{"id":91,"date":"2017-01-23T14:10:22","date_gmt":"2017-01-23T14:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/umes-englishcomp1\/?post_type=chapter&p=91"},"modified":"2017-08-07T13:18:42","modified_gmt":"2017-08-07T13:18:42","slug":"writing-for-success-narration","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/umes-englishcomp1\/chapter\/writing-for-success-narration\/","title":{"raw":"1.1 Purpose & Structure of Narrative Writing","rendered":"1.1 Purpose & Structure of Narrative Writing"},"content":{"raw":"This section will help you determine the purpose and structure of narration in writing.\r\n

The Purpose of Narrative Writing<\/h3>\r\nNarration<\/em> means the art of storytelling, and the purpose<\/strong> of narrative\u00a0writing is to tell stories. Any time you tell a story to a friend or family member about an event or incident in your day, you engage in a form of narration. A narrative can be factual (true) or fictional (made-up). A factual\u00a0story is one that is based on, and tries to be faithful to, actual events as they unfolded in real life. A fictional\u00a0story is a made-up, or imagined, story; the writer of a fictional story can create characters and events as he or she sees fit.\r\n\r\nThe big distinction between factual and fictional narratives is based on a writer\u2019s purpose<\/strong>. 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 intents are 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.\r\n

Know Your Purpose<\/h3>\r\nBecause the line between fact and fiction can often blur, it is helpful to understand what your purpose is from the beginning. Is it important that you recount history, either your own or someone else\u2019s? Or does your interest lie in reshaping the world in your own image\u2014either how you would like to see it or how you imagine it could be? Your answers will go a long way in shaping the stories you tell.\r\n\r\nUltimately, whether the story is fact or fiction, narrative writing tries to relay a series of events in an emotionally engaging way. You want your audience to be moved by your story, which could mean through laughter, sympathy, fear, anger, and so on. The more clearly you tell your story, the more emotionally engaged your audience is likely to be.\r\n

The Structure of a Narrative Essay<\/h3>\r\nMajor narrative events are most often conveyed in chronological\u00a0order, the order in which events unfold from first to last. Stories typically have a beginning, a middle, and an end, and these events are typically organized by time. Certain transitional words and phrases<\/a> aid in keeping the reader oriented in the sequencing of a story. Some of these phrases are listed here:\r\n

Chronological Transitional Words<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
after\/afterward<\/td>\r\nas soon as<\/td>\r\nat last<\/td>\r\nbefore<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
currently<\/td>\r\nduring<\/td>\r\neventually<\/td>\r\nmeanwhile<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
next<\/td>\r\nnow<\/td>\r\nsince<\/td>\r\nsoon<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
finally<\/td>\r\nlater<\/td>\r\nstill<\/td>\r\nthen<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
until<\/td>\r\nwhen\/whenever<\/td>\r\nwhile<\/td>\r\nfirst, second, third<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\nThe basic components of a narrative are:\r\n