Narrative Writing
Write narratives with developed settings, characters and plot, using dialogue and description to develop experiences and show character responses to situations
What a learner can do afterwards
- Write a narrative that includes a described setting, at least one developed character, and a clear plot with a problem and resolution
- Use dialogue to show what characters say and reveal their personality or feelings
- Use descriptive details and temporal words to organise events into a clear sequence with a satisfying ending
1 · Read
You have put story events in order before. A narrative tells a story about real or made-up events. The plot is what happens. Here, practise planning a problem story. Decide what goes wrong, then choose actions that deal with the problem and lead to the ending.
The setting is where and when a story happens. Choose details a reader could see, hear, smell or feel, such as pale moonlight or a creaking gate. Develop a character through wishes, actions and feelings. A character twisting a sleeve before speaking may be nervous. Use the other clues in the story to help you understand a character's actions.
Dialogue is what characters say. Mia grips her torch. 'Is it safe?' she whispers. Her question and quiet voice suggest worry about the barn. Her brother opens the door anyway. Read spoken words with nearby actions to work out feelings. Quotation marks surround the spoken words.
Time words help readers follow events. First, next and finally show order. Meanwhile means at the same time: Mia waits outside. Meanwhile, her brother looks inside the barn. Link your ending to earlier events. In a problem story, show what happens to the problem and how the character responds. The character might solve it, get help, or learn to live with it.
Details and dialogue show the setting and characters. Time words help readers follow events. Link the ending to what happened earlier.
This lesson, quiz and flashcards were written for this dataset.
These five readings and their examples were written for this dataset.
More to read
Start with a small problem
Inez is ready to plant a seed, but her plant pot has a crack. That small problem can begin a story.
Plan what Inez does. Perhaps she asks for another pot, fills it with soil and plants the seed. Her actions connect the problem to the ending.
Add details that matter. Soil spilling through the crack shows why she needs another pot. Her words can show how she feels about the delay.
Tell your planned story aloud before writing. Can someone follow how each event leads to the next?
Learn about a character through choices
Your main character could be a person, an animal or an invented creature. Think about something the character wants.
A little dragon wants to join a game but worries about frightening the players. It could watch from a distance, ask to join, or send a friendly note. The choice helps the reader learn about the dragon.
One action does not tell us everything about a character. The dragon might feel shy today and confident tomorrow. Show the situation, the choice and what happens because of it.
Choose details for the moment
Imagine a character entering a bakery. Warm air brushes their face. Trays rattle behind the counter. Those details help a reader imagine the visit.
You do not need to list everything in the shop. Choose details that matter to the scene. A nearly empty bread shelf matters if your character hopes to buy the last loaf.
You can name a feeling, such as disappointment, or show a reaction, such as a sigh. Read the scene aloud. Check that its details help readers understand the place, the character or an event.
A plan helps you follow the plot
The plot is what happens in your story. A plan is the notes you make to help you write it. Your plan can change as you write.
For example, a child wants to finish a puzzle, but one piece is missing. Searching under the table leads to finding it beside a chair. The child puts it in place and calls a friend to see the finished picture.
Each event connects to the search. Another story could end with the piece still missing. Show that outcome and the child's response so readers can follow the ending.
Introduce a character through a scene
Farah arrives at rehearsal carrying a violin case. She opens it carefully and checks the strings. Those details tell us what she has come to do.
Later, she offers to practise a difficult part with a friend. That choice tells us more about her than a list of hair and eye colours would.
You can include appearance when it matters, but clothes and hair do not prove someone's personality. Let readers learn about your character through speech, wishes and choices as the story continues.
2 · Watch
به انگلیسیTake it off screen
Where it sits
Optional connections
This opens up
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.