Seven Modes:

1. Seven Modes: Narration and Description

2. Narration and Description • A writer who narrates tells a story to make a point. • A writer who describes evokes the senses to create a picture. • The two strategies can be used independently, but they work best in combination if you want to write a detailed account of some memorable experience.

3. Purpose: • To introduce or illustrate a subject as part of a larger purpose. • Examples: • To begin an analysis of the energy crisis, a writer might tell a personal anecdote that dramatizes wastefulness. • To conclude an argument for gun control, a writer might use a graphic anecdote describing the consequences of a school shooting. • As the primary method to analyze an issue or theme. • Examples: • A narrative essay telling the story of a writer’s experiences in a foreign country may serve to describe a new awareness of patriotism. • A descriptive essay detailing a unique person may serve to argue for appreciation of diversity.

4. Purpose • To “shed light” on a subject. • Used by biographers/autobiographers and authors of history and fiction. • Examples: • An account of historical events that describes why events happened as they did • A story of a person’s life describing particularly influential experiences • A description of characters in a work of fiction and how they relate to one another

5. Audience • Consider: • The level of audience awareness of the subject • If writing from personal experience, few readers will be aware of the subject • If writing on a subject common to the human experience, readers may have a broader base of knowledge and experience • How much should be told to the audience • Explicit, efficient, technical details to clarify an experience or situation • Necessary to clarify an unusual subject or experience, such as witnessing the takeoff of the space shuttle or the eruption of a volcano • How much should be shown to the audience • Fresh, effective details to illustrate an experience in a new, engaging way • Sensory information that will allow a reader to clearly imagine an experience or subject • Often conveyed with figurative language such as imagery or metaphor

6. STRATEGIES – to convey a distinct purpose and a clear focus: • Locate a central conflict • Between writer and self • Between writer and others • Between writer and environment • Arrange the plot as a coherent sequence of events • Simple chronology • Begin in the middle, near the end, or some time after the event(s) • Must consider purpose to establish appropriate sequence of events

7. STRATEGIES – to convey a distinct purpose and a clear focus: • Establish pace of events • Narrate quickly by omitting details, compressing time, and summarizing • Narrate slowly by including many details, expand on time, and present entire scope of the scene rather than a summary • Select details appropriately • Objective or technical detail will increase fundamental understanding • Subjective or impressionistic detail will appeal to reader’s senses

8. STRATEGIES – to convey a distinct purpose and a clear focus: • Determine point of view • Establishes author’s position in the action, time, and scope of events • Greatly influences the creation of a dominant impression in narrative • First person – “I”, “We” • Directly involved in the events of the experience • Allows revelation of feelings and thoughts • Third person – “They” • Objective • Conveys only that which may be inferred from action or dialogue • Gives no subjective analysis • Establishes writer as a detached observer • Omniscient • Has knowledge of thoughts and feelings of characters • Can offer subjective analysis • Provides flexibility in the establishment and conveyance of the attitude of the writer

9. STRATEGIES – to convey a distinct purpose and a clear focus: • Determine the tone and mood (dominant impression) you want to use: (see tone and mood ppt) • First decide what tone you want to present • Next consider the mood you want to evoke in your readers • Finally, consider: • word choice • Elaboration • creating incongruities (if you want an ironic or satirical tone), • Omission • Patterns • allusions

10. POINTS TO REMEMBER: • Focus your narrative on the “story” in your story – that is, focus on the conflict that defines the plot. • Vary the narrative pace so that you can summarize some events quickly and render others as fully realized scenes. • Supply evocative details to help your readers experience the dramatic development of your narrative. • Establish a consistent point of view so that your readers know how you have positioned yourself in your story. • Represent the events in your narrative so that your story makes its point. • Consider tone and mood

11. Narration and Description Original Essay #1

12. Your assignment DESCRIPTION and NARRATION ORIGINAL ESSAY • SUBJECT: The place you wrote about in your journal (or another place that has impacted you) • PURPOSE: To give a "creative vision" of an everyday place to the reader • To create a strong dominant impression (or mood) • CONTENT: Use as much of the concrete, specific detail and sensory language that you recorded in your journal entries as you can. THEN add more! • ORGANIZATION: There must be a clear (to me & the readers) principle of organization, • Establish and use a consistent point of view • AUDIENCE: Your teacher and your classmates. What can you safely assume we know? • LENGTH: MINIMUM of 2 pages, typed (12 point type) and double-spaced. • Use the previous slides as your guide for writing: I will use the points to remember as a rubric when I grade your work