Narratives

1. Narratives The Short Story Part 1 Rhyme Setting

2. Narratives • Narratives are stories that entertain, inspire and inform readers. • The main purpose is to entertain, and engage the reader in an imaginative experience.

3. Narratives • The focus is to have specific sequential events and actions. • Different types of narratives: Folktales, fairytales, fables, jokes, myths, legends, science fiction, modern fantasy, short stories, picture story books and ballads.

4. Narrative Structure There are three basic parts of the Short Story. 1.Orientation (beginning)-The opening paragraphs of the story which set the scene and introduce the main ideas and the main character. In these paragraphs the characters often encounter a conflict/problem.

5. Narrative Structure 2.Complication (middle)- An event or events where things go wrong and they have to be resolved. Example: In Harry Potter Lord Voldemort is always trying to kill Harry Potter

6. Narrative Structure 3.Resolution (ending) - How the story finishes. Example: In Twilight Edward protects Bella and James is defeated.

7. When you begin to write your short story you need to ask the following questions…

8. Narrative Features • The Orientation: • Who? – identify the character/characters • What? – identify what the character is doing (e.g. brushing their teeth) • Where? – identify the setting • When? – identify the time (e.g. night, morning, yesterday, in the future)

9. Narrative Features 2. The Complication: • What happens? – identify a problem or obstacle that occurs • How does this affect the character? – identify how the problem or obstacle impacts the character (e.g. how does the character feel?)

10. Narrative Features 3.The Resolution: • How is the problem solved? – does the hero win? Is the mystery solved? Do the characters fall in love? Is the lost thing found?

11. Narrative Structure Handout Humpty Dumpty Humpty Dumpty Sitting On a wall In the Morning He has a great fall The Kings horses and The Kings men couldn’t put Humpty together again. Rhyme

12. RID(replace, insert, delete) • Replace words, phrases and sentences with more effective ones • Insert extra words, phrases sentences • Delete ineffective words phrases, sentences.

13. Wearing his yellow gumboots, Humpty Dumpty decided to go and sit on the wall to watch the soccer game. Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall For a laugh, one of his friends decided to push Humpty off the wall. Humpty Dumpty had a big fall All the Kings horses and all the Kings men couldn’t put Humpty together again. Humpty Dumpty fell down with a thud and broke his leg. He had to go to hospital.

14. Narratives Narrative Elements: The Short Story Part 2

15. Storytime “The Trouble with Meg” • Identify the orientation • Identify the complication • Identify the resolution

16. Narratives Elements 1. Characters- people in short stories. Only one, or two main characters. Minor characters who are not developed in detail. 2. Setting- The place where and the time when, the story happens. One major setting. 3. Theme- The main idea of the story. E.g. Good Vs Evil. 4. Plot- A summary of the events in the short story.

17. The Character 1.Characters • Interesting stories have interesting characters. These characters are so lifelike that you can imagine them in your head as you read. • The way you describe your character is important. • You need to make your characters FAT not SKINNY.

18. SKINNY CHARACTER THINK ABOUT A FAT CHARACTER YOU WOULD LIKE TO WRITE ABOUT FAT CHARACTER

19. The Character 2.Handy Hints for describing characters: • How old is your character? • What does he or she look like? • What does your character smell like? • Describe your characters mood. • Include colours and fabrics. • (Refer to your Paradigm Profile sheet)

20. The Character 3.Your character must be BELIEVABLE! • Whether the character is human, animal or from another time and place, your character must have human qualities? • The clothes your character wears and the way they act should match

21. The Character DEMONSTRATE

22. The Character Imagine this character: “The children stepped into the office and got a better look at the man who had mocked them. He was dressed in a rumpled brown suit that had something sticky on its jacket, and he was wearing a tie decorated with pictures of snails. His nose was very small and very red, as if somebody had stuck a cherry tomato in the middle of his splotchy face. He was almost completely bald, but he had four tufts of hair, which he had tied into little pigtails with some old rubber bands.” Lemony Snicket. (1999). A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Austere Academy. p. 18

23. The Character Character Activity • Now… Invent your own character and write a detailed description.

24. WANTED NAME: AGE: LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Eye colour: Hair colour: Clothes: SPECIAL FEATURES: OTHER INFORMATION:

25. The Character Characters • Ask a partner to read your description then draw a picture of your character.

26. The Character Characters • Is the character what you imagined? If not, what changes do you need to make to your original description to make it clearer to your readers?

27. Narratives Narrative Elements: The Short Story Part 3

28. The Setting Story Settings • Detailed description which makes the reader feel as if he/she is in the place described. The most effective way to do this is by using the 5 senses. What can the character see, hear, smell, taste, touch? • Don’t forget: Describe what the character is feeling?

29. The Setting Definition: Setting- The place where and the time when, the story happens. One major setting.

30. The Setting Worksheet

31. The Setting The Drover’s Wife by Henry Lawson

32. The Setting Activity: I rubbed my eyes and looked around. This place was not what I expected...

33. The Plot What is a plot? • A sequence of events that drives the story to its conclusion. • The series of events in a story and the way they are linked together.

34. The Plot There are only seven types of plots: • Overcoming the Monster 2. Rags to Riches

35. The Plot 3. The Quest 4. Voyage and Return

36. The Plot 5. Comedy 6. Tragedy 7. Rebirth

37. Narratives Writing your own Short Story Part 4

38. Orientation (beginning) • The beginning provides detail to establish relationships between setting, time, major and minor characters. It sets the mood of the story. • The author needs to ‘hook’ his/her reader right from the start, so they will want to keep reading. The easiest way to do this is to start with something already happening. E.g. A conversation, a problem, something unexpected. • Don’t forget a title.

39. Four Hook Sentences (for your beginning) • Start with a sentence that is immediately interesting. • Follow it with a second sentence that keeps the reader guessing. • Add two more short sentences. E.g. The door slammed shut! Darkness filled the room. Their eyes began to adjust to the scene around them. A clock tick-tocked in another room.

40. Complication (middle) • Keep the action going! • Use suspense, invite the reader to fill in detail. • Provide insight into characters feelings. • Get characters solving problems, but make sure that there is always something else they need to do. • Build up to the biggest event or problem and leave a few clues along the way.

41. Resolution (ending) • Ties elements together to draw the story towards the conclusion. • Characters should work out (resolve) how to solve the problem/conflicts themselves. Make sure the ending fits in with the rest of the story. • Imaginative endings. • Some narratives leaves the reader deciding on the ending.