Download Guide to Writing Effective Narratives: Telling Engaging Stories - Prof. Larry T. Carter and more Study notes English Language in PDF only on Docsity! Narration What is narration: To narrate means to tell a story. It can be real or made-up. We often use narration without thinking about it. Much of our daily communication with others is done through narration, especially through anecdotes. An anecdote is simply a brief narrative. When to use narration: Use narration whenever you need to relate an experience or present information in dramatic or purposeful sequence. How to write a narration: 1. Have a point to make. The point is what gives it movement. In other words, it must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. A strong beginning is vital. It catches the reader’s attention and will urge him or her to keep reading. 2. Pace the story. The quickest way to lose a reader’s attention is for the narrative to become dull and humdrum. To avoid this, stay focused on pacing what you have to say. Don’t, in other words, get caught up in one particular facet of your narrative and forget the larger narrative. You might wrap-up an entire day or even a week or month in one tightly, well written paragraph. 3. Tell the story from a consistent point of view. This is the angle from which a story is told. It can be told from a personal perspective, using the pronoun I, or it can be told from a detached point of view, where you the author enter someone else’s mind. This is known as an omniscient point if view. You become an all-seeing video camera. 4. Insert the appropriate details. Details can make the difference between boredom and delight for the reader. If you cannot write about what you know, the next best thing is to know about what you write. The bottom line is to make your narrative authentic. Do your research. Discuss adding actual facts to the narrative in order to make the narrative more supportive. Suggestions for using narration: 1. Identify the conflict. 2. Identify the point of the narrative. 3. Develop only those details that advance the narrative. 4. Organize the narrative sequence. 5. Make the narrative easy to follow. 6. Make the narrative vigorous and immediate. 7. Keep your point of view and verb tense consistent
