Narrative Writing Techniques

 The Snake/Rat Analogy

This analogy is used to visualize the structure of a personal narrative. The "head" of the snake represents the beginning, where you introduce the topic and hook the reader. The "belly" is the middle, where you describe the main event in detail. The "tail" is the ending, where you reflect on the experience and share what you learned.

Graphic Planner

The graphic planner provides a visual tool to help students organize their thoughts and plan their narratives. It includes sections for:

• Who: The main characters involved in the story.
• What: The main event or action.
• When: The time period when the event took place.
• Where: The location of the event.
• Why: The reason for the event or the motivation of the characters.
• How you felt: The emotions experienced during the event.

This technique demonstrates how to add more details to a narrative by using a technique called "unpacking." By asking questions like "Who?" "What?" "When?" "Where?" "Why?" and "How you felt?" you can encourage students to delve deeper into their experiences and provide more specific information.

What Did I Learn?

This section emphasizes the importance of reflection in personal narratives. By focusing on the lessons learned from the experience, students can create more meaningful and insightful stories.

Overall, these techniques and strategies are designed to help students write engaging and well-structured personal narratives. By using the snake/rat analogy, graphic organizers, and unpacking techniques, students can effectively organize their thoughts, develop their writing skills, and share their personal experiences with others.

by Faith Henry