© boardworks ltd 2003 1 of 15 narrative this icon indicates that detailed teacher’s notes are...

© Boardworks Ltd 20031 of 15

Narrative

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This presentation will look at different ways to tell a story.

Narrative

A story is a story.

It has a beginning,middle and

ending.That’s all there is to it

– isn’t it?


What does narrative mean?

A narrative is a piece of writing which tells a story. It may be fictional, or may include information. It may be in prose or written as a poem.

What so you expect a narrative to contain?


plot

images

setting

dialogue

description

characters

problems

You will often find these elements in a narrative:

This presentation will look at some of the narrative devices you can use to make your story more interesting and enjoyable.

Narrative elements


The narrator

The narrator is the person that tells the story.

Sometimes the story is told in the third person as though someone else (perhaps the writer) is just observing and retelling events:

Cinderella was fed up of being told what to do by her big sisters. She wanted a life of her own.

Or it may be told in the first person, by the main character or someone else in the story.

I’d had enough of sleeping in the cinders and being bossed about. It was time to do something about my sisters.

Sometimes the story is told by more than one person – from different viewpoints.


The narrator


Format


Often a story is told chronologically – the events are described in the order in which they take place. But this needn’t be the case.

Another narrative device you might choose to use, is to change the timing of a story.

Timing

Flashback is a technique often used in films. You can use it in stories too, perhaps starting at the end or even in the middle of a story as a character remembers or refers to a past event. For example:

Cinderella lay on the cold hearth with tears in her eyes. How could her stepmother be so cruel? Her mind slipped back to her own mother, with her smiling eyes and warm voice. She sat on her mother’s knee and listened to her beautiful stories.


Timing


The tone of a piece of a writing is roughly equivalent to the tone of voice in which it might be spoken. So the tone of a passage might be angry, indignant or ironic, for example.

You should be aware of the tone of your writing.

Tone


Tone


This is when you subvert or change around the original version of a story or piece of writing.

It can be very powerful and very humorous. (You might be able to think of Roald Dahl verses where he parodies traditional fairy stories, for example.)

Parody


Parody

Have a go at creating your own parody of a traditional story. You can use this starter, or choose your own idea.

There’s been a lot of misinformation bandied around about the three pigs. Truth is, they were not very nice pigs at all. When they set up their homes they annoyed all the neighbours including Police Officer Wolf …


Other techniques

Writers use many other techniques to engage and interest their readers. Discuss what techniques are used in the examples below.

A As you read this, you should know that I am a liar. Perhaps you do not believe me, but I assure you I am telling the truth!

B My grandmother told me a story. It went something like this: ‘Back in the olden days, people were poor but generous …’

C The old man shook his head. ‘Do not ask about the castle. You do not need to know. But Jess wanted to know – she wanted to know everything.


Successful narrative is all about your ability to ‘hook’ and interest your reader.

There’s lots of techniques to use. Experiment with:

the narrator

the timing

format

flashback

parody

tone.

To sum up

© boardworks ltd 2003 1 of 15 narrative this icon indicates that detailed teacher’s notes are...

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