Strategies to Teach
Narrative Writing
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Develop a Yearlong Vision
Acknowledge the relevance of narrative
Narrative writing has a place in the ELA standards and in the real world.
Narrative writing in real-world careers
Define the shape of stories
Identify the planning tool your students are most familiar with.
Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then
PDF | Google Slide | Jamboard
Introduce Set-up, Mix-up, Fix-up and provide writing templates for primary students.
Plan the character’s problem and solution.
Emphasize the Story Structure
Start with the middle
Name and define the four types of problems or conflicts.
Identify types of character problems.
Write the ending
Don’t leave readers hanging. Satisfy them with a strong ending.
Orient the reader with a beginning
Determine who will face the problem. Add motivation at the end of the beginning.
Provide only the most essential character and setting details.
Elaborate on the Middle
Build suspense and add tension
Stretch the middle and create rising action with tension. Make the problem bigger, harder, or more impossible to solve.
Improve Voice & Word Choice
Include strong action verbs
Draw characters in action.
Generate verb-only lists.
Omit weak verbs.
Apply sensory details
Add “close-up” character and setting details
Reveal the F.A.S.T. facts of characters.
Levels 1-2 | Levels 3-5
Set the right mood
Depict character feelings.
Show actions; don’t tell feelings.
Generate Narrative-Writing Tasks
Expose students to four types of narrative-writing tasks that are all rooted in reading.
Comprehend the original text
Continue the story following a similar plot.
Rewrite the same basic plot
Rewrite the story from a different perspective.
Fractured Fairy Tales for Rewrite from a different point of view
After the Fall for Continue the story | We Forgot Brock for Insert the Missing Page
Experiment with less common narratives
Insert a missing part or page.
Write fiction based on fact.
Emily Opell (Boonville Middle School) had her students integrate factual information about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch into their own narrative stories. Check out the various pieces her sixth graders published on this website: https://sites.google.com/warrick.k12.in.us/thegreatpacificgarbagepatch/home
