Writing Narration Lecture Slides - SUM09

Writing Narration : 

Writing Narration The Narrative Defined

Narrative : 

Narrative An account of an incident or a series of incidents that make up a complete and significant action.

Narration : 

Narration Point of View: Shows the writer’s relationship to the material and the subject. Use 1st person when conveying a personal experience.

Narrative : 

Narrative 5 Properties of the Narrative: 1. Situation – the background for the action Conflict – produces the struggle at the heart of the narrative 3. Struggle – the manner of dealing with the conflict (does not have to be physical). 4. Outcome – the result of the struggle 5. Meaning – the significance of the story, which may be deeply philosophical or simple, stated or implied.

Narration : 

Narration Verb Tense: Because most narratives relate experiences in time order, the verb tense is likely to be the past.

Narration : 

Narration Use the active voice rather than the passive voice in narration.

Narration : 

Narration Active Voice:  The dog bit the man.

Narration : 

Narration Passive Voice:  The man was bitten by the dog.

Narration : 

Narration Dialogue is used in narration to characterize, particularize, and support ideas. Showing a person saying something is more effective than telling readers what the person said.

Narration : 

Narration How could the sentence below be changed by using dialogue? Sue told Howard to shut the window.

Narration : 

Narration Dialogue Example 1:“Howard, please close the window,” Sue said.

Narration : 

Narration Dialogue Example 2: “Howard, unglue yourself from that Lay-Z-Boy recliner, and go shut the window, you lazy bum! I’m freezing to death!” Sue barked.

Quotation Marks : 

Quotation Marks My throat is so sore, I can’t talk, Michael whispered. At the end of the song Helter Skelter, John Lennon screamed, I’ve got blisters on my fingers! Don’t go in the basement! the audience shouted to the actor on the movie screen.

Finding Significance : 

Finding Significance 1. Brainstorm Make a list of ten significant events in your life.

Finding Significance : 

Finding Significance Choose one event from your list and consider it’s significance in your life. Make sure you can convey the greater significance of the event to your audience.

Finding Significance : 

Finding Significance 4. Write your thesis statement Example 1: Deciding to become a nurse has been a significant event in my life. Example 1 (Better): Because of all of the good experiences with nurses I’ve had in my life, I’ve decided to become a pediatric nurse.

Finding Significance : 

Finding Significance Introductory Paragraph: As a seven-year-old child, being in the hospital was scary. After my tonsillectomy, my throat burned, I missed my mother, and I felt confused. Then a nurse held my hand and said in a soft voice, “Everything’s going to be fine.” After this, I was relieved enough to fall back to sleep. Because of the good experiences I had with nurses when I was in the hospital, I decided to become a pediatric nurse.

Slide 18: 

Reading Assignment: Read Ch. 7, pgs. 98-103 and do a close reading of “Naming Good Path Elk” (pgs. 580-583) and be ready to discuss it on next class period. For information on how to use Quotation Marks, see Chapter 37 in The Writer’s World (pg. 531-534).