The

Composition of

a NarrativeBrooklyn Technical High SchoolFreshman CompositionMr. Williams

Learning Objective: To understand the purpose and value of writing a narrative

CCS: W.9.5: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well chosen details, and well structured event sequences

Motivational Activity: Listen to Stephen Covey’s “The Big Rocks”

• What are the details of the story?• What is the order of events?• What is the point of view?• What is the point or purpose?

Homework: Choose a narrative essay prompt from the Narrative Essay Project sheet. Draft a one page typed narrative.

The Power Of A Good Story Well Told

Were you fortunate enough to have a grandmother who could spin a spellbinding tale? Do you remember a college professor who, instead of lecturing, would tell stories

that sparked your imagination and made complicated ideas come to life? Have you

been lucky enough to be at a business meeting where the presenter did not simply

flash through her power point slides, but actually engaged you in a compassionate

story that changed the way you did business?

The Power Of A Good Story Well Told

Good speakers from Abraham Lincoln to Maya Angelou have always known that a

good story, well told, stirs passion. Stories have the power to change hearts

and minds.Storytelling is the most ancient art form and yet it is still a vital

part of our everyday lives. Whenever you come home from a rough or wonderful day and whine or brag, you are telling

stories.

The Power Of A Good Story Well Told

There is a growing body of research that extols the idea that the human mind is pre-programmed for the personal narrative. The way we know our deeper self and our divine place in the world is through the stories we hear and the stories we tell.Yet the digital

world, with the growing emphasis on mass marketed entertainment, has diminished the

role of the traditional storyteller. With our fast paced lives and electronic amusements we

spend much less time simply listening to the stories of our friends and family.

The Power Of A Good Story Well Told

Be it the foot of the bed with your children or a romantic dinner with your spouse, a happy hour conversation with a co-worker or a long

car ride with a partner, it is becoming increasingly important that we carve out time to practice the fine art of conversation. Part of the ‘disconnect’ that we feel as modern humans may be due to our longing to be heard, our need to connect with those we

love by listening to their stories. Our stories sustain us.

The Power Of A Good Story Well Told

In the field of education, research has shown that kids who grow up listening to stories are better

prepared for school success. Oral language development, active listening and speaking, is the first step towards better reading and writing. As a former teacher who still performs in schools on a regular basis, it is easy to pick out the kids whose

parents read to them and encourage them to tell their own tales.In either an early elementary classroom or a corporate board room we can not underestimate

the power of storytelling. Stories educate and inspire.

The Power Of A Good Story Well Told

I have recently begun consulting with a local company, helping them to first define and then learn to tell their corporate story. It is thrilling to work with these executives who not only understand the power of story, but want to improve their storytelling skills. They see the potential of storytelling to impact their success in business.Whether it is the bottom line or

the chorus line, storytelling is the basis of all communication and the mission of all art. Cultivating

the art of storytelling is vital. Ballet and opera tell stories. Painters and photographers capture

moments, images within a larger story. Storytelling is the foundation of all great art, politics and

business.

The Power Of A Good Story Well Told

To promote a cultural renaissance we need to practice the art of deep listening. We need to create the venue where stories can be heard. We need to help the next generation find their

voice. We need to celebrate poetry, dance, music, literature, mime, acting, painting, sculpture and all the mediums in which storytellers work.Take the time to listen, create space for great stories to be told!

-From Fox Tales International

The Essentials of a Well-Written Narrative

“Narratives are analyzed not for what is written but for how it is written.”

•Well chosen and thoughtfully emphasized details

•A logical and often chronological organization

•An appropriate and consistent point of view

•A meaningful point or purpose

Great Stories Always Pass the TEST

Chloe Dao traveled a difficult road to become a successful student.

When Dao was a baby, her parents decided to leave her native country, Laos, and come to the United States. Unfortunately, the Viet Cong captured her and her family as they tried to cross the border. They were sent to a refugee camp, where they stayed for four years. In 1979, when she was eight, Dao and her family were allowed to come to the United States. Then, they had to earn enough money to live on. Dao’s mother worked three jobs. On the weekends, the entire family ran the snack bar at the flea market. Finally, they saved enough money to open a dry cleaning business. When she was twenty, Dao moved to New York to attend school. After she graduated, she got a challenging job as production manager for designer Melinda Eng. Eventually, she opened a boutique, where she featured clothes that she designed. Her big break came in 2006 when she was chosen as a finalist on the reality show Project Runway.

Although Chloe Dao may appear to be an “overnight success,” she had to struggle to get to where she is today.

Transitions Tell TalesCommon Transitional Words and Phrases

The Common Error in Narrative Writing:

The Run-OnAs writers, we become involved in our stories; sometimes, we begin to string events together without proper punctuation. When that’s done, run-on sentences are created.

Dao’s mother worked three jobs on the weekends, the entire family ran a snack bar at a flea market.

Dao’s mother worked three jobs. On the weekends, the entire family ran a snack bar at a flea market.

The Common Error in Narrative Writing:

The Run-OnThe Victorians were very concerned with etiquette they had strict rules regarding proper behavior.On the night a Victorian girl was presented to society, she was allowed to dance her partner for the dance would be carefully selected by her mother.

Public behavior was not the only aspect of society controlled by etiquette it governed even letter writing.

Married couples could dance only once together at a party they had to follow the rules of etiquette as well.

Fixing the Common Error in Narrative Writing: The Run-On

The Victorians were very concerned with etiquette. They had strict rules regarding proper behavior.On the night a Victorian girl was presented to society, she was allowed to dance, but her partner for the dance would be carefully selected by her mother.

Public behavior was not the only aspect of society controlled by etiquette which governed even letter writing.

Married couples could dance only once together at a party; they had to follow the rules of etiquette as well.

Exercising Your Ability to

Write a NarrativeBeginning at the beginning and ending at the end is not the only way to tell a story. Think of the events of a story you would like to tell. Don’t write the story just yet. Just simply list the events that need to be included. Be sure to include at least ten major events in your story.

List the sequence of events that occurred, in chronological order.

Once you have completed this step, rearrange the events in another order that helps create a more dramatic effect.

Prewriting Exercises for Personal Narratives

•Write a paragraph on each of the people involved in the event you're writing about.

•Sketch out the events as blocks in a comic strip.

•Write a version of the events in your narrative for a newspaper article.

•Identify where you or others had to make a decision of some kind. For each decision, brainstorm the alternatives that could have been pursued.

•Choose a time in your narrative when you and other characters are talking with one another. Script out the conversation.

•Describe the events that occurred for a different audience.

•Reflect on the events as you recall them. Readers will want to know why you're sharing the story.

•Brainstorm or freewrite a few paragraphs on why you think this event will still matter in the future.

•For each detail, think about related sensory details and consider the emotions related to the facts (fear, pleasure, sadness, etc.).

•Write an account of the events in your narrative for a fable, a tabloid, or a television or radio interview.

The Composition of a

NarrativeStories are central to our mental processes for understanding, remembering, and communicating.

Plato said: “Those who tell stories rule society.”

The next time you are at a dinner with friends, sit back for a minute and observe the goings-on.  What is everyone doing?  Most of the evening will probably be taken up exchanging stories, funny ones, sad one, stories about friends, stories read in the newspaper, and so on.

Why is story telling and story listening so important to the way we think?

Stories are a way in which we learn.-Roger Costello