A refresher course on

NARRATIVE
ELEMENTS
Year 8 English
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of the presentation, students should be able to do the following:

Provide a clear definition for each of the six main types of

narrative conventions.

Identify some of the main elements or parts of each

narrative convention.

Demonstrate their understadning of each convention

through a creative or analytical exercise.
 CHARACTER SETTING POINT OF VIEW

Who the story is about Where the story takes place Who is telling the story

NARRATIVE CONVENTIONS
Narrative conventions are the tools a writer uses when creating a story. These tools ensure that it
can be understood, visualised, and enjoyed by the reader. They include:

PLOT THEME STYLE

What happens in the story The message of the story The choice of words in the story
CHARACTER
 CHARACTER
Characterization is the means by which writers construct, present and reveal characters. This affects how we
will react or respond to a character. Characters can perform any of the following roles:

PROTAGONIST ANTAGONIST SUPPORTING MINOR CHARACTERS

CHARACTERS
The main character Any character who May support the Not developed in much
who faces the main creates opposition for protagonist in times of detail but serve a
conflict, develops the protagonist. trouble or support the purpose, potentially to
strengths or learns antagonist in creating provide catalysts for
lessons. conflict. change or to present
contrast.
CONSTRUCTING SPEECH
What they say and how they say it

CHARACTERS
THOUGHTS
Characters can be constructed through the following: What they think about

APPEARANCE
How they look and what they wear

ACTIONS
The things they do and how they behave

OTHERS
How other characters feel about them
OTHER INFO
When analysing characters, remember:

They often represent things about human beings that the author has observed.
Look out for what the author might be exploring about human behaviour.

They are not real. Discuss how they have been constructed, rather than write
about them as though they are real people.

The protagonist isn't going to be perfect or likeable. They should represent the
flaws and weaknesses of everyday people.

As the protagonist develops, the reader learns about conflict resolution

 STEP 1:

Let's create an original character.

Consider their gender, age, appearance, personality traits,

hobbies and interests. Also consider their speech and
behaviours.

ACTIVITY Choose an archetype from the following if you’re stuck – a

mother, a surfer, an artist, a farmer, a ballerina or a
businessman.

STEP 2:

Next, share and discuss with a partner how your characters

would interact with each other.
SETTING
 SETTING
Setting includes the time, place and atmosphere or mood created in the narrative. Setting relies heavily on
descriptive language and connotation (the ideas and feelings associated with particular words). When analysing
setting, consider the following:

TIME PLACE ATMOSPHERE

The time of day or year in which The room, building, town, state or Mood and atmosphere are
the story is set. Consider the country in which the story is set. created through particular word
associations we have with Consider the associations of choices, descriptive language and
particular times of day, seasons, particular places e.g. indoor, structural features.
months and historical eras. outdoor, rural, urban, beaches,
school, mountains etc.
 WAYS TO CONVEY SETTING
The gruesome murder had made the front page
Direct mention of DATES
news in 1998.

She looked at the clock. "It's nearly ten," she said

Direct mention of TIMES
to her uncle.

It seemed that the whole of London was covered

Direct mention of SPECIFIC PLACES
in thick fog.

He slid from the saddle of his horse as it pulled

Clues about HISTORICAL ERAS
up at the entrance to the castle.

Thelma's garden had a winding pebble path that

Description of FICTIONAL LOCATIONS
led straight into the Forbidden Forest.
OTHER INFO
When analysing settings, remember:

Settings are described to help engage the reader's five senses.

Look at how the weather contributes to the mood of the setting or the emotions
of the characters e.g. rain for sadness or sunshine for joy.

Look for big places (like towns) and small places (like rooms).

We don't always need to know when the story is set, particularly when the author
intends the story to be read at any time so that it has universal meaning.
 Select three ways settings can be communicated and create
your own sentence that could be part of a story for each.

Direct mention of DATE

Direct mention of TIME

ACTIVITY Clues about HISTORICAL ERAS or LOCATION

Direct mention of SPECIFIC PLACE

Direct description of FICTIONAL LOCATION

Weaving details about times and places into the character's

ACTIONS
POINT OF VIEW
 POINT OF VIEW
Point of view establishes the distance between the reader and the characters in the story and offers them a
lens by which to view the events of the story. It is sometimes called the narrative viewpoint or narrative
perspective. There are four main points of view.

FIRST PERSON SECOND PERSON THIRD PERSON THIRD PERSON

LIMITED OMNISCIENT

I, me, my, we, our You, your They, them, their, his, They, them, their, his,
hers, he, she hers, he, she

1 2 3 4

LIM OMN
 1 FIRST PERSON
POINT OF VIEW
It presents the events from the perspective of one character and
privileges their viewpoint over others.

The narrator is an eyewitness to the events making readers feel

as if they are there.
The narrator is usually
It personalises the story and brings the reader closer to the
the protagonist but can
character.
be another character.
The narrator cannot know everything about the other characters
and can really only know his or her own mind.
 2 SECOND PERSON
POINT OF VIEW
It is an unusual form of storytelling that is not used very often.

It addresses the reader directly and the reader becomes a

character in the story. This draws the reader into the action.

The narrator is an You sometimes see this technique used with ‘choose your own
observer or participant adventure’ novels.
in the story.
It is very difficult to keep writing in this way throughout an entire
story.
 OMNISCIENT

The narrator knows all and sees

all. Lots of information provided
about all characters’ feelings, THIRD PERSON
desires and motivations.

POINT OF VIEW
3 The reader can receive a lot of information about all characters
and their thoughts and feelings.

They come to understand multiple viewpoints to give them a

better understanding of the world of the text.

LIMITED It creates distance between the reader and the narrator.

The style might sound more detached/objective so the reader isn't

The narrator focuses on the
involved with any particular character more than others.
thoughts and feelings of one
character. Their perspective is
privileged over others.
OTHER INFO
When analysing point of view, remember:

The narrator is not the author. A writer can adopt a certain voice or persona
when telling the story.

Second person P.O.V is rarely used apart from 'choose your own adventure'
stories.

Some stories have more than one narrator for creative effect.

Some first person narrators tell their own story in a way we call 'unreliable', which
means they may say things that are untrue or biased because they do not know
the whole truth. This can make a story engaging.
 Read each sentence identifying which P.O.V is being used:

Jane was looking forward to her upcoming vacation, but her

boss was concerned about some deadlines.

She heard a loud crash in the middle of the night. She was
scared as she didn't know what she should do next.

ACTIVITY We love walking the dogs in the woods. We all think it's great
fun.

Amy was looking forward to a girls' night out, but her friends
were secretly hoping that it would get cancelled.

I always look forward to my summer vacation at the beach. I

like to collect seashells and swim in the ocean.

To make a great chilli, you must season it early and often.

PLOT
 PLOT
The plot is the sequence of events and the organisation of these elements so that they generate interest,
suspense and surprise for the reader. The plot of a narrative usually follows this basic structure.

CLIMAX

RISING ACTION FALLING ACTION

RESOLUTION

EXPOSITION
 PLOT STRUCTURE

EXPOSITION RISING ACTION CLIMAX FALLING ACTION RESOLUTION

The reader learns The protagonist This is the highest These are the The final outcome
background faces one or more point of tension. It actions that help of the conflict,
information challenges or could range from to unravel, solve whether it is
needed to complications. a 'life or death' or deal with the resolved or
understand the The issue begins situation to a problem that unresolved. The
story. Setting is to worsen and tense emotional leads us towards tension is broken
established, these problems moment. The the resolution. It and the reader
characters are start to move the reader realises can sometimes feels a sense of
introduced and a plot towards the who or what is involve a surprise closure although
conflict is climax, creating going to suceed in twist. the story may not
introduced or suspense. winning the always end
hinted towards. conflict. positively.
 TYPES OF CONFLICT
The main plot of the story revolves around a conflict that the protagonist must face. The most common
conflict types include:

PERSON VS SOCIETY
PERSON VS PERSON
A character's beliefs and desires differ
A character faces a problem with
from the ‘norm’ or they aren’t accepted
another character
into society for one reason or another.

PERSON VS ENVIRONMENT
PERSON VS SELF
A character faces threats to their
A character faces an internal struggle survival or safety within the natural
within themselves. environment.
OTHER INFO
When analysing plot structure, remember:

There are other common structural features in stories including foreshadowing,

flashbacks or flash forwards, withholding and surprise revelations.

Readers can learn about life through characters' struggles and experiences.

Readers enjoy experiencing the tension and suspense of stories, as well as the
sense of relief when the tension is broken.

The exposition is usually about one quarter of the story and the climax usually
takes place about three quarters into the story.

It's usually through the conflict and resolution that we identify the theme or
message of the story.
 Come up with a scenario or a story idea for each of the following
conflict types:

Character vs character

ACTIVITY Character vs self

Character vs society

Character vs nature/environment
THEME
 THEME
A theme is the central idea of a text. Sometimes it can be stated as a moral or a message. Themes
explore human experiences and focus on important things in our world.

Writers communicate their thoughts about things they find interesting or concerning through the
experience of the protagonist and the challenges or conflicts they face. Most stories have multiple
themes and we usually state them as ideas.
 WRITING THEME STATEMENTS
Themes are written as statements rather than a single word. Use a keyword to help you build a phrase. It does
not need to identify any specifics from the story but rather, the broader idea. For example:

MONEY Money can’t buy happines

FREEDOM It is better to die free than to live under tyranny

You shouldn't judge people based on

JUDGEMENT
appearances.

CHANGE Coping with change can be difficult.

OTHER INFO
When analysing themes, remember:

The reader doesn't have to agree with the theme.

A theme is not explicitly written or told to the reader, but rather implied in the
storyline.

Stories can have multiple themes.

Themes are written as statements and not a single word. Use the keyword to help
you build a sentence.

Do not include specific details from the story (such as a character's name).
 Try to write a theme statement for each of the following themes.
Think about texts you've read or watched and state the topic as
an idea, moral or message.

Love

Friendship

ACTIVITY Bravery

War

Truth

Family
STYLE
 STYLE
Style refers to the selection of language and structural features the writer employs to help tell their story. These
choices help set the mood and atmosphere, create imagery, convey ideas and engage the reader, positioning
their response to the story. Stylistic elements might include:

DICTION POINT OF VIEW

SYNTAX PUNCTUATION

LANGUAGE FEATURES STRUCTURAL FEATURES

 DICTION
Diction refers to word choice. We can also call it 'vocabulary' or 'lexical choice'. Discussing diction means
identifying word class and connotation and considering how these create meaning.

Words are divided into classes or groups depending on their function. When discussing descriptive writing, we
might focus on the three main types of words - nouns, verbs and adjectives. After identifying specific words, we
then need to consider their meaning: denotation and connotation.

DENOTATION CONNOTATION
Refers to the literal definition of a word Refers to the ideas or feelings
– the concept to which it refers (or the associated with a word. These might go
‘dictionary’ definition of a word). beyond the literal definition.

For example, the words ‘house’ and ‘home’ have the same denotation but the word ‘house' seems more neutral,
whereas the word 'home’ has more emotional connotations. It evokes feelings of warmth and safety and
suggests ideas of family and belonging.
 SYNTAX
Syntax refers to the ordering or arrangement of words in a sentence. It includes the structure of sentences, their
lengths, and various arrangements of these through repetition and patterning. Syntax must be analysed as to
how it produces or enhances meaning. We do this by considering the following:

SENTENCE SENTENCE SENTENCE BEGININGS OR ARRANGEMENT

TYPES BY TYPES BY LENGTH ENDS OF IDEAS
FUNCTION STRUCTURE
E.g. declarative, E.g. simple, E.g. telegraphic Any patterns? E.g. parallel
interrogative, compound, (less than 5 E.g. anaphora, structure,
exclamatory or complex, words) short (5-10 epiphora antithesis,
imperative compound- words), medium tricolon,
complex (15-20 words) or tetracolon,
long (30+ words) inverted order
DESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE & IMAGERY
VISUAL GUSTATORY
Descriptive language that calls upon our Descriptive language that calls upon our
sense of sight. E.g. The shimmering sun sense of taste. E.g. She could still taste the
bounced waves of light off the ocean. salty sea water on her lips.

AURAL TACTILE
Descriptive language that calls upon our Descriptive language that calls upon our
sense of sound. E.g. He could hear the sense of touch. E.g. The grass prickled his
whisper of the breeze and the chirping birds. skin as he lay on the sports ground.

OLFACTORY KINESTHETIC
Descriptive language that calls upon our Descriptive language that calls upon our
sense of smell. E.g. The sticky sweet scent of sense of movement. E.g. As he shifted his
cinnamon donuts wafted in the air. weight to each side, the skis glided smoothly.
 FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

SIMILE METAPHOR PERSONIFICATION METONYM IDIOM

Making a Making a Giving human The use ...

of part of An expression
... or
comparison by comparison by qualities to something or saying in which
using the words saying one thing something that is something closely the meaning is
'like' or 'as'. is another. not human. associated with a quite different
thing to represent from the literal
the thing itself. meaning.
E.g. He's as bald E.g. Her stomach E.g. The sun
as an egg OR her was a twisted peaked out from
cheeks were red storm of behind the cloud. E.g. All hands on E.g. She was over
like a rose. butterflies. deck the moon.
OTHER INFO
When analysing style, remember:

The writer's choices are intentional, and they desire to have a specific effect on
the reader.

Specific style choices are used to trigger an emotional response from the reader.

When discussing the text, be sure to identify the correct stylistic technique being
used and its effect on the reader.
 Read each sentence and identify the feeling or mood it's trying
to create through the use of syntax (sentence structure) and
punctuation.

Now! Right now! I want you to stop... just stop. Now.

ACTIVITY So I was really, really worried that maybe they thought I was
the wrong person because my ID didn't match the name I
gave them even though the name I gave them was my
nickname and not my real name and now I am totally
freaking out.

It was beautiful. It was truly beautiful. Truly, breathtakingly

beautiful.
 YOUR TURN
Learning about narrative conventions can help us to understand and
analyse a range of text types including short stories, novels, feature films
and a whole lot more.

It also helps us to create our own narratives, considering the way that
specific choices might help to communicate key ideas and position audience
response.

Keep these in mind as we begin our next unit.

Good luck!