dmentum·· Guided Notes
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Writing a Narrative
Objective
In this lesson, you will:
• plan a narrative using genre characteristics
• develop a draft using narrative techniques
• edit a narrative draft for correct spelling
Introduction
Maybe you like fiction stories that feature societies or advanced
technologies. Perhaps you enjoy fiction that occurs during a specific time or
event in history. Maybe you prefer about a person that you can relate
to. Or maybe you prefer stories about adventure, , or .
In this lesson, you’ll write your own , or . Next, you’ll look at some
different types of stories to begin what you could write about.
a creative process that is used to
Planning a Narrative
produce or problem
NARRATIVES: THE BASICS ©Edmentum. Permission granted to copy for classroom use.
Key characteristics of narratives: The (day, night, past,
• setting
present, future) and in
• characters
which a story takes place
• point of view
• conflict
• plot or the from
of events which a story is told
Guided Notes: Writing a Narrative 1
Guided Notes
CHARACTERISTICS OF A NARRATIVE
includes the time and place of a .
Include that convey these of setting:
• (including surrounding ,
such as buildings or nature)
• (past, present, or future)
• time of
in a narrative often drive the events in the . Include
that depict these elements of your characters:
• their
• how they , think or
• their with others
• what them
is the from which the story is told.
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Choose the best point of view for your narrative.
• : The narrator is a in the story
and has limited knowledge of other events and characters.
• : The narrator only
knows the and of one character.
• : The
knows the thoughts and feelings of characters in the story.
Guided Notes: Writing a Narrative 2
Guided Notes
is usually a that need to overcome.
Include one or more of these conflicts in your narrative:
• : A character is challenged due to conflicting
or about a situation that arises
• : A character is challenged by a conflict with
or element in the plot.
If your narrative has more than one conflict, consider including plot lines.
. Many narratives follow a , or ,
plot structure. Plan out these elements of your narrative:
• : introduces key elements of the narrative,
such as the , , and point of view
• action: identifies the and includes
several events related to overcoming the conflict
• : turning point where the conflict is most
• action: includes the character(s) working to the
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main
• : shows how the conflict is
Guided Notes: Writing a Narrative 3
Guided Notes
CREATING A NARRATIVE PLAN: SAMPLE
Good writers take time to plan out their ideas. It’s a good idea to plan out the
key of your narrative. A can be a
helpful technique to plan out these ideas.
Action
Falling and
Drafting a Narrative
SHOWING, NOT TELLING
Good writers use different in their writing. A good overall
strategy for your narrative is to , not . So, instead
of telling your readers what has happened, you them by creating a
in their mind.
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• Here is a statement:
It was in the kitchen where Andre was working.
• Here is an example of this idea:
The from Andre’s forehead as he looked up longingly at the
broken fan on the kitchen ceiling.
Guided Notes: Writing a Narrative 4
Guided Notes
NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES
is a that occurs between
characters. Use dialogue that sounds and moves
the along. Dialogue should the conversation,
rather than about the conversation.
shows reader what is happening by
providing . Use description to
the elements of your narrative.
shows a character’s . Use
reflection to show how a character feels about a situation,
, or another character in the .
means how the story moves. Use
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, , and reflection to slow down the
pace of your narrative.
Consider slowing the for important parts of your story.
Guided Notes: Writing a Narrative 5
Guided Notes
Editing a Narrative
USING CORRECT SPELLING
One important step is to your draft for misspelled words. Here are some strategies for
editing your writing for spelling errors:
➢ Reference a tool or .
➢ Watch for commonly misspelled words.
which until
occurred separate definitely
➢ Remember these general spelling rules:
Spelling Rules
Rule Example
i e except after , piece, receipt
a final e when adding an dance + –ing = dancing
. fortune + –ate =
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Change to when adding an ending. beauty + –ful =
theory + –es = theories
Guided Notes: Writing a Narrative 6
