Narrative writting

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Who is telling the story?

Is it first person? Is someone in the story telling the reader directly? In these kinds of narratives the narrator might be the main character – or it might be someone who is very minor. Imagine the story of Cinderella told from the point of view of the mouse who gets turned into her footman. He’d have a very different view of the story – and what would life be like after he’s turned back into a mouse.

If the narrator is a specific character, that character needs to be reflected in the way the story gets told – the comments or ‘asides’ which they make to the reader might show who they really are. Perhaps the narrator in the example above would keep making comments about cheese. If it’s someone unexpected then keeping that quiet for a while can lead to an effective ending.

Are you an all-knowing narrator? The story is told in the third person, but the narrator might need to tell the audience what the characters are thinking. Or perhaps there is a secret in the character’s past which the reader needs to know to understand what’s going on.

Or, is the narration limited to what a single observer can see? This works well for stories which are shrouded in mystery, or follow a small event in detail. Twist in the tale stories need these kinds of limits.

You should make sure that you include some literary devices – but only where they have effect. A metaphor or a simile is a great way of creating an image for the reader, but it needs to be appropriate. Pick a simile which emphasises an important characteristic, or an important plot point. If a main character is cross, then perhaps his face ‘looked like a raincloud’. Try to avoid using clichés. Don’t use metaphors which don’t support the effect you are aiming for

Even when writing prose you can use techniques like onomatopoeia(words that sound like their meaning) or alliteration (repetition of the same sound) to create an effect.

information is factual

explanation is factual, but with more detail

description is usually about how something makes you feel

Writting

GAPS Think about genre, audience, purpose, style.

Genre - could be giving instructions, recipes, directions, manuals, science experiment

Audience - could be anyone

Purpose - to inform - giving unbiased information which is reliable and factual

Style - formal

Useful techniques When writing to describe, use adjectives and adverbs eg "He walked away casually". Use similes, eg "He is acting like a fool," and metaphors, eg "That girl is a star". Most importantly, appeal to the readers' senses:

What does it look like?

What does it feel like?

What does it sound like?

What does it smell like?

What does it taste like?

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