writing08-Narration

Roadmap0Whatisanarration?0DifferencesandSimilaritiesbetweenanarrationandadescription0Howtowriteanarrative?0Decideuponatheme0Chooseanappropriatenarrativeorder0Buildconflictintheplot0Focusonthecharacter0Selectthedetails0Useconsistentpointofview0Somenoteworthytechniques0Amodelessay1.Whatisanarration?•Acompositioninthenarrativestyletellsastory.•Ittellswhatapersondidorwhathappenedduringaparticularperiodoftime.•Innarrativewriting,eventsareoftendescribedintheorderoftime.Thistypeofcompositionoftenfollowsachronologicalorderwithoneactionfollowinganotherasithappenedanddevelopedinoriginalexperience.•we’llfocusourattentionontwospecialkindsofnarration:personalexperienceandpersonalobservation.•Personalexperienceisagoodstartingpointforapersontowriteon,becausethereisreadymaterial.Butoneshouldespeciallyguardagainstdigressionsandirrelevantdetailswhichmaymeanmuchtothewriterbutareofnoconsequencetothenarrationitself.•Personalobservationdiffersfrompersonalexperienceinthatthewriterisanonlookerinsteadofapartakerintheeventsnarrated..•Whenwritinganarrativecomposition,besurethatyoucreateinterestthroughactioninthestoryandthatyouincludeenoughdetailsforclearness.•Inwriting,trytoanswerthequestions:“Who?”,“What?”,“When?”,and“Where?”and“How?”•Youmayask:Whenandwheredidthestorytakeplace?Whathappened?Whodidit?Howdidhefeel?Differencesnarrationdescriptionamotionpicturetimeorderfullscoperecordofsensesa(motion)picturespatialorderlimitedscopethewriter’scommentthewriter’swithdrawalreportofeventsSimilaritiesThesis(moreimpliedthanexplicit)Sensorydetails2.Howtowriteanarrative?1)Decideuponatheme2)Chooseanappropriatenarrativeorder3)Buildconflictintheplot4)Focusonthecharacter5)Selectthedetails6)Useconsistentpointofview2.Howtowriteanarrative?1)DecideuponathemeTowriteaneffectivenarrative,weshouldfirstaskourselves:•Whatismypurposeintellingthestory?•HowshallIinterprettheevents?•AndwhatmessagedoIintendtoconveythroughtherecountoftheevents?WeleftShanghaionSaturdayevening.Twenty-twohourslater,wearrivedatBeijingStation.WetookataxitotheBeijingHotelwherewestayedduringourstayinBeijing.Thenextdaywesetoutvisitingthemanyscenicandhistoricsitesinandaroundthecity.WefirstwenttotheTianAnMenSquareandthePalaceMuseum.OnTuesdaymorning,wetookatraveler’sbustotheGreatWall.OnourwaybackwevisitedtheMingTombs.WealsowenttotheSummerPalace,theBeihaiPark,theTempleofHeavenandtheZoo.Wereallysawalotofplaces.Comment0Notheme0Monotonyofsentencestructure0BoringessayASeasideHolidayOncewespentourholidayattheseaside.Whenwearrivedattheseaside,theweatherwasfineandeverythingarounduswasbeautiful.Theseawasallbluewithseagullshoveringtoandfro.Someboatswerefloatingonthestillseaandsomespeedboatswererushingquicklyacrossthewater.Weallenjoyedapleasanttime.Mostofusswaminthesea.Weplayed,foughtandsplashedwaterontooneanother.Havingswumforawhile,wewenttotheshoreandbathedinthesunonsandground.Somewentboating.Theysangastheyboated.Theothersplayedgamesattheshore..Weallspentthetimehappily.Whenitwastimetogoback,wewereallreluctanttoleave.Wewerefreshenedbytheseawindandfascinatedbythescenery.Thebathintheseamadeushealthyandcomfortable.Ishouldsayaholidayataseasideisreallyenjoyableandprofitable.Comment0Descriptionproperlyused(para1)0Verbsofactionproperlychosen(para2)0Theme(theend)BUT0Notmuchsentencevariety0Themainpointcanbemorearguable.2)Chooseanappropriatenarrativeorder•KeepthereaderclearlyorientedintimeAnarrativemayrecountaseriesofhappeningsinastraightforwardchronologicalorder.Also,wemayorganizeanarrativeinaninterruptiveorder,beginninginthemiddleorevenattheendofastoryandflashingbacktoearliermoments.24InchesFromDeathSchoolboyJonathanVowelswasallsmileslastnightaftercheatingdeathbyjusttwenty-fourinches.Jonathan’smiracleescapecamewhenhemadehisfirstparachutejump.Excitementturnedtohorrorafterheleaptfromaplaneat2,500feet.Firsthismainparachutefailedtoopen.Thenhisemergencychutewrappedroundhisbodyashecorkscrewedtowardstheground.Inacrazyfreefallthatlastedfortyfivesecondsthe16-year-oldboyhurtledtowardsthemetalroofofanaircrafthangar..Heappeareddoomed.Butthencamethemiracle.Insteadofslammingontotheroof,Jonathansmashedthroughatinyskylight.Hisparachutecordscaughtonthebrokenwindowframe...andhewasjerkedtoasuddenhaltwithhisfeethangingtwofeetfromtheground.Hisonlyinjurywasstrainedligamentscausedbytheparachuteharnesstwistingroundhisrightlegashisplungewasstopped.Fair-hairedJonathansaidathishome:“Ican’tbelieveIwassolucky,Icouldn’thavepickedabetterplacetolandifI’daimedforit.Itwasmyfirstandlastparachutejump—Idon’tthinkI’llevertryitagain.”.0Flashback0Closereadingoflastparagraph:shiftinverbtense3)Buildconflictintheplot•Plot:theplaninanarrativethesequenceofevents,totheactionsofthecharactersandtothesituationinwhichtheyareinvolved.•Goodnarrationshould,tocatchthereader’sattentionandarousehisinterest,havesomekindofconflict.3)Buildconflictintheplot•Conflict:astrugglethatthereadermayidentifywithandbecomeinvolvedinashereadson.•Ordinarily,anarrative•beginsbyraisingconflict,•developsthroughaseriesofentanglements,•reachestheclimax,and•endswiththeconflictresolved.4