Narrative is one of the more important words in the English language. It’s how we make sense of the world; it’s also how we see and understand ourselves. Narrative story is so powerful that Plato (circa 427 BC—347 BC), one of history’s greatest minds, banned storytellers from his Republic.
In a narrative, the writer tells what happened. It’s that simple. When we tell what happened, we tend to turn it into a story. The most skilled communicators (frequently, the most powerful people in the room), know how to construct, control, and tell narrative stories that have a purpose, that have a message, that entertain, and that persuade. Furthermore, they know how much story to tell, how many story elements and story techniques to use, which story elements and story techniques to use, and what kind of story to tell.
The following Five Levels of Narrative model provides a framework for teaching students about narrative. Interestingly, the bottom two levels are NOT narratives. Although they use narrative or narration, the main genre is not narrative.
Narrative vs. Story: All narratives have a goal of telling what happened, but telling what happened is not the same thing as telling a story. Level 1 contains the most STORY. Level 1’s entire narrative goal is to tell a STORY. For the most part, the narrative goal of telling a STORY diminishes as we move down the levels. In general, as we move down the levels, the writer uses fewer obvious story elements, and the writing becomes more formal.
Level 1: Narrative Story
Level 2: Narrative Essay: Personal Narrative Essay
Level 3: Narrative Non-Fiction
Level 4: Expository Text that Is Narration
Level 5: Narrative as a Tool in Other Types of Writing
Below you will find two narrative checklists and cheat sheets:
1. Narrative Story
2. Narrative: Non-Fiction: Essay, Biography, News Story, Historical Narrative, etc. (First-Person vs. Third-Person)
As you read through these two lists, you will want to consider them in respect to the Five Levels of Narrative. Which techniques, which concepts, which strategies, and which vocabulary applies most to the narrative that you are teaching or writing? Writing is all about making choices.
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Narrative Story Checklist and Cheat Sheet
1. Plot: The writer uses effective sequencing that keeps the story moving forward. There are no digressions or troublesome interruptions of sequence. The writer may have successfully used an advanced sequencing skill such as a flashback or other time trick. The sequence of events is clear, natural, and logical.
2. Narrative Genre: The writer clearly establishes the specific genre of the narrative early in the narrative. The writer stays true to the narrative genre, or perhaps, skillfully blends genres.
3. Point of View and Narrator: The writer clearly establishes the point of view and narrator early in the narrative.
4. Plot: The writer constructs the narrative around a central problem. The characters attempt to solve the problem more than once. But solving the problem either creates new problems or proves to be a temporary fix. Finally, the characters solve the problem.
5. Plot: The writer keeps the reader guessing and interested. The writer creates suspense and curiosity by using delay, withholding information, and even red herrings.
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6. Action: The writer uses action purposefully to enhance the story. The action does not overwhelm the story or the character development.
7. Description: The writer uses description effectively and with purpose. The writer blends the description with action and character. The writer avoids large chunks of purple prose.
8. Characters: The Hero: The writer creates an interesting main/central character—i.e., the hero. The hero may be an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances. The hero may have a flaw that illustrates and highlights what the hero needs to learn. The writer creates a strong problem and strong motivations for the hero. The hero has a need, a want, and a goal. And the stakes are high!
9. Characters: Likable Characters: The writer creates likable characters. They are all interesting people, and they all have redeeming qualities. The best and the worst of them all have qualities that we admire in people: e.g., they enjoy having fun, they love puppies, they work hard, they never give up, they are passionate, etc. Even the villain takes great joy in being amazingly villainous. Even the villain believes that he or she is right and can give reasons for his or her position and actions.
10. Characters: The writer limits the number of characters in order to develop each character more fully. The characters have a personality and a physical appearance. The writer develops the characters by using the three main character-development strategies: 1) what the characters say, 2) what the characters do, and 3) what other characters say about them.
11. Characters: The writer creates vivid, detailed characters. The reader feels as if they know the characters or have met people just like them. For this reason, the reader cares about the characters. Readers care about characters that they can picture in their mind.
12. Characters: The writer constantly reveals new aspects (parts) of the characters by what they say, by what they do, and by what others say about them. The writer creates interesting and complex people! In fact, they are like real human beings!
13. Setting: The writer creates a story that takes place in a real place and time, even if it is an imaginary place and time. The setting feels real because the writer creates vivid details and because real people (characters) are living real life in that space. The characters see the space, use the space, fight against the space—they live in the space.
14. Setting: The writer’s setting feels like an ever-present character influencing the story. The setting contributes to what is taking place. At times, the setting acts or feels like a reflection of a character in the story: e.g., a character is sad, and it starts to rain.
At times, the setting acts like or feels like a reflection of the dramatic situation or the main problem. Scary stories take place in haunted houses late at night just as a storm is gathering strength, not at the park on hot and sunny summer days. On the other hand, if your scary story does take place at the park on a hot and sunny summer day, it will be a very different kind of scary story—and that may be a good thing!
15. Setting: Where the story takes place reflects or contributes to what actually does take place. The setting is a time and place, but it’s also symbolic.
16. Setting: The writer creates vivid, detailed, sensory descriptions that helps the reader imagine being there. The setting helps the reader escape into the narrative. If the reader can’t picture the setting, the reader can’t escape into it.
17. LFR ™: Literary Techniques, Figures of Speech, Rhetorical Devices: The writer skillfully uses a variety of LFR to create a compelling and stylistic artistic expression that adds to and heightens the story experience.
18. Scene and Summary / Show, Don’t Tell: The writer skillfully balances live action with exposition and description. This balance brings the reader into the story but also keeps the story racing forward.
19. The Story is About Two Things: Plot and Theme: The writer creates a story that is about two things:
a. Plot: The story is about what happened.
b. Theme: The story is about one or more aspects of human life: e.g., friendship, success, honor, ambition, love, society, good vs. evil, etc.
20. Theme Statement/The Message: The writer implies (not states) one or more powerful, profound, interesting, thoughtful, common sense, or fun messages about the theme. The readers will either grasp the theme statements (the messages) or enjoy pondering the meaning of the story after they finish reading.
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Narrative Q Non-Fiction Q Essay, Biography, News Story, Historical Narrative, etc. (First-Person vs. Third-Person)
1. The writer skillfully turns real life into a gripping narrative. The people, situations, descriptions, and events are all real.
2. Even though it’s non-fiction, the writer still tells a story. The writer successfully combines real-life facts and events with common story elements: e.g., plot, characters, conflict, theme, setting, point of view, etc.
3. The writer uses various literary and narrative techniques that make the story come alive: dialogue, sensory details, description, imagery, sequence, etc.
4. True Non-Fiction: The details and facts of the story are accurate.
5. Non-Fiction and Artistic Freedom: If the story is a dramatized account, the writer makes that fact clear to the reader, possibly with a simple statement before or after the text.
6. The writer cites sources and includes a bibliography.
7. Third-Person Non-Fiction Narrative: The writer uses a third-person point of view. Depending on the specific type of writing, the writer may have also successfully used first-person (I), first-person-plural (we), or even second-person (you) point of view on occasion. Of course, all dialogue is first-person from each speaker’s point of view.
8. Personal Narrative Essay (First-Person, Non-Fiction, Personal, Autobiographical, Narrative Essay): The writer selects an important and meaningful event from his or her life and constructs a well-told story. The writer finds just the right tone, balancing formality with great conversational storytelling.
The writer clearly knows the difference in tone and purpose between writing an email to a best friend and writing a compelling personal essay for a college-admissions officer or a standardized-test evaluator.
