Narrative Writing Vocab List Flashcards
Google Form Vocab Quiz on these terms on Tuesday 10/22
narrator
a person who tells the story - either a character in the story or an outside observer
narrative
the story a person tells
points of view
the perspective we experience the story - first person, third person limited, third person omniscient
scene
a sequence of continuous action in a story, usually takes place in one setting;
–> scene changes when there is a new setting, a new day, or large shift in events/plot
actionable dialogue
Dialogue sections (conversations between two speakers) where the author reveals not only the conversation but also uses their speaker tags or sentences in between dialogue to describe:
- A character’s meaningful action or thoughts
- The setting or characters interacting with the setting
- How characters react to each other
- Tension or conflict building
pacing
the speed of the action of the story
There are two types of pacing we will use in narrative:
(1) Summary Scenes: the author will quickly summarize what happens, without a lot of details
(2) Magnify the Moment Scenes: the author will describe many details to really help the reader visualize this important scene
narrative transition words or phrases
words or phrases that show the narrative shifting to a different setting or scene
develop
to enhance characters, events, and experiences through word choice and details
direct characterization
the author directly and literally TELLS the reader the character’s personality traits
Ex: Sam was shy and lacked self-confidence
indirect characterization
The author shows and creatively reveals a character’s personality by creating a character with specific speech, thoughts, effects on others, actions, and physical looks (STEAL acronym)
Ex: Sam looked down at his feet, avoiding eye contact at all costs, as he wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans.
