Chapter Overview

Reflect for a moment on the last interesting story you heard, told, or read. What made the story remain with you? Was it a compelling character? An interesting set of circumstances? Was it told in an amusing or serious manner, and did it make you react emotionally?

Everyone loves a good story, and each day we seek out good stories in a variety of media: novels, short stories, newspapers, songs, blogs, even posts on social media pages.

Narration is the art of storytelling, and in this chapter, you will investigate the ways in which writers employ common narration strategies to engage readers from the beginning to the end of a significant event. You will also look critically at some examples of effective narration as you draft your narrative essay.

Chapter Outcomes

After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

1. Describe the purpose, basic components, characteristics, and structure of narrative writing
2. Successfully demonstrate writing techniques of a narrative essay