Unit 2 - NARRATIVE ESSAYS Mrs. Elizabeth Celeste Coiman-Lopez, BAT,. MS. Houston Community College - Fall 2018

Tells a story. Narrative is another word for STORY. Writer can be more creative. Narratives can tell a long story. DEFINITION – p. 40

ELEMENTS OF A GOOD STORY – p. 40 SETTING: location of the action in the story THEME: basic idea of the story: Topic might be common in life or human nature: Independence, envy, courage, failure, and success MOOD: feeling or atmosphere writer creates in story: Mood could be: happy, hopeful, suspenseful, or scary. Setting and descriptive vocabulary creates the mood. CHARACTERS: people in the story: Affected by de mood They react to the events in which they are involved. PLOT: what happens in the story, sequence of events: It has a climax or turning point, where characters and events change. ELEMENTS OF A GOOD STORY – p. 40

MORE ELEMENTS OF A GOOD STORY – p. 40 THESIS: sets up the action in the introduction TRANSITION SENTENCES: connect events so reader can follow the story CONCLUSION: ends the story action: Provides a MORAL, PREDICTION, or REVELATION. MORE ELEMENTS OF A GOOD STORY – p. 40

INTRODUCTION – p. 41 INTRODUCTION: begins the story: Describes the setting. Introduces the characters. Prepares audience for the action to come. It has a hook and a thesis. NARRATIVE HOOK: grabs reader’s attention First few sentences Helps set the stage for the story Makes readers start guessing about what will happen next. Makes the reader ask WH- questions: Who? Why? Where? What? LET’S PRACTICE! INTRODUCTION – p. 41

INTRODUCTION Continuation.. – p. 42 THESIS: Introduces the action that begins in the first paragraph. Does not tell the reader what happens Paragraphs in the body will develop the story. For Example: look p. 42 LET’S PRACTICE! INTRODUCTION Continuation.. – p. 42

BODY: contains most of the plot, which is the supporting information: Chronological Order (time order): Each paragraph gives more information of the story as it proceeds in time: 1st paragraph describes the first event 2nd paragraph describes the second event Each paragraph ends with a Transitional Sentence TRANSITIONAL SENTENCES: give the story unity and allow the reader to follow the action easily They have 2 purposes: Signal the end of the action in one paragraph. Provide a link to the action of the next paragraph. LET’S PRACTICE! BODY – p. 42

CONCLUSION – p. 42 Finish describing the action in the essay. FINAL SENTENCE: can have 2 functions: 1. Tells the MORAL of the story, by telling the reader what the characters learned from the experience. 2. Makes a PREDICTION* or REVELATION*: about future actions that will happen as a result of the events *disclosure of something that was not known before. CONCLUSION – p. 42

CONCLUSION Examples – p. 43 MORAL: The little boy had finally learned that telling the truth was the most important thing to do. PREDICTION: I can only hope that one day I will be able to do the same for another traveler who is suffering through a terrible journey. REVELATION: Every New Year’s Eve, my wife and I return to that magical spot and remember the selfless act that saved our lives. CONCLUSION Examples – p. 43

Describe the sights, smells, and sounds of the story Describe the sights, smells, and sounds of the story. It will bring the story alive. Include few descriptive adjectives in the sentences: The more descriptive the information, the more the reader will connect with the story you are telling. Make readers feel they are there with you in the story. Look at example on p. 43 STORY TELLING TIPS – p. 43