1. Do Now:
Hoffman tells his story in the first person: the narrator is the principal actor.
What would have been gained or lost had Hoffman used the third person with O.T. or Dwayne telling the story? Explain.
Compare your homework with your partner.
Where do you both agree on the five essential elements in The Dare?

2. Aim: How do you write a narrative?
Determine your purpose.
Use dialogue effectively.
Organize chronologically.

3. Aim: How do you write a narrative?
1. Determine your Purpose
To simply report information
Ex: A weather forecast
To illustrate or prove a point
Ex: Testimony for a product
To set a mood
Ex: A postcard
You must know what point you’re trying to prove before you write!
Prove the point without telling the reader what the point is! An implied thesis

4. Aim: How do you write a narrative?
2. Use Dialogue Effectively
Characters speak!
Keep it only necessary dialogue.
Make sure it is accurate or authentic.
Say it out loud to see if it sounds genuine

5. Aim: How do you write a narrative?
3. Organize Chronologically
Climax—the highest point or turning point that makes your point/Proves your thesis
Flashback or flash forward
Transitions—first, then, afterwards, second, finally, and before

6. My relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks and reached across the table, dipping them into the dozen or so plates of food. Robert and his family waited patiently for platters to be passed to them. My relatives murmured with pleasure when my mother brought out the whole steamed fish. Robert grimaced. Then my father poked his chopsticks just below the eye and plucked out the soft meat. “Amy, your favorite,” he said, offering me the tender fish cheek. I wanted to disappear.

7. At the end of the meal my father leaned back and belched loudly
At the end of the meal my father leaned back and belched loudly. Thanking my mother for her fine cooking. “It’s a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied,” explained my father to our astonished guests. Robert was looking down at his plate with a reddened face. The minister managed to muster up a quiet burp. I was stunned into silence for the rest of the night.
Amy Tan, “Fish Cheeks”

8. Aim: How do you write a narrative?
Purpose: What point is Tan trying to prove about her parents?
Dialogue: Why doesn’t Tan include more dialogue?
Climax: Where in the narrative does the story reach its highest point?

9. Aim: How do you write a narrative?
My family is [insert adjective here].
Quickly write about a time or recount an example that shows the reader your generalization about your family.
Keep in mind the criteria we discussed today!

10. Aim: How do you write a narrative?
1. Purpose: What point is his or her narrative trying to prove? How does it compare to the other narratives we’ve read?
2. Dialogue: Should the author have used more dialogue? Why or why not?
3. Climax: Where is the highest point of the narrative? How effective was it in proving the author’s point?
Read your partner’s narrative and finish this sentence:
“Your family is [insert adjective].”
Then discuss your reaction to the narrative. What worked well? What did you like?

11. Aim: How do you write a narrative?
Write a narrative that re-creates a significant moment or experience to reveal an insight about the action or people involved. You might write about an experience in which you encountered people from a culture different from your own. You might write about a turning point in your life—perhaps a time when you were forced suddenly to grow up, a time when you faced a difficult challenge, or a time when you reassessed your values.

12. Homework/Extension Read the sample narratives online.
Develop at least three tips for writing an effective narrative based on these two samples.