{"id":2226,"date":"2020-03-23T15:12:55","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T15:12:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/coreqenglish1\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=2226"},"modified":"2025-02-03T19:19:19","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T19:19:19","slug":"narrative-writing","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/narrative-writing\/","title":{"raw":"Narrative Writing","rendered":"Narrative Writing"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Describe techniques for writing effective narratives<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Narrative Writing<\/h2>\r\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\r\n<h3>Example: Margaret Mead<\/h3>\r\nWhat feelings and thoughts does this quote by Margaret Mead bring up in you when you read it? Why does she include this personal glimpse in her preface to the 1949 edition of\u00a0<em>Coming of Age in Samoa<\/em>?\r\n<blockquote>I had decided to become an anthropologist\u2014in May, 1923\u2014because Franz Boas and Ruth Benedict had presented the tasks of anthropology as more urgent than any other task which lay ready to the choice of a student of human behavior.<\/blockquote>\r\nBy using even a brief personal story, Mead is helping her readers relate to her and be open to her viewpoint. Her mentors and teachers instilled in her a sense of purpose \u2014 an urgent one, for Mead in May, 1923 \u2014 to study human behavior as it happens naturally in a variety of societies and cultures. We can all relate to the feeling of longing for a sense of purpose, even though we may not have an interest in anthropology specifically. Most of us will nod knowingly at her decision because we can relate to her story of feeling, at a specific moment in time and under the guidance of powerful teachers, a sense of purpose and direction.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Narrative Essay<\/h2>\r\nNarration is a rhetorical style that basically just tells a story. Being able to convey events in a clear, descriptive, chronological order is important in many fields. Many times, in college, your professors will ask you to write paragraphs or entire essays using a narrative style.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1524\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1344\"]<img class=\"wp-image-1524 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4975\/2020\/02\/07043924\/Narrative-Essay.png\" alt=\"Narrative essay sequence showing an opening, build-up, problem, solution, and end.\" width=\"1344\" height=\"256\" \/> <strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. Think of one of your favorite well-known stories or fairytales. Does it follow the sequence shown above?[\/caption]\r\n\r\nMost of the time, in introductory writing classes, students write narration essays that discuss personal stories; however, in different disciplines, you may be asked to tell a story about another person\u2019s experience or an event.\r\n\r\nThe reason we use narrative is because storytelling is the most natural way for us humans to communicate. Not unlike ethnography, it\u2019s both a way we find of relating to one another and a way we learn to understand our differences.\r\n<h2>Telling a Story<\/h2>\r\nWhen telling a story, you want to hone in on what's important. Consider, as an example, how you might respond if your friend asked what you did last weekend. If you began with, \u201cI woke up on Saturday morning, rolled over, checked my phone, fell back asleep, woke up, pulled my feet out from under the covers, put my feet on the floor, stood up, stretched\u2026\u201d then your friend might have stopped listening by the time you get to the really good stuff. Your scope is too broad, so you\u2019re including details that distract or bore your reader. Instead of listing every detail in order like this:\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3950\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"904\"]<img class=\"wp-image-3950 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4975\/2020\/03\/28122305\/story1.png\" alt=\"Timeline of events represented as a straight line of dots\" width=\"904\" height=\"114\" \/> <strong>Figure 2<\/strong>. A Story doesn't need to include every detail in order.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n\u2026 you should consider narrowing your scope, focusing instead on the important, interesting, and unique plot points (events) like this:\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3951\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"910\"]<img class=\"wp-image-3951 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4975\/2020\/03\/28122313\/story2.png\" alt=\"Timeline of events represented as a lot of dots with the story dots highlighted as disconnected pieces.\" width=\"910\" height=\"168\" \/> <strong>Figure 3<\/strong>. Pick out the most interesting and relevant pieces of a story to keep it engaging.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nYou might think of this as the difference between a series of snapshots and a roll of film: instead of twenty-four frames per second video, your entire story might only be a few photographs aligned together.\r\n\r\nIt may seem counterintuitive, but we can often make more impact by digging into a few moments or events rather than trying to relate every idea or event.\r\n<h3>Story Sequencing<\/h3>\r\nThe order of the events and the amount of time you give to each event, respectively\u2014will determine your reader\u2019s experience. There are an infinite number of ways you might structure your story, and the shape of your story is worth deep consideration. Although the traditional forms for narrative sequence are not your only options, let\u2019s take a look at a few tried-and-true shapes your plot might take.\r\n\r\nYou might recognize Freytag\u2019s Pyramid from other classes you\u2019ve taken:\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3952\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"603\"]<img class=\"wp-image-3952\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4975\/2020\/03\/28122317\/freytag.png\" alt=\"Story sequencing showing rising action (points A and B), leaning to the climax (C), then falling action (D), and resolution (E).\" width=\"603\" height=\"182\" \/> <strong>Figure 4<\/strong>. Freytag's pyramid shows a traditional story arc.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe typical components include:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li><strong>Exposition<\/strong>: Here, you\u2019re setting the scene, introducing characters, and preparing the reader for the journey.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Rising action<\/strong>: In this part, things start to happen. You (or your characters) encounter conflict, set out on a journey, meet people, etc.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Climax<\/strong>: This is the peak of the action, the main showdown, the central event toward which your story has been building.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Falling action<\/strong>: Now things start to wind down. You (or your characters) come away from the climactic experience changed\u2014at the very least, you are wiser for having had that experience.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Resolution<\/strong>: Also known as d\u00e9nouement, this is where all the loose ends get tied up. The central conflict has been resolved, and everything is back to normal, but perhaps a bit different.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nThis narrative shape is certainly a familiar one. Many films, TV shows, plays, novels, and short stories follow this track. But it\u2019s not without its flaws. What assumptions does it rely on? How might it limit a storyteller? Sometimes, writers want to start the story where the story starts\u2014often, steps A and B in the diagram above just delay the most descriptive, active, or meaningful parts of the story. If nothing else, we should note that Freytag's pyramid is not necessarily the best way to tell your story, and definitely not the only way.\r\n\r\nAnother classic technique for narrative sequence is known as <em>in medias res<\/em>\u2013literally, \u201cin the middle of things.\u201d As you map out your plot in pre-writing or experiment with it during the drafting and revision process, you might find this technique a more active and exciting way to begin a story.\r\n\r\nIn the earlier example, the plot is chronological, linear, and continuous: The story moves smoothly from beginning to end with no interruptions. <em>In medias res<\/em>\u00a0instead suggests that you start your story with action rather than exposition, focusing on an exciting, imagistic, or important scene. Then, you can circle back to an earlier part of the story to fill in the blanks for your reader. Using the previously discussed plot shape, you might visualize it like this:\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3948\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"596\"]<img class=\"wp-image-3948\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4975\/2020\/03\/28122255\/plot1.png\" alt=\"Story sequencing models that show you can begin just before the climax, during the rising action, and then circle back to the beginning.\" width=\"596\" height=\"430\" \/> <strong>Figure 5<\/strong>. Stories can also start in the middle of the action.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nYou can experiment with your sequence in a variety of other ways, which might include also making changes to your scope: instead of a continuous story, you might have a series of fragments with a specific scope (like photographs instead of video).\u00a0 Instead of chronological order, you might bounce around in time or space, or in reverse. Some narratives reject traditional narrative sequences altogether.\r\n\r\nFor example, consider how this story starts:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Lost in my thoughts, I shuddered as the train ground to a full stop in the middle of an intersection. I was surprised, jarred by the unannounced and abrupt jerking of the car. I sought clues for our stop outside the window. All I saw were pigeons as startled and clueless as I.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>Using Narrative<\/h2>\r\nYou\u2019ll find narrative useful in an essay when you want your reader to identify with your perspective or with the view taken by one of your characters or subjects. Documentary filmmaking is full of narrative examples: People tell us the story of what happened as if they were witnesses, even if the event happened many years before they were born. It\u2019s an effective technique because the filmmaker weaves a tale for us through each narrator.\r\n\r\nYou can take a similar approach in writing, laying out the facts of a story interspersed with first-person perspectives. Or you might, as Mead did, offer your reader insight into your own thought process as you came to understand the concept or event.\r\n\r\nSatire can be a particularly effective form of narrative, exemplified by the novels\u00a0<em>Animal Farm<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>Gulliver\u2019s Travels. <\/em>Satire works to\u00a0expose the defects in an idea or society by telling a fictional tale of a different social group. Fictional characters stand in for real people or play out social ideas, usually political in nature.\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">Narratives can be factual or fictional, depending on the writer\u2019s purpose. The writers of factual stories try to recount events as they actually happened, but writers of fictional stories can depart from real people and events because the writers\u2019 intent is not to retell a real-life event. Biographies and memoirs are examples of factual stories, whereas novels and short stories are examples of fictional stories. And the line between fact and fiction is often purposefully blurry, again depending on the writer's purpose.<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\r\n<h2>Narrative Essays<\/h2>\r\nYou could think of a narrative essay as a short story. It\u2019s called an essay, but many narrative essays are really just short stories. If you are using narration as the primary strategy in writing a paper, you will use some semblance of the following format:\r\n<h4>Opening<\/h4>\r\nYour opening in a narrative essay does not need to be a description of the event you will be discussing or an explicit outline of the reason(s) you\u2019re examining it. Instead, try to hook your readers and think about why they should be interested.\r\n<h4>Narrative Paragraphs<\/h4>\r\nYou will divide the event into smaller events and give each of these smaller incidents a paragraph. These will be simple explanations of what happened when, though in a more complex essay you might include reasons for each event and comparisons to another, more current circumstance. Accounts by historians, witnesses, or thought leaders can be woven into the narrative to strengthen the perspective you\u2019re offering or to offer the possibility of another perspective, in an effort to provide an objective report.\r\n\r\nYou\u2019ll want to make each portion of the narrative interesting to the reader, so use literary devices like suspense, imagery, verisimilitude, and surprise, perhaps along with a little humor, if appropriate, to keep your audience engaged.\r\n<h4>Closing<\/h4>\r\nYou don't need to hit your reader over the head a summary of the event and the reason(s) for examining it. You may or may not decide to end with some explicit ideas about how this event is relevant to the reader and to the world at this time.\r\n\r\nThe checklist for a narrative essay:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Have a clear purpose.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Tell the story clearly.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Make the narrative interesting.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Relate it to something larger than itself, either overtly, or covertly.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<div class=\"textbox key-takeaways\">\r\n<h3>KeY Takeaway: Narrative essays<\/h3>\r\nWhat are the main ingredients of a narrative? A <strong>narrative:\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n<ul id=\"fresh-ch10_s01_s03_l01\" class=\"itemizedlist\">\r\n \t<li>contains a plot, characters, conflict, and a theme.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>can be either factual or fictional.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>follows a timeline, but does not need to be written in chronological order.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>has a strong opening to engage the reader.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>resolves the conflict and reiterates the theme with the conclusion.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>has an implied thesis.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\r\n<h3>sTART WITH THE STORY<\/h3>\r\nSometimes, it\u2019s easier for students to write the story and then go back and make sure that the essay follows the proper essay format.\r\n\r\nAfter you have completed your story, read it to yourself. Is there any particular moral or idea that the story is demonstrating?\u00a0 If so, you may decide to use that idea in your thesis statement.\r\n\r\nFor example, consider the topic of going back to school. You may approach it in this way:\r\n<div class=\"purple-example shorten\">\r\n<div class=\"example\">\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Write the story (this will become your body paragraphs)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Read aloud and see if there is a moral or underlying idea<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Write your thesis statement based on that idea or moral<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Continue to write your introduction<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nOnce you have the story down, you read your paragraphs about going back to school, and then you realize how much having a college education will improve your financial situation. This allows you to create your thesis, and go back to form the introduction. In this case, you decide that your thesis is \"After careful consideration, I have decided that returning to school is an important step toward improving my financial outlook.\"\r\n\r\nWhether or not you include that explicit thesis in your narrative will depend on the requirements of the assignment and your skill as a writer. Often, in narrative writing, our goal is to show, not tell, the reader the point of the story!\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\r\n<h3>Link to Learning<\/h3>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/oerfiles.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/WM+English+Composition+I\/Excelsior+Resources\/Narrative+Essay+See+It+In+Practice.docx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Here you can see a traditional or typical\u00a0sample narration\u00a0essay<\/a> from a beginning writing class. In this assignment, the student was asked to write a brief\u00a0<strong>literacy narrative<\/strong>, a narrative essay that focuses on the author\u2019s experiences with reading and\/or writing. In this narration essay, the author focuses on reading books and follows MLA guidelines.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/8f7f5964-1f74-4a11-8b33-b982e529e8f9\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Objectives<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Describe techniques for writing effective narratives<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Narrative Writing<\/h2>\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\n<h3>Example: Margaret Mead<\/h3>\n<p>What feelings and thoughts does this quote by Margaret Mead bring up in you when you read it? Why does she include this personal glimpse in her preface to the 1949 edition of\u00a0<em>Coming of Age in Samoa<\/em>?<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>I had decided to become an anthropologist\u2014in May, 1923\u2014because Franz Boas and Ruth Benedict had presented the tasks of anthropology as more urgent than any other task which lay ready to the choice of a student of human behavior.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>By using even a brief personal story, Mead is helping her readers relate to her and be open to her viewpoint. Her mentors and teachers instilled in her a sense of purpose \u2014 an urgent one, for Mead in May, 1923 \u2014 to study human behavior as it happens naturally in a variety of societies and cultures. We can all relate to the feeling of longing for a sense of purpose, even though we may not have an interest in anthropology specifically. Most of us will nod knowingly at her decision because we can relate to her story of feeling, at a specific moment in time and under the guidance of powerful teachers, a sense of purpose and direction.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Narrative Essay<\/h2>\n<p>Narration is a rhetorical style that basically just tells a story. Being able to convey events in a clear, descriptive, chronological order is important in many fields. Many times, in college, your professors will ask you to write paragraphs or entire essays using a narrative style.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1524\" style=\"width: 1354px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1524\" class=\"wp-image-1524 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4975\/2020\/02\/07043924\/Narrative-Essay.png\" alt=\"Narrative essay sequence showing an opening, build-up, problem, solution, and end.\" width=\"1344\" height=\"256\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1524\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. Think of one of your favorite well-known stories or fairytales. Does it follow the sequence shown above?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Most of the time, in introductory writing classes, students write narration essays that discuss personal stories; however, in different disciplines, you may be asked to tell a story about another person\u2019s experience or an event.<\/p>\n<p>The reason we use narrative is because storytelling is the most natural way for us humans to communicate. Not unlike ethnography, it\u2019s both a way we find of relating to one another and a way we learn to understand our differences.<\/p>\n<h2>Telling a Story<\/h2>\n<p>When telling a story, you want to hone in on what&#8217;s important. Consider, as an example, how you might respond if your friend asked what you did last weekend. If you began with, \u201cI woke up on Saturday morning, rolled over, checked my phone, fell back asleep, woke up, pulled my feet out from under the covers, put my feet on the floor, stood up, stretched\u2026\u201d then your friend might have stopped listening by the time you get to the really good stuff. Your scope is too broad, so you\u2019re including details that distract or bore your reader. Instead of listing every detail in order like this:<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3950\" style=\"width: 914px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3950\" class=\"wp-image-3950 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4975\/2020\/03\/28122305\/story1.png\" alt=\"Timeline of events represented as a straight line of dots\" width=\"904\" height=\"114\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-3950\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 2<\/strong>. A Story doesn&#8217;t need to include every detail in order.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2026 you should consider narrowing your scope, focusing instead on the important, interesting, and unique plot points (events) like this:<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3951\" style=\"width: 920px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3951\" class=\"wp-image-3951 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4975\/2020\/03\/28122313\/story2.png\" alt=\"Timeline of events represented as a lot of dots with the story dots highlighted as disconnected pieces.\" width=\"910\" height=\"168\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-3951\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 3<\/strong>. Pick out the most interesting and relevant pieces of a story to keep it engaging.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>You might think of this as the difference between a series of snapshots and a roll of film: instead of twenty-four frames per second video, your entire story might only be a few photographs aligned together.<\/p>\n<p>It may seem counterintuitive, but we can often make more impact by digging into a few moments or events rather than trying to relate every idea or event.<\/p>\n<h3>Story Sequencing<\/h3>\n<p>The order of the events and the amount of time you give to each event, respectively\u2014will determine your reader\u2019s experience. There are an infinite number of ways you might structure your story, and the shape of your story is worth deep consideration. Although the traditional forms for narrative sequence are not your only options, let\u2019s take a look at a few tried-and-true shapes your plot might take.<\/p>\n<p>You might recognize Freytag\u2019s Pyramid from other classes you\u2019ve taken:<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3952\" style=\"width: 613px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3952\" class=\"wp-image-3952\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4975\/2020\/03\/28122317\/freytag.png\" alt=\"Story sequencing showing rising action (points A and B), leaning to the climax (C), then falling action (D), and resolution (E).\" width=\"603\" height=\"182\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-3952\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 4<\/strong>. Freytag&#8217;s pyramid shows a traditional story arc.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The typical components include:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Exposition<\/strong>: Here, you\u2019re setting the scene, introducing characters, and preparing the reader for the journey.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rising action<\/strong>: In this part, things start to happen. You (or your characters) encounter conflict, set out on a journey, meet people, etc.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Climax<\/strong>: This is the peak of the action, the main showdown, the central event toward which your story has been building.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Falling action<\/strong>: Now things start to wind down. You (or your characters) come away from the climactic experience changed\u2014at the very least, you are wiser for having had that experience.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Resolution<\/strong>: Also known as d\u00e9nouement, this is where all the loose ends get tied up. The central conflict has been resolved, and everything is back to normal, but perhaps a bit different.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>This narrative shape is certainly a familiar one. Many films, TV shows, plays, novels, and short stories follow this track. But it\u2019s not without its flaws. What assumptions does it rely on? How might it limit a storyteller? Sometimes, writers want to start the story where the story starts\u2014often, steps A and B in the diagram above just delay the most descriptive, active, or meaningful parts of the story. If nothing else, we should note that Freytag&#8217;s pyramid is not necessarily the best way to tell your story, and definitely not the only way.<\/p>\n<p>Another classic technique for narrative sequence is known as <em>in medias res<\/em>\u2013literally, \u201cin the middle of things.\u201d As you map out your plot in pre-writing or experiment with it during the drafting and revision process, you might find this technique a more active and exciting way to begin a story.<\/p>\n<p>In the earlier example, the plot is chronological, linear, and continuous: The story moves smoothly from beginning to end with no interruptions. <em>In medias res<\/em>\u00a0instead suggests that you start your story with action rather than exposition, focusing on an exciting, imagistic, or important scene. Then, you can circle back to an earlier part of the story to fill in the blanks for your reader. Using the previously discussed plot shape, you might visualize it like this:<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3948\" style=\"width: 606px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3948\" class=\"wp-image-3948\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4975\/2020\/03\/28122255\/plot1.png\" alt=\"Story sequencing models that show you can begin just before the climax, during the rising action, and then circle back to the beginning.\" width=\"596\" height=\"430\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-3948\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 5<\/strong>. Stories can also start in the middle of the action.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>You can experiment with your sequence in a variety of other ways, which might include also making changes to your scope: instead of a continuous story, you might have a series of fragments with a specific scope (like photographs instead of video).\u00a0 Instead of chronological order, you might bounce around in time or space, or in reverse. Some narratives reject traditional narrative sequences altogether.<\/p>\n<p>For example, consider how this story starts:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Lost in my thoughts, I shuddered as the train ground to a full stop in the middle of an intersection. I was surprised, jarred by the unannounced and abrupt jerking of the car. I sought clues for our stop outside the window. All I saw were pigeons as startled and clueless as I.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Using Narrative<\/h2>\n<p>You\u2019ll find narrative useful in an essay when you want your reader to identify with your perspective or with the view taken by one of your characters or subjects. Documentary filmmaking is full of narrative examples: People tell us the story of what happened as if they were witnesses, even if the event happened many years before they were born. It\u2019s an effective technique because the filmmaker weaves a tale for us through each narrator.<\/p>\n<p>You can take a similar approach in writing, laying out the facts of a story interspersed with first-person perspectives. Or you might, as Mead did, offer your reader insight into your own thought process as you came to understand the concept or event.<\/p>\n<p>Satire can be a particularly effective form of narrative, exemplified by the novels\u00a0<em>Animal Farm<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>Gulliver\u2019s Travels. <\/em>Satire works to\u00a0expose the defects in an idea or society by telling a fictional tale of a different social group. Fictional characters stand in for real people or play out social ideas, usually political in nature.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">Narratives can be factual or fictional, depending on the writer\u2019s purpose. The writers of factual stories try to recount events as they actually happened, but writers of fictional stories can depart from real people and events because the writers\u2019 intent is not to retell a real-life event. Biographies and memoirs are examples of factual stories, whereas novels and short stories are examples of fictional stories. And the line between fact and fiction is often purposefully blurry, again depending on the writer&#8217;s purpose.<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<h2>Narrative Essays<\/h2>\n<p>You could think of a narrative essay as a short story. It\u2019s called an essay, but many narrative essays are really just short stories. If you are using narration as the primary strategy in writing a paper, you will use some semblance of the following format:<\/p>\n<h4>Opening<\/h4>\n<p>Your opening in a narrative essay does not need to be a description of the event you will be discussing or an explicit outline of the reason(s) you\u2019re examining it. Instead, try to hook your readers and think about why they should be interested.<\/p>\n<h4>Narrative Paragraphs<\/h4>\n<p>You will divide the event into smaller events and give each of these smaller incidents a paragraph. These will be simple explanations of what happened when, though in a more complex essay you might include reasons for each event and comparisons to another, more current circumstance. Accounts by historians, witnesses, or thought leaders can be woven into the narrative to strengthen the perspective you\u2019re offering or to offer the possibility of another perspective, in an effort to provide an objective report.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll want to make each portion of the narrative interesting to the reader, so use literary devices like suspense, imagery, verisimilitude, and surprise, perhaps along with a little humor, if appropriate, to keep your audience engaged.<\/p>\n<h4>Closing<\/h4>\n<p>You don&#8217;t need to hit your reader over the head a summary of the event and the reason(s) for examining it. You may or may not decide to end with some explicit ideas about how this event is relevant to the reader and to the world at this time.<\/p>\n<p>The checklist for a narrative essay:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Have a clear purpose.<\/li>\n<li>Tell the story clearly.<\/li>\n<li>Make the narrative interesting.<\/li>\n<li>Relate it to something larger than itself, either overtly, or covertly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"textbox key-takeaways\">\n<h3>KeY Takeaway: Narrative essays<\/h3>\n<p>What are the main ingredients of a narrative? A <strong>narrative:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul id=\"fresh-ch10_s01_s03_l01\" class=\"itemizedlist\">\n<li>contains a plot, characters, conflict, and a theme.<\/li>\n<li>can be either factual or fictional.<\/li>\n<li>follows a timeline, but does not need to be written in chronological order.<\/li>\n<li>has a strong opening to engage the reader.<\/li>\n<li>resolves the conflict and reiterates the theme with the conclusion.<\/li>\n<li>has an implied thesis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\n<h3>sTART WITH THE STORY<\/h3>\n<p>Sometimes, it\u2019s easier for students to write the story and then go back and make sure that the essay follows the proper essay format.<\/p>\n<p>After you have completed your story, read it to yourself. Is there any particular moral or idea that the story is demonstrating?\u00a0 If so, you may decide to use that idea in your thesis statement.<\/p>\n<p>For example, consider the topic of going back to school. You may approach it in this way:<\/p>\n<div class=\"purple-example shorten\">\n<div class=\"example\">\n<ol>\n<li>Write the story (this will become your body paragraphs)<\/li>\n<li>Read aloud and see if there is a moral or underlying idea<\/li>\n<li>Write your thesis statement based on that idea or moral<\/li>\n<li>Continue to write your introduction<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Once you have the story down, you read your paragraphs about going back to school, and then you realize how much having a college education will improve your financial situation. This allows you to create your thesis, and go back to form the introduction. In this case, you decide that your thesis is &#8220;After careful consideration, I have decided that returning to school is an important step toward improving my financial outlook.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Whether or not you include that explicit thesis in your narrative will depend on the requirements of the assignment and your skill as a writer. Often, in narrative writing, our goal is to show, not tell, the reader the point of the story!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\n<h3>Link to Learning<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/oerfiles.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/WM+English+Composition+I\/Excelsior+Resources\/Narrative+Essay+See+It+In+Practice.docx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Here you can see a traditional or typical\u00a0sample narration\u00a0essay<\/a> from a beginning writing class. In this assignment, the student was asked to write a brief\u00a0<strong>literacy narrative<\/strong>, a narrative essay that focuses on the author\u2019s experiences with reading and\/or writing. In this narration essay, the author focuses on reading books and follows MLA guidelines.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_8f7f5964-1f74-4a11-8b33-b982e529e8f9\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/8f7f5964-1f74-4a11-8b33-b982e529e8f9?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_8f7f5964-1f74-4a11-8b33-b982e529e8f9\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-2226\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Modification, adaptation, and original content. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Writing Narratives. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Boundless. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/boundless-writing\/chapter\/types-of-rhetorical-modes\/\">https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/boundless-writing\/chapter\/types-of-rhetorical-modes\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Narrative Essay. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Excelsior College Online Writing Lab. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/owl.excelsior.edu\/rhetorical-styles\/narrative-essay\/narrative-essay-see-it-in-practice\/\">https:\/\/owl.excelsior.edu\/rhetorical-styles\/narrative-essay\/narrative-essay-see-it-in-practice\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Telling a Story. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Chris Manning, Sally Pierce, and Melissa Lucken. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pb.openlcc.net\/expressionandinquiry\/chapter\/19-2-telling-a-story\/\">https:\/\/pb.openlcc.net\/expressionandinquiry\/chapter\/19-2-telling-a-story\/<\/a>. <strong>Project<\/strong>: Expression and Inquiry. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Narration key takeaways. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/open.lib.umn.edu\/writingforsuccess\/chapter\/10-1-narration\/\">https:\/\/open.lib.umn.edu\/writingforsuccess\/chapter\/10-1-narration\/<\/a>. <strong>Project<\/strong>: Writing For Success. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":29,"menu_order":12,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Writing Narratives\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Boundless\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/boundless-writing\/chapter\/types-of-rhetorical-modes\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Narrative Essay\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Excelsior College Online Writing 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