Narrative Writing

1. Narrative Writing Telling stories to prove your points!

2. Develop Paragraphs with Stories! • To relate a memory or about an incident, just tell a story. • Example Writing Question: “What was the most difficult choice that you have ever made? What made it so hard to decide?”

3. Why Do We Write Stories? • The basic reasons to narrate in an essay are to inform and to persuade. • To answer what was your most difficult choice, you have to explain what made any selection a tough call.

4. Use Assertive Topic Sentences • We answer a question with our main idea in a topic sentence: “My most difficult choice was coming to college without a scholarship.” • Yet this assertion needs further explanation to become reasonable.

5. Can You Prove Your Assertions? • Answer what makes it a tough call to go to college without a scholarship? • “My parents were unwilling to pay my tuition, so going to college without a scholarship was a difficult decision.”

6. We Use Pointed Topic Sentences! • Which sentence is more ontopic? 1.“When I moved to a new city, I had to tell my old girlfriend good-bye.” 2.“Leaving my girlfriend when I moved was my most difficult choice.”

7. How Do We Organize in Time? • Does this story follow a direct time sequence, from first to last? • “Moving into a dormitory at age 16 put me on my own. My parents were not there to tell me what to do. If I was late to the cafeteria, I didn’t eat. I had to make new friends in morning classes and at work in the afternoon. In the evening, I played sports well enough to gain respect.

8. Three words tell time sequence: • “Moving into a dormitory at age 16 put me on my own. My parents were not there to tell me what to do. If I was late to the cafeteria, I didn’t eat. I had to make new friends in morningclasses and at work in the afternoon. In the evening, I played sports well enough to gain respect. • The words morning, afternoon, and evening suggest a time sequence.

9. Can You Add Transition Words? Use: then, until, when, after, while • We played basketball ___ the dean made us go inside the dormitory. • ___ my friends and I sat around talking ___ other kids studied. • ___ the bell sounded at 10 o’clock, the lights went off. • Everyone fell asleep pretty soon ___ getting into bed.

10. Can You Use Consistent Tense? Keep the story in the pasttense! • Use: stopped, started, be, kept, wrote • In college, we listened to all kinds of lectures and __ lots of class notes. • Sometimes the professor went off topic, so we ___ writing notes. • I listened while my friends in the back row ___ telling jokes. • When the professor got back on topic, I ___ taking notes again. • It __ not much use hoping that he would go off topic again.

11. Can You See What Is Off Topic? • Which sentence below is off the topic? • In Korea, the busses were very crowded. • Once my necktie got caught between two people on the bus. • It was dark blue and light gray. • I lost it when I took it off so that I couldbreathe.

12. Can You Use Consistent Voice? • Inconsistent voice means changing from formal to casual language. • Changing the formality of the words in a story is comparable to switching from a bass to a tenor voice! • Inconsistent voice makes your story look and sound bad.

13. Can You Find the Inconsistency? • I majored in history as I am interested in the past. • To me, it is more than just names, dates, and events. • History explains human nature. • We see ourselves in our ancestors. • They did good and they messed up.

14. Use Stories to Prove Your Points! • Certain writing questions require story answers. • The purpose of the story is not so much to entertain as to explain. • Through a story, for example, the writer can tell how a past event changed his life.

15. Can You Find the Story’s Point? • Nasr borrowed a pot from his neighbor Ali. The next day he brought it back with another little pot inside. Nasr explained: “It had a baby."Later, Ali lent Nasr another pot, hoping that he would get back two. Days passed, but Nasr had not returned it. Ali went to demand his property. • "I am sorry," said Nasr. "I can't give you back your pot, since it has died." • "Died!" screamed Ali. “How can a pot die?" • "Well," said Nasr. “You believed me when I told you that your pot had had a baby." A. There is no point. B. Don’t believe anything. C. Nasr tricked Ali.

16. Can You Find the Story’s Point? • Nasr went to buy clothes. He tried on trousers, but gave them back. Then he tried a robe with the same price. Nasr was pleased with the robe, and he left the shop. • Before he went home, the shopkeeper ran out. "You didn't pay for the robe!" he shouted."But I gave you the pants for the robe, didn't I?" replied Nasr. "Yes, but you didn't pay for the trousers, either!" said the shopkeeper. "But I didn't buy the trousers," replied Nasr. "I am not stupid to pay for what I never bought." A. It’s a mix-up. B. Nasr stole the robe. C. Nasr fooled the man.

17. Which ones require storytelling? • Describe why you need to have a college degree. • Tell about your favorite personal experience. • Explain how you plan to become a big success one day. • What is your all-time, very most memorable incident?

18. Can you see major errors? • In the past, when an oil spill occurs, wildlife perishes. • Imported oil is increasingly expensive that can inflate the price of gas even further. • A Polar bear that ingest much oil may very well die. • With the oil drilling come the issue of earthquakes. • There is other ways to solve the energy problem. • Why kill the Polar bears they never hurt us? • Whether their wildlife or not, let’s save them. • Then bears would drown, they won’t even have food. • As gas prices rise; we really need energy solutions. • If the drilling start; Arctic melting will speed up. Can you find the comma splices, run-ons, fragments, and s/v errors?

19. You can fix major errors: • In the past when an oil spill occurred, wildlife perished. • Imported oil is increasingly expensive; that can inflate the price of gas even further. • A Polar bear that ingests much oil may very well die. • With the oil drilling comes the issue of earthquakes. • There are other ways to solve the energy problem. • Why kill the Polar bears; they never hurt us? • Whether they’re wildlife or not, let’s save them. • Then bears would drown as they won’t even have food. • As gas prices rise, we really need energy solutions. • If the drilling starts, Arctic melting will speed up. You can find the comma splices, run-ons, fragments, and s/v errors.

20. Can you see major errors? • Another thing he stand for is alternate fuel. • In America, color and gender does not matter. • He’ll change us he is already making a difference. • Bill taught Hillary how the White House is ran. • The question is we Americans ready for Hillary? • What does ‘Obama’ do it makes you think danger! • Would you vote for one who sound like a terrorist? • It was his historic night it was also one for voters. • All men are equal these words are famous ones. • Patience is a virtue we will see a female president. Can you find the comma splices, run-ons, fragments, and s/v errors?

21. You can fix major errors: • Another thing he stands for is alternate fuel. • In America, color and gender do_ not matter. • He’ll change us; he is already making a difference. • Bill taught Hillary how the White House is run. • The question is are we ready for Hillary? • What does ‘Obama’ do? It makes you think danger! • Will you vote for one who sounds like a terrorist? • It was a historic night; it was also one for voters. • All men are equal; these words are famous ones. • Patience is a virtue; we will see a female president. You can find the comma splices, run-ons, fragments, and s/v errors.