Writing a Narrative Text

In previous meeting, we ever read a true life story which told about someone’s life. When we want to tell a story in a chronological order in which the purpose is to entertain/amuse the readers, we write it in a narrative text. A narrative text is written in past tense. You may find it in tales/folktales/fables/myths/epic/short story/novel either fiction or nonfiction.

Narrative Text Narrative deals with problematic events which lead to a crisis or turning point of some kind, which in turn finds a resolution. The generic structure of a narrative is: 1. Orientation; the introduction of what is inside the text. What text is talked in general, who involves in the text, when and where it happens. 2.Complication; what happens with the participants. It explores the conflict among the participants. Complication is the main element of narrative. Without complication, the text is not narrative. The conflict can be shown as natural, social or psychological conflict. 3. Resolution; this is the phase where the participants solve the problem aroused by the conflict. It does not matter whether the participants succeed or fail. The point is the conflict becomes ended.

Language Features The focus is on participants, what they did and what happened to them It uses past tense (using V2) It uses temporal conjunctions and temporal circumstances (one day, the next day, once upon a time, meanwhile, then, etc) It uses some direct quotation/ direct speech For the direct quotation itself, it can be in the present tense.

Example LET ME LOVE YOU Once upon a time, there was a guy who was very much in love with a girl. This romantic guy folded 1,000 pieces of paper cranes as a gift to his girl. Although, at that time he was just a small executive in his company, his future didn’t seem too bright, but they were very happy together. Until one day, his girl told him she was going to Paris and would never come back. She also told him that she couldn’t visualize any future for the both of them. “Sorry, we have to break up. Let us go to our own ways,” said the girl. Days by days, the guy was so miserable but he tried to make himself better. When he regained his confidence, he worked hard day and night, just to make something out of himself. Finally with all these hard work and with the help of friends, this guy had set up his own company. "You never fail until you stop trying." he always told himself. "I must make it in life!" One rainy day, while this guy was driving, he saw an elderly couple sharing an umbrella in the rain walking to some destination. Even with the umbrella, they were still drenched. It didn't take him long to realize those were his ex-girlfriend's parents. With a heart in getting back at them, he drove slowly beside the couple, wanting them to spot him in his luxury saloon. He wanted them to know that he wasn't the same anymore, he had his own company and car. He had made it in life! Before the guy can realize, the couple was walking towards a cemetery, and he got out of his car and followed them. And he saw his ex-girlfriend, a photograph of her smiling sweetly as ever at him from her tombstone.. He saw his precious paper cranes in a bottle placed beside her tomb. Her parents saw him. He walked over and asked them why this had happened. They explained that she did not leave for France at all. She was stricken ill with cancer. She did not want her illness to be his obstacle. Therefore she had chosen to leave him. She had wanted her parents to put his paper cranes beside her, because, if the day comes when fate brings him to her again he can take some of those back with him. The guy just wept.

Assignment You are to write a narrative story based on your own experience, the most unforgettable one. You may use third person point of view so you will act as a narrator though one of the participant of the story is actually you, yourself like what I give you in the previous example. Pay attention to the language features of a narrative text. Ask your friends as proofreader for your writing. Your writing should not be less than 250 words. It must be typewriting, then submit to my email: hartatielysa@gmail.com before May 4, 2014. Thanks