Dr. M Silva

Narrative Speaking

Dr. M. Silva

Narrative is One of the Oldest Forms of Communication

• Telling Stories: – Primary means of retaining historical

information in an oral culture– Preserve cultural ideas and beliefs– Can entertain, inform, persuade and

inspire.– Served a ritual function

Dr. M. Silva

Your Narrative SpeechTell a story about a personal experience.

– “Last summer I went on a road trip and got the scare of my life”

Dr. M. Silva

Guidelines for Your Narrative Speech

• Develop a Central Idea which is one full sentence that states the theme of your speech.– Last summer I went on a cruise to Alaska and learned that cruises can

be awesome if you can avoid certain pitfalls.

• Develop Characters– Me– The Masses– The salespeople

• Develop a Plot—use the classic conflict model (next slide)

Dr. M. Silva

Organizing Your Narrative• Like all speeches: Your narrative

should have a clear beginning, middle and end.

– Stories usually begin by introducing the topic and situation.

– Build up to a point of tension or conflict.– Resolve that Conflict

Basic Outline for Informative Narrative

I. IntroductionA. Gain Audiences AttentionB. State your Purpose

II. BodyTransition to: (Let’s move on. . .)Main Points = each stage of the story in chronological

orderA. Introduce Setting and CharactersB. The problem or conflictC. How resolved (it may have simply resolved itself.Transition to: (Today I’ve told you. . .)

III. ConclusionA. Summarize/Review Your Main Points in one

sentenceB. Conclude in a Memorable and Interesting Manner

Tips for Writing a Great Narrative Speech

• Use descriptive, vivid language• Don’t try to explain everything that

happened but focus on key events and people (the most interesting aspects of your experience).

• Don’t be afraid to use some poetic license for the audience’s benefit.