text production: narrative writing -...

Stage 2 English Studies Text Production: Narrative Writing

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Narrative Writing

Student Work Pack


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Unit Aims The aim for the next three weeks is to complete an in-depth study on narrative. We will be looking at a range of language techniques, stylistic features and narration styles such as first and third person narration and stream of consciousness on which you will model your own text production. This study will allow you to develop and demonstrate creativity and to use language for a variety of different purposes. For this unit of work you will be required to write a narrative of 1000 words in length; demonstrating your ability to understand language techniques and stylistic features in other texts and apply them to your own writing.

Narrative

Definition Narrative writing tells a story. Narratives usually present characters involved in some action or conflict. Narrative writing aims to entertain the reader but can also seek to inform or challenge the reader. Narrative writing can be imagined, factual or a combination of the two. A narrative may include fairy stories, dramas, mysteries, science fiction, romances, horror stories, adventure stories, myths and legends, historical narratives, or personal experience. Language can be casual or formal. Story told can be linear, use flashbacks or include multiple plots.

The characteristics readers of narrative text expect/ what conventional narrative writing usually includes is:

a story a succession of events in chronological order including an introduction,

complication, resolution conflict characters (who) a setting (where and when) theme(s) a consistent point of view

Structure Well-structured narratives typically include:

Orientation (who, where, when) Complication (need for action) Resolution (response by characters) Evaluation (what has been learnt from story)


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Point of view

1st person 2nd person 3rd personThe narrator is: A major character OR a

minor characterAn observerOR a participant

An omniscient narrator – sees everything OR objective/subjective

Who uses words like: I – me – my – we – our – us

You - your He – she – they – his – her –their

The advantage of this point of view is:

The narrator is an eye witness to events – you feel you are there

It is an unusual form of story-telling

The narrator can see all, and help you understand the characters and world of the story

A disadvantage of this point of view might be:

The narrator can be biased in what they decide to tell youLimited access to other characters

It is hard to keep writing in this way throughout an entire story

You are less likely to become emotionally involved with the story

NARRATIVE SAMPLES

From what perspective will your narrative be written?

First person narration:1. The naïve narrator2. The narrator who is hiding something3. Multiple narrators, with conflicting versions of events4. Narrators who are picking up the pieces (grieving, divorced, in/just out of rehab,

ill/recovering from illness)5. Narrators experiencing a multiplicity of reality, or questioning reality 6. Monstrous narrators

1. ‘Naïve’ Narrator

Scout, in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird: ‘So far, things were utterly dull: nobody had thundered, there were no arguments

between opposing counsel, there was no drama; a grave disappointment to all present, it seemed. Atticus was proceeding amiably, as if he were involved in a title dispute. With his infinite capacity for calming turbulent seas, he could make a rape case as dry as a sermon. Gone was the terror in my mind of stale whisky and barnyard smells, of sleepy-eyed sullen men, of a husky voice calling in the night, “Mr Finch? They gone?” Our nightmare had gone with daylight, everything would come out all right.

All of the spectators were as relaxed as Judge Taylor, except Jem. His mouth was twisted into a purposeful half-grin, and his eyes happy about, and he said something about corroborating evidence, which made me sure he was showing off (173).


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2. Narrator who is hiding something…

Vernon, in DBC Pierre’s Vernon God Little ‘Mom stumbles to her wishing bench, abandoning her cakes to the side. She

overbalances a little as the bench settles unevenly into the dirt. The f***** bench settles a different way every week, like it’s indexed to her head or something’ (21)

3. Multiple narrators

The mothers and daughters in Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club Rose:

I still listened to my mother, but I also learned how to let her words blow through me. And sometimes I filled my mind with other people’s thoughts – all in English – so when she looked at me inside out, she would be confused by what she saw’ (191)Her mother, An-Mei:

She lies down on a psychiatrist couch, squeezing tears out about this shame [her divorce]. And, I think, she will lie there until there is nothing more to fall, nothing left to cry, everything dry.

She cried, “No choice! No choice!” She doesn’t know. If she doesn’t speak, she is making a choice’ (215).

4. Picking up the pieces

Suzanne, in Carrie Fisher’s Postcards from the Edge And they expect me to go to these meetings, these Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. I

don’t like groups. I like to be alone. I’m kind of a lone animal by nature. I can just imagine the kind of scum you’d meet there. Greg Friedman used to go all the time, and he had to stop. He said, ‘I never would have taken drugs with half those people. How am I supposed to get straight with them?’ He died of cocaine poisoning, but I really trusted him (38).

5. Narrators questioning reality

Odilo Unverdorben, in Martin Amis’ Time’s Arrow ‘I must make one last effort to be lucid, to be clear. What finally concerns me are

questions of time: certain durations… Now Odilo’s dreams are all colours and noises, rapturous or dread-filled, but with no content, not any more.

He pauses for a moment, in the field. Only a moment. There are no larger units of his time. He has to act while childhood is still here, while everything is his playmate… He has to act while childhood is still here before somebody comes and takes it away. And they will come. I hope the doctor will be wearing something nice, something appropriate, and not the white coat and the black boots, which surely . . . Myself. Mistake. Mistake’ (172-3)


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6. Monstrous Narrators

Humbert Humbert, in Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita: ‘In the gay town of Lepingville I bought her four books of comics, a box of candy, a

box of sanitary pads, two cokes, a manicure set, a travel clock with a luminous dial, a ring with a real topaz, a tennis racket, roller skates with white high shoes, field glasses, a portable radio set, chewing gum, a transparent raincoat, sunglasses, some more garments – swooners, shorts, all kinds of summer frocks. At the hotel we had separate rooms, but in the middle of the night she came sobbing into mine, and we made it up very gently. You see, she had absolutely nowhere else to go’ (160).

Third person omniscient 1. Third person omniscient2. Third person limited3. Third person shifting

1. Third person omniscient

William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair: ‘as we are to see a great deal of Amelia, there is no harm in saying, at the outset of our

acquaintance, that she was a dear little creature, and a great mercy it is, both in life and in novels, which (and the latter especially) abound in villains of the most somber sort, that we are to have for a constant companion so guileless and good-natured a person. As she is not a heroine, there is no need to describe her person; indeed I’m afraid that her nose was rather short than otherwise, and her cheeks a great deal too round and red for a heroine’ (11).

2. Third person limited

JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: ‘Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by

thousands and thousands of candles which were floating in mid-air over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting . . . Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upwards and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper, “It’s bewitched to look like the sky outside, I read about it in Hogwarts: A History.”

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all’ (87).

3. Third person shifting

Rick Moody’s The Ice Storm: Hood:

‘His capacity for drinking surprised even him, but it paled in the face of his capacity for self-deception . . . Where his motives were concerned Hood was like a blind man without


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a cane. He was night driving. He was flying without instruments. He was going to this party’ (114).

Elena:‘Uncomfortable as she was, how was Elena supposed to account for the change that

had overcome her? How was Elena to account for the joy that seized her not long after her arrival at the party?’ (153).

Stream of consciousness the sun shines for you he said the day we were lying among the rhododendrons on Howth head in the grey tweed suit and his straw hat the day I got him to propose to me yes first I gave him the bit of seedcake out of my mouth and it was leapyear like now yes 16 years ago my God after that long kiss I near lost my breath yes he said was a flower of the mountain yes so we are flowers all a woman’s body yes that was one true thing he said in his life and the sun shines for you today yes that was why I liked him because I saw he understood or felt what a woman is and I knew I could always get round him and I gave him all the pleasure I could leading him on till he asked me to say yes and I wouldn’t answer first only looked out over the sea and the sky I was thinking of so many things he didn’t know of Mulvey and Mr Stanhope and Hester and father and old captain Groves and the sailors playing all birds fly and I say stoop and washing up dishes they called it on the pier and the sentry in front of the governors house with the thing round his white helmet poor devil half roasted and the Spanish girls laughing in their shawls and their tall combs and the auctions in the morning the Greeks and the Jews and the Arabs and the devil knows who else from all the ends of Europe . . . (Excerpt from Joyce’s Ulysses in Anderson 122)


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Analysis of text samples

Device/ techniques & stylistic features

1st person multiple narrators

3rd person omniscient narrator

Stream of consciousness

Sentence connectives/ tone/ mood of writingExample/Explain – find the words which prove your point and what style of writing it is

Analyse – what is the effect of this technique on the reader?VoiceE - Describe tone and language of characters.

A - How do voice, mood and tone of characters impact the audience?

PaceExplain

A

Sentence Variety(Simple, compound and complex)Explain

A

Use of punctuation & rhetorical questionsE

A

Use of imagery/symbolism/motif to convey ideasE

A

Use of simile/ metaphor/ hyperboleE


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A

AudienceFor which group of people is the story written? List some phrases, words or passages that this people group might like in a narrative?


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NAME: Draft Due Date: __________________ Due Date: _______________________

Purpose:You are to write a narrative which entertains or engages a reader or listener. You must demonstrate creativity and draw on what you have observed about language, narration and stylistic features in other texts to enhance your own writing.

Description of Task:You have a choice of seven topics as the basis for your narrative (see below); pick ONE and begin your writing. *Clearly identify which topic you have chosen.

1) If only she’d known then what she knew now

2) Families; are they worth it?

3) Use the following sentence to either start or finish a narrative essay: "So much for telling the truth."

4) Write about an experience which taught you something important about life.

5) Write about a journey, real or imagined.

6) “From that moment on, I knew that I couldn’t trust anyone with my secret…”

7) If you have strong idea for a narrative which cannot be worked into any of the above options you write one of your own choice (run it past your teacher first).

Word Limit: 1000 words

Assessment Design Criteria

ApplicationThe specific features are as follows:Ap4 Use of textual, structural, and conventional features of selected text types and forms of

presentation to convey meaning.

CommunicationThe specific features are as follows:C1 Accuracy, clarity, and fluency of expression.

- Application Communication

A Ap4: Skills in using the textual, structural, and conventional features of text types for a range of familiar and unfamiliar contexts, audiences, and purposes.

C1: Fluent and precise writing and speaking, using appropriate style and structure for a range of mainly unfamiliar audiences and contexts.

Performance Standards

English Studies 2015 Text Production Study (Written): Narrative Writing


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Remember: Narrative writing tells a story. Narratives usually present characters involved in some action or conflict. Narrative writing aims to entertain the reader but can also seek to inform or challenge

the reader. Narrative writing can be imagined, factual or a combination of the two. Well-structured narratives typically include:

Orientation (who, where, when) Complication (need for action) Resolution (response by characters) Evaluation (what has been learnt from story)

Remember to try and engage/entertain/challenge your reader: consider the effect and impact of each element you discuss on the narrative as a whole, the protagonist(s) involved and the viewer

Control where you use each sentence type – simple, compound and complex – for effect just as you do for punctuation, word choice and syntax.

Simple sentences allow the plot to develop quickly and dramatically Hints and suggestions add tension Complex sentences add layers of meaning Powerful verbs show how a character acts/feels Clear descriptions make places and events vivid Metaphors and similes create images Dialogue creates atmosphere

The language used may be casual or formal. The story can be linear, use flashbacks or include multiple plots.

When using dialogue use quotation marks, identify who is speaking, indent each time the speaker changes and use commas correctly.

Get your draft in early – send me individual paragraphs if you like. The more checking that happens; the more issues will be resolved earlier and your final piece will be stronger, attracting a higher grade.

Take pride in presentation: head your work, put the title in, and put your name on every page. Do not go about 12 point and use a plain font such as Times New Roman as your font. Use 1.15 spacing for clarity. Put the word count at the end of your essay. Your work may be submitted electronically as it has to be checked for plagiarism which would lead to disqualification.

If you believe it will enhance the reading of your work you may include a brief analysis (Writer’s Statement) of the approaches and techniques you have employed in the creation of your text. (For example: How did your techniques enhance the purpose of your narrative? How did you want to position your reader?)

Maximum of 1000 words (including Writer’s Statement if you choose to develop one).


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Instructions for writing your narrative:Once you have analysed others’ writing, you will begin to see what techniques and stylistic features a published writer uses in narrative to engage/entertain and challenge the reader. Now you can apply these techniques to your own writing.

Plan your narrative You will need a strong opening, a development and a twist. You do not necessarily need an ending and your narrative may play with conventions

of time.

Use the Four Creativity Tools (*page 14 Student Work Pack) to generate ideas Don’t be afraid to start two or three narratives before you find one that is deeply

satisfying. Use one or more of What if?, Six Hats, Point of View and Scattered Mind Maps to

help you with your creativity.

Consider your writing Geography/ society/ culture all make for fascinating variations on common narratives.

Do your research If you haven’t been to a place/felt an emotion/ experienced that which you describe,

you need to know enough about it to make it real for your audience who may have done all of these things.

Consider your form Will you use first person voice? If so, it has to be consistent with the setting of the

narrative and appropriate to the form. If you choose to play with chronology, it has to be for a reason.

Choose your devices wisely Too many devices will lead to confusion but a motif or repeated image, extended

metaphor or very specialised use of language can enhance your writing immeasurably.

Choose each word deliberately You have very few words to play with: consider grammatical constructions and word

choices very carefully for maximum impact.

Craft and Draft your work Go back over your work – does it still have impact, does it challenge and does it have

a variety of pace and language that will stimulate and fascinate your reader?


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When you think you’ve finished, read your narrative out loud to a trusted friend or family member and check out the effect of your writing on a real audience.

Check you haven’t gone over the word limit, that you have done everything asked of you on the task sheet and that you have put your name and SACE number on your work.

Extension/ Challenge:If you are confident with your writing skills and want to add other elements which will challenge you and your reader; you may wish to change some of the conventions of a traditional narrative. Experimental narrative writing places an emphasis on innovation of style or technique. They break the conventions that a reader expects of a text.

Some ways you may wish to do this is to:1. Develop a non-linear narrative (e.g. use flash backs, change the sequence, begin at the

end or leave out part of the story).2. Vary the point of view (e.g. include various perspectives or points of view, tell parts

of the story from the angle of different characters or, as the author, intrude into the story explaining your opinions about the actions).

3. Make the characters unlikeable. A narrative usually has some ‘good’ characters so the reader develops empathy for at least someone in the story but you may wish to challenge this convention.

4. Include varied forms of writing to develop the story. Mix up personal letters, emails, text messages, notes, diaries entries etc to develop the story in an experimental way.

An example of a narrative that challenges the traditional conventions may be to make the narrator an animal (i.e. a dog) where the audience doesn’t discover this realisation until the very end. It is only when this realisation comes that the whole narrative makes sense. (Or, you could do something similar; where realisation comes at the end and makes whole narration make sense.)


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Four Creativity Tools

de Bono’s Six Hatsde Bono taught that thinking in the same way at the same time (group lateral thinking) was likely to produce more and better quality ideas. Therefore, if you take up any situation and need to develop ideas for it, then using the Six Hats in an order that suits the group and working through them, one at a time as a group, should produce excellent results.

Blue Hat Metacognition – the organising HatRed Hat Emotional responseBlack Hat Negative response/ current problems with the issueWhite Hat Facts and figuresGreen Hat New ideas/ potential ways forwardYellow Hat Positive ways forward

What if?Think of your narrative possibilities; interrogate the questions/ topics and consider your options. For example if you were to ‘Write about the room you are in’ – this might create the questions, what if I was coming back to a school prom in 80 years’ time.

Change in PerspectiveFrom which perspective will your narrative be written? Imagine yourself in a quirky place in a familiar space. So, if you were in a school hall, instead of being at a desk, you might be up in the bell tower, or a fly on the wall, or a ghost behind a picture… The possibilities are endless! Remember all the different styles of narration you have to choose from! (Narrative Samples in Student Work Pack).

Mind Map (*page 15)Link your ideas fairly randomly until a pattern starts to emerge.


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Mind Map/ Story PlannerKeep in mind that in a good narrative, the reader relates closely to the story, feels involved with the plot and often identifies with the characters. A good story is hard to put down and the reader feels a sense of loss when it ends. At your brainstorming stage; think about plot, characters, setting and theme.

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