Description of NARRATIVE writing
Narrative
writing is a text focusing some specific participants that have several
structural features making different from other genres. Narrative text is
writing in which a story is told; the details may be fictional or based on
fact. Typically, the events described in narrative text are written
sequentially. The primary purpose of narrative writing is to entertain. Novels
depict numerous episodes of action. Short stories may only contain a few or
even one episode. Nevertheless, both relate a causal chain of events: each
event in the story leads to another, as the protagonist, or main character,
tries to reach a goal or solve a problem. Elements that are basic to narrative
text include: setting, characters, plot, conflict, and theme. Some literary
experts label these elements "story grammar." That is, just as sentence
grammar is used to explain and specify how sentences are constructed, story
grammar delineates the basic parts of a story and how those work together to
create a well constructed tale (Vacca and Vacca, 1993).
How
Narrative Writing Differs
What is the difference between
narrative and descriptive writing?
·
Narrative writing
doesn't emphasize adjectives to give the physical details of characters,
setting or events in the story.
·
Unlike descriptive
writing, narrative writing uses the first person to relay the author's
opinions, values and memories; it is more general, while the content of a
descriptive piece focuses on one event, object or place. Sometimes, the author
will use the narrative writing style to speak about the past or the future in
general terms. The tone is casual and conversational.
What is the
difference between Narrative and Recount?
·
Recount is
chronological and describes events as they took place in the past
·
Narrative is an art of
storytelling that can make the story more interesting and exciting than it is.
·
Narrative gives an
account of crises inside the story and a way to solve them.
·
There is a basic
difference in the structures of narratives and recounts.
What is the
difference between Expository and Narrative?
•
Narrative is a style
of writing that can be called story telling while expository is descriptive in
nature.
•
Expository is factual
and contains a lot of details in the form of facts whereas narrative contains
figures of speeches and is a lot more flowing than expository.
•
The content is organized
in expository while it can be without chronology in narrative style of writing.
•
Narrative can be both
fact and fiction whereas expository is mostly factual.
•
Expository is used by authors
mostly in text books whereas narrative style is used by authors writing novels
and short stories.
How the way to write narrative text?
To write narrative text, you should know the
framework of the narrative text itself.
Here are the framework of Narrative:
1. Orientation
Sets
the scene: where and when the story happened, introduces the participants of
the story: who and what is involved in the story.
Eg. Once upon a time, there lived as neighbours, a bear and a
rabbit. The rabbit is a good shot. In contrary, the bear is always clumsy ad
could not use the arrow to good advantage.
2. Complication
Tells
the beginning of the problem which leads to the crisis (climax) of the main
participants.
Eg. One day, the bear
called over the rabbit and asked the rabbit to take his bow and arrows and came
with bear to the other side of the hill. The rabbit was fearing to arouse the
bear's anger so he could not refuse it. He consented and went with the bear and
shot enough buffalo to satisfy the hungry family. Indeed he shot and killed so
many that there was lots of meat left after the bear and his family had loaded
themselves and packed all they could carry home.
The bear was very gluttonous and did not want the rabbit to get
any of the meat. Th e rabbit could not even taste the blood from the butchering
as the bear would throw earth on the blood and dry it up. The poor rabbit would
have to go home hungry after his hard day's work.
3. Resolution
The problem (the
crisis) is resolved, either in a happy ending or in sad (tragic) ending.
Eg. The bear was the father of five children. The youngest child was
very kind to the rabbit. He was very hearty eater. The mother bear always gave
him an extra large piece of meat but the youngest child did not eat it. He
would take it outside with him and pretended to play ball with the meat. He
kicked toward the rabbit's house and when he got close to the door he would
give the meat with such a great kick. The meat would fly into the rabbit's
house. In this way, the poor rabbit would get his meal unknown to the papa
bear.
4. Re-orientation
This
is a closing remark to the story and it is optional. It consists of a moral
message/lesson, advice or teaching from the writer.
SHOWING THE TOPIC
SENTENCES OF THE STORY
The
Best Student of the Month!
This
story was one of my good stories that I have when I got the predicate as the
best student of the month in IDeA Indonesia. This story
happened last August, before facing Ramadhan month. The best student? I did not
even understand why I got this special predicate. I thought I was not
excellent, but I belief I was different. I just did what I supposed to do. They called me Iris, the western name of my real name,
Riris.
It was a pretty hot day, the sun shone so
brightly without covered by any cloud. I was sitting while thinking of my
assignment that given by my lovely instructor, brother
Andy, a person who said, “If you do not do this assignment, you are not
my students, guys!” All of my friend decided to do not did this assignment
because actually we were free but we still have a class and we had many
assignments from our campus. There was no time to do that assignment. But what
did I do was success made them said, “Yeah, just do it, Iris. You are a good
student, right!” Rebecca, Rose, Angelica, and
Pauline judged me as the diligent person, but in the wrong way.
Extraordinary, freak, queer, or whatever.
One day, as usual, I and friends prayed in the
hall together with all people in the dormitory. We chose the back row for
making us easy to run away after praying together because there was speech and
we had to listen it whereas we had something important to do, assignment. “Come
on, pray then go!”, the words that always be breathed by their lips. They went
back to our room, but I, I stuck in that place until the end. I did not why I
did not do like they did, I just felt uneasy to the people inside the hall. But
in several conditions, I followed them.
Today was not like usual, in the evening class,
my lovely instructor, brother Bastian looked
so happy when he told me and friends about something but actually I did not get
it at all. “I have a special news for my special students. One of you will make
me proud! Just wait the announcement, I have tried my best to make it true.”
Hearing word “Special”, I suddenly remembered about my other instructor words, brother Ahmad, he said “Keep in good way, ris. You
are a special student. Trust me.” That words was success made me bloomy.
Started from several months ago, I was always be the
best and the most active student in the class. Almost all events that held by
dormitory I followed, but they did not. I always got the highest score in every
test, so my friends always relied on me when we had an assignment or test, it
made me almost always be the last person who left the class room with the
instructor. I seldom left the class, and seldom broke the regulations.
Until someday, when I broke the regulations, I did
not do the assignment, almost never attended the class and I got punishment.
Brother Bastian felt so disappointed of me, someone who usually always give his
sweet smile. I was so shy with him, with everyone who trust me, even with
myself. Feeling bad all the day and thinking the way out to make him smile
again. It was totally rushed my mind. “Sorry, I did not mean to do that!” then
brother Andy gave addition suffer by saying “You guys cannot go somewhere in
the night to buy some food or do your assignments outside” and made me more be
a naughty girl and almost hated him. But alright, I could not be like this. I
had to change. I followed the regulation properly. Doing all assignments, no
breaking the regulations, giving my best speech, following in almost every
events, being the member of IMUN, all I did to get them trust back.
Finally, two days after
brother Bastian announced me and friend about the special news, the true
news were announced. When maghrib praying was done, Mr.
Eko, the head of IDeA Indonesia announced about the best student of the
month. All the members listened to his words, full attention. Last month who
got the reward was Hadi, the senior high school students, the clever and
diligent one. Everyone thought that he would get the reward again this month,
but what did Mr. Eko said, Me? I was the best student of this month! “Keep
studying hard, being good student, and giving your best speech.
Congratulation!”
I
just realized that always doing the different thing with the others will
created something special. No matter how loud the others screamed that I
pretended to be a diligent or smart, or said I was queer or something like
that. One that I knew, BEING DIFFERENT MAKES ME SPECIAL.
Topic Sentence of the narrative
story of mine is “This story was one of my good stories
that I have when I got the predicate as the best student of the month in IDeA
Indonesia.” Because that sentence is the main of the story, the handler and the
head of the story. That sentence is the soul and the spirit of the story which
build the story properly. All sentences after that sentence are the supporting
sentences of the topic. They explain the whole events that make the topic
happens.
Why I call them
topic sentences?
Pr
|
Topic
Sentence
|
Reason
|
1
|
This story was one of my good stories
that I have when I got the predicate as the best student of the month in IDeA
Indonesia.
|
It is the topic sentence because it is
the main idea that build the next sentences.
|
2
|
I
was sitting while thinking of my assignment that given by my lovely
instructor, brother Andy, a person who
said, “If you do not do this assignment, you are not my students, guys!”
|
This
is the topic sentence because the next sentences are the supporting sentences
of that sentence.
|
3
|
One day, as usual, I
and friends prayed in the hall together with all people in the dormitory.
|
It called as topic sentence because
this is the sentence that is told by the next sentences.
|
4
|
Today was not like usual, in the evening class, my lovely
instructor, brother Bastian looked so
happy when he told me and friends about something but actually I did not get
it at all.
|
This
sentence is as the topic sentence because it tells the story in general about
why brother Bastian was happy which is told completely in the next sentences.
|
5
|
Started from several months
ago,
I was always be the best and the most active student in the class.
|
It called topic sentence and the next
sentences tell the full story of this paragraph.
|
6
|
Until someday, when I broke the regulations, I did not do the
assignment, almost never attended the class and I got punishment.
|
It
is topic sentence because in the next sentences tell the result of breaking
regulation.
|
7
|
Finally, two days after brother Bastian announced me and friend
about the special news, the true news were announced.
|
This is the topic sentence because the
next sentences tell about the announcement.
|
