Writing a Narrative Parts of a Narrative What

Writing a Narrative Parts of a Narrative

What is a Narrative? ▶ A prose narrative relating personal experience usually told in first person, its content is nontraditional. ▶ Personal refers to a story from your life or your own experiences. ▶ Conversely, we tell personal narratives to share our lives, communicate trust, and create intimacy. Personal narratives make a statement: "what you must know about me, " and these stories are traded more frequently as traders grow closer, and reach milestones in the relationships.

What You Need To Do… What are some ways I could get your attention at the beginning of a story? How do we do it in an essay? How is it different? Brainstorm in your groups how you would start a story based on this photo! ▶ Capture the reader’s attention. A Story Based on Photo ->

What Other Parts Do You Need? In your groups describe the time and place where this event might have occurred. ▶ 1. What do you think is happening? 2. How can you describe it? 3. Where 4. When? A narrative describes the time and place where the event happened.

Beginning, Middle, End ▶ There must be a clear beginning, middle and end to a narrative. 1. Identify the beginning, middle, and end to this paragraph. 2. What is the time and place? 3. What makes the beginning interesting? Peddling On My Own Learning how to ride a bike for the first time was a nerve racking independent moment. I was about five years old when my sister informed me that I was too old to still be riding a bike with training wheels. That was the time I decided not to depend on them anymore. Even though I had some doubt, my sister and I went outside and started to take the little wheels off my bike. After my bike went through the transformation, I was now ready for the big moment. With butterflies in my stomach, I slowly got on the bike, and with my shaky hands, I gripped the handles tightly. Meanwhile my sister was holding on to me to help keep my balance. I was so afraid the she would let go, yet I was determined to ride this bike on my own. Next with a little push from her, I started to peddle. The faster my bike went the faster my heart raced. Finally I looked back nervously and noticed that my sister let go of my bike a long time ago. I was so excited that I accomplished freedom on my bike that I forgot to peddle. The next step I remember, I was lying on the ground, yet I did not care because of the adrenaline rush. I will never forget the exhilarating moment and growing up stage of riding a bike without training wheels.

Description ▶ A narrative describes what the writer and others in the story did, said and felt. ▶ You need dialogue ▶ Description of specifics ▶ Make me feel you. Show me, not tell me (more on that later)

Lastly, A Moral Lesson ▶ At the core of personal narrative is a moral evaluation of self. The Moral proposition present in all first-person narratives is, "I am a good person, ” or that the speaker acted wrong, and learned what was right. ▶ Personal Narratives also function as a means of selfexploration. Our stories inform us who we are, who we can become, and who we cannot become.

What could the moral be for this photo? In your groups write a moral for this photo. What was the story behind this photo?

Read the following Narratives 1. Identify how they begin the narrative to draw you in. 2. What is the beginning, middle, and end (highlight in different colors)? 3. What is the time and place of each narrative? 4. What was the main thing that happened? 5. What lesson was learned? What was the “Moral of the Story? ”