Narrative Writing Flashcards
What technique could you use to add detail to your description?
A list
What sentences should you include to add “flair” to your narrative
Minor sentences (no verb or subject) e.g. “crash!” Or “A sudden shout”
What must you do to enable structure and reduce waffling?
Plan- guide the readers from one place to another, make the paragraphs flow, mainly write in chronological order. Think about the development of your story from the opening until the ending.
How can you make sure you paragraphs flow?
Using temporal connectives (relating to time) e.g. later on, the following day.
Additional connectives such as “since” and “although” are useful at the beginning of complex sentences
List the techniques best suited for narrative writing
Pathetic fallacy Personification Metaphors Similes Repetition Onomatopoeia
How should you engage the reader in the story early on?
Begin the story in a crisis/ drama to hook in the reader
Start with a character speaking or open in a mysterious setting.
How will you keep the reader interested in the story?
Present the reader with a problem or challenge the character is facing
How can you prevent confusion in a short story
Include speech as it reveals more about characters, and don’t include too many characters (3-4)
How can you keep up the pace of a story?
Keeping the action going- make sure you describe the IMPORTANT things
What sort of structure should you have in the narrative?
Introduction=crisis
Middle= events unfolding
End= resolution
What you you take into account when asked to write a story?
The audience- what genre is appropriate? Horror? Mystery?
How do you decided the setting of the story?
After deciding the genre so you clearly know what you’re doing before you begin
What else must you decide when asked to write a story?
What narrative it is written in 1st/ 3rd person
She or I??
List the full structure of the story
Scene is established Complication Crisis Consequences Resolution
When establishing a scene what must you must sure to do with the character?
Make sure you introduce the readers to the main character- use action rather than a simple description to do this. “She leapt through the air as her cascading black hair, hooked around the tree like a mouse in a trap”
What is the complication in a story?
Where you begin to build up to a moment of crisis- e.g. character tripping, and monster catching up behind them
What is the crisis of the story?
The result of the complication which is a big problem/ effects the plan
What is the resolution of the story
What immediately follows the crisis and happens due to it- monster catches your friend after tripping, now he is dead and you can’t fight. Leads to both of you dying.
What is important about characters?
You must create a character with real depth- make them believable and interesting. Most main characters actively wants something and the story usually follows them achieving or failing their goals.
How can you make your reader really imagine a character?
Make a reference of some kind to their appearance- tall/short, man/woman, hair colour- attractive? Clothing?
What are characters conveyed through?
Their words and actions, dialogue really helps give more depth e.g. revealing an allergy/ habit
What do you use to draw your reader in?
A hook- to catch the readers attention
Begin when something dramatic is happening
“It was hard to think clearly with a knife at her throat”
Give an example of a problem to help keep the reader intrigued
“She knew she had to reach town before dusk, but Madeline’s gut told her it was at least 5 miles away”
