Do NowImagine you have the chance to meet a

famous person in history. Whom would you choose to meet? Why?

Ex. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, etc.

What is a narrative essay?A narrative is a story.A narrative essay is a story that has a specific point.It strives to teach a lesson OR

It strives to make a specific point

What should be included in a narrative essay?

Often written in 1st person – I or we- because it is based on a personal story. Otherwise, written in 3rd person.

Has specific sensory details to get the reader hooked on the story.

Is developed in chronological order.Has verbs that helps paint a picture and draw in the reader.

Sensory Details: use words related to your 5 senses of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.The tinkling of broken glass.He reminded her of her grandfather, a

scent of peppermint and tobacco.The sour taste of vomit.He was tied tightly, and the rough bark

gouged his back.

Use Vivid Verbs: eliminate the use of am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been. Use specific words instead. Molly went to the store. Molly skipped and jogged to the store.

The third graders go into the gym. Third graders charged into the gym.How did your sensory images change when you read the

second example? What other verbs might work? Why?

Instead of “go,” try: Instead of “fall,” try:

walk tumble

ride twirl

trudge whirl

amble plunge

What else should be included in a narrative essay?

Since this is a story, the narrative essay needs everything a story needs (story elements):PlotCharactersProblemClimaxOften uses dialogue

Setting What if The Lion King took place in Indiana? What if Finding Nemo took place in Ireland? What if The Outsiders took place on the moon?

The SETTING a writer chooses is significant. It can make ALL the difference! Choose it wisely. Then DESCRIBE it!

BE SPECIFIC: *Don’t say, “It was a summer day.” *Say, “It was so sticky my clothes stuck to my body and sweat

made its way down my back, between my shoulder blades.”

Eye-catching openings: write an attention grabber.Use action. Ex. Running down the stairs, I heard my mom yelling

from the kitchenUse dialogue: Ex. “Do I have to mom?” I complained as I ran down

the stairs.Use a quote: Ex. “He who fails to plan, plans to fail.”Use an onomatopoeia: ex. Bang! I heard something crash below.Use a startling fact: Ex. Scientists at the University of Illinois have

demonstrated that in fact, sugar doesn’t melt, it decomposes.Use a question: Ex. What would you do if you found your mother

had been kidnapped?Use the word “imagine”: Ex. Imagine walking through the

hallways and not hearing a word.

Develop your character (s)What good is a story if there are no characters? What if

there was a story with no one the reader could relate to, no one the reader could love, no one the reader could hate?

PICTURE YOUR CHARACTER IN YOUR MIND:Physical DescriptionDescribe what they spend time doing (Actions)Describe their thoughtsDescribe how other characters react to themWhat do they say? Use dialogue to reveal their personality.

Develop your character(s): Be specific!Let’s practice: Look at the picture.What physical traits can we describe? Don’t say a hand; say a pasty hand clutching the steering wheel.What does this person do? Don’t say, “He is a driver”. For what company? Where is he going? Why? At what speed?What are they thinking?How are other characters reacting to them? What are they saying?

ConflictWithout it, you have no real story. It becomes a simple series of events. I can hear the reader yawning already!

Pick more than one conflict for your story: internal AND external.

What is an internal conflict for Ernie in “A Crush”?What is an external conflict faced by Ernie?What is an internal conflict faced by Jimmy in “A Retrieved

Reformation”? What is an external conflict faced by Jimmy in “A Retrieved

Reformation”?

Conflict: Let’s PracticeWhat INTERNAL conflict is this character experiencing?

What EXTERNAL conflict is this character experiencing?

ComplicationDon’t jump straight from a problem to a solution. That

is NO FUN!Provide some sort of problem along the way, while

your character is TRYING to solve the main conflict.Maybe on their way home finally, they realize they

have also lost their key. Maybe before a starving lion finds food, they injure their paw and can’t hunt as easily as they thought?

What is the major conflict and complication in The Hunger Games?

What is a conflict and complication in Finding Nemo?

Resolution With a MoralYou must satisfy your readers in the end with a

resolution and a moral/lesson. This does NOT mean it has to be a happy resolution every time, but you can’t have too many loose ends, or your reader will look like this:

You want them to be able to say, “Oh, I get it!”

You do not want them to think you ran out of time!

Planning the NarrativeBrainstorm ideas for a personal story or

observation Outline or web the important parts of the

story to be told.Write an introductory paragraph that includes

the thesis statement and then write the story.Because this is a story, use as many

paragraphs as necessary to tell the story.Write a conclusion that reflects on the thesis

statement.

What is a thesis statement?A thesis statement is a sentence or two

that contains the focus of your essay and tells your reader what the essay is going to be about.

Example“Oftentimes, people do not follow simple directions. However, these campers learned just how important following directions can be.”

Sample Introduction of a Narrative including the thesis statement

It was a wonderful week to camp in the great outdoors, even if some of their friends thought it was a strange way to honeymoon. Trudy and Jeff were looking forward to their week at the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in Tennessee. Little did they know what a learning experience this trip would be. Oftentimes people do not follow simple directions. However, these campers learned just how important following directions can be.

Ways to create a thesis statementWithout a thesis, or a point, you are not really

writing a narrative essay – make sure you have a point.

You can get help finding a point when you:Think about sayings or quotes that teach a

lessonThink about a time when you learned

something valuable.Think about lessons learned from

characters in novels/stories.

Dialogue Rules

Rule #1:A direct quote begins with a capital letter.

Ex. Jimmy shouted, “See you at the game!”Ex. “Is it true?” asked Cindy.

Rule #2When a quote is interrupted into two parts

with words like “he asked” or “the teacher demanded,” the second part begins with a lowercase letter.

Ex: “What are some of the things,” Mrs. Small asked, “that make school so much fun?”

Ex: “One thing I like,” Ali replied, “is recess!”

Rule #3When writing dialogue, all punctuation marks

at the end of the quote go at the inside of the quotation marks.

Ex. “Let’s visit the museum,” suggested Samantha.

Ex. Jon replied, “Didn’t we go there last weekend?”

Rule #4Do not put a period at the end of a quotation

followed by things like she said, mom asked, he explained. Use commas, question marks, and exclamation marks but not periods. Periods end sentences.

Ex: “My Math class is hard,” replied Tom.Ex: “That’s my favorite class!” yelled

Monica.

Rule #5Make a new paragraph (indent) when a different

person begins to speak.

Ex: “Last night, I dreamt that I ate a giant

marshmallow,” Kevin said.“That’s crazy!” replied Kate.“Wait until you hear about the dream I had about

swimming in a mountain of fruit cocktail,” responded Jim.

“Said is Dead”Remember, do not overuse the word said.Use more descriptive words like whispered,

shouted, or asked.Or, describe how they said it with an adverb.

Compositional RisksAn attempt by an author to do something

interesting, engaging, and unusual with his or her writing.

Qualities of a piece of writing that make it stand out in some way.

Must be sustained - that means the writer can't just throw in one or two

Need to be spread throughout the writing.  They should also not just be randomly included, but rather should work together or flow smoothly from example to another. 

Compositional RisksRhetorical QuestionsHumorSimiles and Metaphors IdiomsRepetitionAnalogiesDirectly Addressing the AudienceOpening with a QuestionClosing with a QuestionVivid ImagerySarcasm

In Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os9gBvQzJwE

Simile – comparing two UNLIKE things using “like” or “as”Ex. I was as angry as a raging bull.

Make Your Own Similes :    That puppy was as skinny as________________________.    The chickens were as nervous as__________________.    Grandma's hug was as warm as__________________.    The librarian was wound as tightly as_______________.

Metaphor: comparing two UNLIKE things, implying one IS the other.Ex: I was a raging bull.

Make your own:

Her stomach was a growling ________________________.

The howl ripping through the air was ______________.

 The breeze from the window was _______________.

Fear crawled over him and was_______________________.

Personification: giving human characteristics to something non-human.

Practice Personification: Personify extreme Hot or Cold. Write about what the heat or the cold does to you. Try doing so without using the words hot or cold.

Transitional Words and PhrasesHelps papers read more smoothlyEnhance logical organization and

understandabilityImprove the connections between thoughts. Indicate relations, whether within a sentence,

paragraph, or paper.