Narrative Writing Techniques
A short, personal story that makes your writing more entertaining.
Anecdote
What do the FANBOYS stand for?
For, And, Nor, But, Yet, So
That's what I tell Mama when she's sad and needs to cry. Maybe she's feeling _______.
three
The author moved from _____________ to __________ in this story.
Japan, New York
Identify the verb that breaks parallel structure: He wanted to swim, to hike, and biking during the trip.
biking
"Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: 'We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be,' said the Cat, 'or you wouldn't have come here."
Dialogue
I didn't go to the birthday, so I sent Jacob a birthday present in the mail.
What type of sentence is this?
compound sentence
What is the teacher's name?
Mrs. Price
What observation in the classroom shocked Marin Yamaguchi when she witnessed it for the first time?
How casual teacher-student interactions were in the U.S.
It was common for students to yell across the room to the teacher.
Identify the verb that breaks parallel structure: The company values employees who are punctual, who are reliable, and showing initiative.
showing
What is the following passage an example of?
“It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting […] The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight […] Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars […] It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn’t simply open on to the heavens” (Rowling).
Descriptive language.
Description.
Because the weather was terrible, they decided to have the sports event indoors.
What type of sentence is this?
complex
To whom did the sweater actually belong?
Rachel
What strategy did the author use to participate more in class? Explain the strategy.
Created a document where she wrote down how many times a day she was able to participate in class.
Identify the tense: He cleaned his room before dinner.
simple past tense
A story about how a teacher inspired you to love reading would be an example of this technique.
Anecdote
This type of sentence joins one independent clause with at least one dependent clause, often using subordinating conjunctions like although, because, since, if.
complex sentence
Who is the author of "Eleven"?
Sandra Cisneros
But Japan is mainly a ________ country where people are not expected to speak up. It is enough—and expected—that they prove their intelligence on exams.
book smart
Fill in the verb that creates parallel structure: Success often comes from planning ahead, working consistently, and never (to quit, quitting, quit).
quitting
Strong narrative writing often weaves these three techniques together — for example, opening with a memory, immersing the reader in sensory detail, and showing the moment’s tension through character conversation.
Anecdote, descriptive language, and dialogue
What is the main difference between a compound and complex sentence?
compound = 2 independent thoughts or clauses
complex = 1 independent + at least 1 dependent thought or clause
Because the way you grow old is kind of like an _______ or like the rings inside a _______ _______ or like my little wooden dolls that fit one inside the other, each year inside the next one. That's how being eleven years old is.
Fill in the blanks.
onion, tree trunk
In Japanese society, the _______- ______ relationship applies to all aspects of life.
boss-worker
Identify the verb that breaks parallel structure and name the tense it is in:
During the interview, she explained her skills, highlighted her achievements, and will discuss her goals.
will discuss
present tense