1. “Reflecting on the lives of others helps us better understand and realize the we must make our own life worth the telling if we are to say it was a good, interesting life” (Burke 228). Narrative Writing

2. Tells a story that describes What Why How

3. Narrative at a Glance Emphasizes one important moment in an individual’s life Establishes a main idea; there is a point to the story. Includes specific, compelling details about the person, setting, and other characters involved Uses telling examples to support your ideas and help the reader better understand what is happening and the importance or meaning of events.

4. Organizes Events Beginning Introduces the people, place, and incident around which the essay will be organized Middle Discusses the event: who said what, where, when, how, and why; includes dialogue. Also focuses on main event and purpose Ending Reveals the final outcome & the writer’s attitude toward it. Connects to the main idea established in the beginning.

5. A Narrative… Includes dialogue and sensory details Speculates about the main subject’s motives Considers the subject or character from multiple perspectives Draws conclusions about the characters based on their actions and the events Uses appropriate tone & mood Chooses a style appropriate to the subject & themes

6. Narrative Styles Short story Personal Narrative Biographical narrative about a fictional character Life Study Case Study Memorable person Character Sketch Character study Biographical poem Internal monologue Dramatic monologu

7. Concrete vs. Abstract Effective narrative essays allow readers to visualize everything that's happening, in their minds. One way to make sure that this occurs is to use concrete, rather than abstract, details. The word “abstract” might remind you of modern art. An abstract painting, for example, does not normally contain recognizable objects. In other words, we can't look at the painting and immediately say "that's a house" or "that's a bowl of fruit." To the untrained eye, abstract art looks a bit like a child's finger-painting- -just brightly colored splotches on a canvas. Avoid abstract language—it won’t help the reader understand what you're trying to say! From http://www.roanestate.edu/owl/describe.html

8. Concrete vs. Abstract Concrete …makes the story or image seem clearer and more real to us. …gives us information that we can easily grasp and perhaps empathize with. Abstract Language…...makes the story or image difficult to visualize. …leaves your reader feeling empty, disconnected, and possibly confused. From http://www.roanestate.edu/owl/describe.html

9. Abstract vs. Concrete Examples: Abstract: It was a nice day. Concrete: The sun was shining and a slight breeze blew across my face. Abstract: I liked writing poems, not essays. Concrete: I liked writing short, rhythmic poems and hated rambling on about my thoughts in those four-page essays. Abstract: Mr. Smith was a great teacher. Concrete: Mr. Smith really knew how to help us turn our thoughts into good stories and essays.