Narratives

1. Narratives

2. Before you begin to write a narrative: Where is the story happening? Who is the story about? What happens to him/her? What is the weather like? What time of year is it? How does he / she feel? How does he / she act or react?

3. Features of a good narrative: A narrative presents a connected series of events. It is either imaginary or based on your experience It is written in a vivid descriptive style It may be written in the first person (I/we) or third person (he/she) and often includes the thoughts, reactions etc of the main characters

4. A good narrative should consist of: • An introduction which sets scene (place, time, character(s), etc, creates an interesting atmosphere to make the reader want to continue reading, and/or begins dramatically to capture the reader’s attention. b) A main body which develops the series of events clearly, gives vivid description of the people/places involved, etc; and c) A conclusion which completes the story, perhaps in an unexpected way, and may describe people’s feelings/reactions, the consequences of what happened, etc.

5. Analyse the beginnings of stories given below: The Visitor A cold feeling of shock gripped me as I stared at the splintered, shattered wood of my front door. The lock hung, twisted out of shape, having been forced violently apart, and I felt my pulse quicken as I noticed the door was ajar. ………….. An Expedition The cool morning turned quickly to scorching heat as the sun rose higher and began to beet down relentlessly. Doctor James took off his cardigan while he and his two companions continued to trudge up the slope towards the village. The smell of parched earth and dry scrub filled the doctor’s nostrils, and the heat of the stony track burned the soles of his feet through his thin shoes. Apart from the occasional call of a bird and the strained breathing of the three men there was absolute silence. …………………

6. Tips Include descriptive vocabulary: Avoid using simplistic adjectives or adverbs (e.g. good, bad, nice, well, etc) Use more sophisticated vocabulary (e.g. luxurious, extravagant, threatening, etc) Use a variety of verbs (e.g. murmur, whisper, mutter instead of ‘say’)

7. Let us see how some impressive descriptive vocabularies are used: • “oh, don’t bother!” he said, and went out of the room. • “oh, don’t bother!” he growled, and stormed out of the room. • Jack walked up to me and put out his hand. • Jack strode up to me and thrust out his hand.

8. Examples of descriptive phrases a stiff breeze began to whistle / sparkling waves splashed against our boat / rustle of branches / flies buzzing / buried her face in her hands / deathly silent / tiptoed down the hall / peered into the room / heaved a sigh / breathed a sigh of relief / heartbeat slowed / looked embarrassed / Sam sprawled on the sofa / noisily leafing through the pages / slurped a soft drink / scratching the back of his head and drumming his fingers on the table / stopped abruptly / dazzling piles of toys / unblinking eyes / strode briskly to the window / stood with legs apart and her hands on her hips / listened intently / exotic holiday / events took a nightmarish twist / the evening sky grew dark / stepped out into the warm night air / was shaken by the terrifying experience / inhaled the cool, apple-scented air

9. More descriptive phrases (people) hooked nose / swarthy skin / bloodshot eyes / / sparkling/watery/piercing eyes / sarcastic smile / high broad forehead / strong, square jaw / look extremely graceful / speaks very rudely / doesn’t lose his temper / a quick- acting officer / a hard-working woman / a stylishly-dressed woman / an open-hearted young man / dress in casual style / outgoing assertive and ambitious / cruel / stubborn / tactless / blunt / deceitful / immature / miserly / timid / sociable / generous / absent-minded , impolite / nervous / unpredictable lifestyle / busy lifestyle /

10. More descriptive phrases (places, buildings etc) densely populated place / streets are a frenzy of activity / deafening noise / congested with vehicles / countless hordes of people stream past on the pavements/ exotic sights and smells / cool streams / chirping birds / tranquil mountains / towering skyscrapers / the bazaar is a riot of exotic smells, dazzling colours and a deafening babble of voices / customers queue up / passengers rush to the train / hum of laughter and voices / clinking glasses / mouth-watering plates of food / splash of breaking waves / waiters bustled to and fro / crowds of shoppers jostle each other / people haggle over prices / clang of metal bowls / a faint smell of crushed grass wafted up from the court / the crowd surged to their feet with a roar / awe-inspiring / delightful / eye-catching / spellbinding / superb / dilapidated state / an ideal place / spectacular view / whirlwind tour of the city / memorable place / well-preserved city / busy, narrow streets / irregular, half-timbered houses / stained-glass windows /

11. More descriptive phrases (atmosphere) the sun filled the sky with red / chill, damp air / clear crisp autumn morning / pale sunlight shone through the bare branches / the night was alive with movement / stale woodsmoke / the sharp wind blew from the open fields etc

12. Similes and metaphors like a toy boat caught in whirlpool / his voice scraped like sandpaper against his ears / like a lake undisturbed by wind or storm / two peas in a pod / the streets were a furnace / my heart is a lonely hunter / as busy as a bee / as free as a bird / as gentle as a lamb / as light as a feather

13. Exercise Write a story ending with the words: “How could I have been so wrong?” he wondered.