Starting Narrative and Recounts

Step 1

You have taken the first step and decided what form of writing you wish to create. We will look at starting a piece of writing that will catch the reader’s attention using Onomatopoeia, Verbs (Action words), Speech or a Question.

Remember we are looking at -

Narrative writing includes: Short stories, Novellas, Novels.

Descriptive writing includes: Recounts.

Language Features useful for Narratives and Recounts

These are the 4 features I find best for starting a piece of creative writing. For each new piece of writing in the opening paragraph choose one feature.

These features don't have to be limited to just the beginning of the story they can also be used to start a new paragraph.

The order I like to teach them in:

Onomatopoeia

Students who find spelling tricky enjoy writing using onomatopoeia because for some words there is no one way to correctly spell the sound.

MIT Onomatopoeia - Figure of Speech Master

Introducing Onomatopoeia

Identifying and using Onomatopoeia to enhance your writing

MIT Onomatopoeia 2 - Figure of Speech Master

Using Onomatopoeia

Ways to use questions to enhance the direction of your writing.

2. Verbs

Followed by verbs because as they all understand doing words. A sentence starting with an action informs the reader straight away what to expect.

Introducing Verbs

Identifying verbs.

MIT Action Words Verbs - 1

Using Verbs

Ways to use verbs to enhance your writing.

MIT Action Words Verbs - 2

3. Speech/Dialogue

This is a great tool to quickly inform the reader of what is happening and can cause tension making the reader want to read more. Dialogue doesn't happened in a vacuum it needs atmosphere too helping students to tell the reader where the speaker are.

MIT Using Dialogue 1

Introducing Speech

Identifying speech and what is being said.

MIT Writing Dialogue 2

Using Speech

Ways to use speech/dialogue to enhance your writing

4. Questions

When teaching students to use a question to start a creative piece of writing, you have to remind them the question is about making a link to the reader, not making a list. So this one can be more challenging for them to use independently.

Introducing Questions

Identifying and creating questions for a recount.

Creating Questions 6 W's and H for a Recount

Using Questions

Ways to use questions to enhance the direction of your recount.

MIT Questions - Starting a Recount

Step 2 - Holding the Reader's Attention

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