1. Rough Drafts due: 10/19 Final drafts due: 10/26
Narrative essay
Rough Drafts due: 10/19
Final drafts due: 10/26

2. Description/ Sensory language
Sensory language – descriptive language that appeals to the 5 senses (also known as imagery).
Helps your reader to see/ feel/ smell… what you are describing.
Don’t tell your reader what you can show them.
Feel free to use figurative language in your descriptions

3. Example showing Telling
The boy was scared when he opened the closet door and saw a strange clown staring back at him.
the boy’s hand shook as he slowly turned the knob. The door creaked as it gently slid open, and the boy peered in. Staring back at him was something from a nightmare. The boy stared into the face of a clown with cracked, dirty paint, and a nose as red as fresh blood.

4. Practice
Describe your worst nightmare using description, sensory language, and figurative language where you can.

5. Dialogue
Defined as the exact words of any character.
Can be a conversation between one or more characters or could be internal dialogue (character’s thoughts).

6. Purpose
Characterize – reveal personalities, motivations, thoughts of your key characters.
Move the plot forward/ Build Suspense
Intensify a conflict – show tension between characters

7. Effective dialogue
Realistic – includes slang such as um, yea, gonna, wanna, etc.
Flows –
Use a variety of speech tags (see handout)
Vary when you include speech tags.
Put some narration in the middle.
Grammar – (See handout)

8. Examples – Thoughts?
“What is that?” Bill asked. “I’m not sure,” said Bob. “It looks really strange!” said Bill. “Yea it does,” said Bob.
“Woah, what is that?” asked Bill.
“I’m really not sure,” responded Bob in disbelief.
Setting his coffee cup down gently, Bill slowly stood and cautiously made his way toward the window.
“Do you see how weird it looks? I can’t imagine what it is.”
As Bob crept up behind Bill, he whispered, “I’ve never seen anything so odd.”

9. Pacing
Stylistic device that controls how quickly or slowly the story moves – controlling the time.
How do you control it?
Action – Usually speeds up the pace, could slow down the action to create suspense.
Sensory Language/ Dialogue – These elements of a narrative usually slow the pace down and allow the reader to really understand/ picture the setting/ characters.
Word choice/ sentence structure – Short, choppy sentences make the story move faster while longer, more complex sentences usually slow it down.

10. The Most Dangerous Game
How does Richard Connell use pacing?
Is the scene fast or slow?
How did he speed up or slow down a scene?
Why did he make those choices?

11. Transition Tips Can show a change in time or location Don’t overuse…
Time: Finally, later, whenever, etc.
Space: In the middle, above, alongside
Don’t overuse…
First
Then
Finally
Later
Next
Important in making change in time/ setting clear and can help in pacing. “Shortly after vs. Some time Later”

12. Effective conclusions
Resolve the conflict – doesn’t need to be a happy ending, but it can’t be a cliff hanger.
Don’t State the obvious – Most Dangerous Game, Harrison Bergeron, Scarlet Ibis
Emphasize the deeper meaning or the theme.