.   

 

The top bun of the bread represents the Setting of a story. When writing a narrative piece we normally hear that the setting is the place the even took place. In this week's class I have learnt that the setting also includes the time, weather and time period. These four elements helps readers too clearly visualize how the setting looks or will look. 

                                                        

The lettuce leaf represents the characters. Every story must have characters otherwise there is no story. The characters, the most important component, are the persons or personified animals that the story is about. A character can be developed iin four ways:

       

         1. Appearance: includes the physical description of the character, habits of dress,                                         mannerisms, and nature

       

          2. Action: is what the character does. This gives the reader the idea of what a specific character 

                          role is. 

      

          3. Dialogue: the way characters speak. 

       

          4. Monologue: is the an insight to show or tell what the characters are thinking. 

                                                                

The tomato represents the plot  of the story. The plot tells readers what happens in the story and the order in which it happened or will happened. The plot can be divided into three sections: the beginning, the middle and the end. 

                * The beginning is the start of the story. At this point writer's should find away 

                    of grasping the readers attention; wanting them to read more. 

              

                * The middle is the events of the story which includes

                                a. the build up of a problem

                                b. the problem itself  or 

                                c. how the problem was resolved

                   

                   * The end can either be

                        a. the resolution or 

                        b. what happens to the characters and what lesson they learnt after the problem was                                                     resolved. 

                                                            

The meat of a story. Every story must have a  problem or conflict for the story to be a story.  The conflict is the component of a story that persuade readers to continue reading. 

The conflict of a story can take one of the following forms:

        1. Conflict between the character and nature

        2. Conflict between characters

        3. Conflict between characters and society

        4. Conflict within a character

The problem or conflict must reach to a point of resolution so that readers are not let hanging. 

                                                        

The solution or learnt lesson is like the bottom half of the bun. The solution or learnt lesson in a story is the flip side of a story. This shows the reader that the problem presented has now been resolved and my result in a happy or sad ending. 

In writing each paragraph of a story, writers must remember to integrate the five descriptive writing techniques learnt in last week's blog as they will help the writing to pop and become more colourful. These techniques are the use of figurative language, choice of words, the inclusion of specific details, the use of sensory images and the use of dialogues. 

Until next week's blog enjoy your juicy burger.