Idea Generator and Writing a Narrative
This is a page for you to practice your thinking skills and in particular your idea generation skills and how they can help you with Narrative writing. Idea generation is a skill that everyone can improve through practice. Thinking quickly and generating ideas quickly helps us to be both creative and critical thinkers and this in turn will benefit us in all subjects.
There are many ways to improve idea generation and this page will explore a number of them.
Narrative Construction
Below are some anecdotes from the odd spot in the Age newspaper taken from the following site;
www.theage.co.au/oddspot
Wednesday April 9, 2014
Each one of these tells a story and is interesting. Read through the first 3 and answer the following questions;
Who, how, where, when, why and what
Let's do the first one together:
Moviegoers wanting to attend the first screening of latest blockbuster Noah in Exeter, England, got a little closer to the action than they expected. The screening of the film at the Vue cinema had to be cancelled because of flooding. Staff closed the theatre after an ice machine went haywire.
Tuesday April 8, 2014
5W+H
Who, how, where, when, why and what! (5W=H)
Who | Movie goers |
How | Ice machine went haywire |
Where | Vue cinema in Exeter in England |
When | Monday April the 7th 2014 |
Why | The cinema was flooded |
What | the movie Noah was cancelled because of a flood |
Now we have this information let's see if we can use it with the 5 elements of a Narrative -
Plot, characters, conflict, theme, setting (PCCTS)
Plot | I finally asked the girl I like to go on a date to see the movie Noah, there was a flood and the movie was cancelled and we had to go home wet and change into dry clothes and make a time for a second date! |
Characters | Self, Girlfriend - new date/ cinema staff/ other people |
Conflict | The cinema was flooding because an ice machine was going crazy |
Theme | Good memories can come out of difficult times |
Setting | Train/ bus/ cinema/ outside the cinema |
Next Step
Wordpool
Next let's brainstorm words that come to mind when you read this story.
Tickets, water, surprise, buildings, police, management, announcement, running, exits, danger, dissappointment, unbelievable, refund, buckets, booms sweeping water, drips, gushing, puddles, darkness, torches, steps, doors, rescue workers, alam
Next step
Form and Storm and Topic Sentence - FAST
This is about getting the essay plan in place with a logical sequence and thinking of good vocabulary to use. Look at the template below and see if you can think of a way that the above details could fit into the template to create a story. This is called a FAST template and should help you get started on your story and have a logical sequence to your ideas.
Order | Event | Language | Element Placement (PCCTS) | Topic Sentence |
Beginning | ||||
Middle | ||||
Para 1 | ||||
Para 2 | ||||
Para 3 | ||||
End |
Now let's try it together - this is where the quick thinking skills need to kick in!
Order | Event | Language | Element Placement (PCCTS) | Topic Sentence |
Beginning | First date with a girl I really liked - going to see the movie Noah | Excited nervous, getting ready to go out, anticipation | Character \ Setting - home getting ready | In great anticipation I was getting ready for my first date, to see the movie Noah with Amanda Anderson. |
Middle | ||||
Para 1 | Meet outside the cinema - go in and get seated | eye gazing, beautiful, happy, not sure what to talk about, making small talk | Setting Characters - At the cinema - small old cinema with swirls in the carpet and staff dressed in uniforms with gold buttons, old red leather seats , smell of pop corn, perfume and old suitcase, her eyes, her smile … your feelings | I met Amanda at the local train station and we traveled together to the small cinema which was only a few stations away and we bought our tickets and found two seats at the front of the cinema |
Para 2 | Get seated and the movie starts and then there is a terrible noise and a people talking,lights turn on and asked to leave through the emergency exits, I open the exit door and water gushes in and wets the bottom of my jeans | Wet, soggy, surprising, shock, wondered, chance to be a hero and save the girl, sounds of wet shoes and soggy bags, crackle of electric lights, people in a panic… | CCS - the problem is here - there is a flood while we try to watch Noah, the irony, the way people react tells us about their character | There was a strange gurgling noise and then the cinema lights came on with a buzz and a flicker just as I could feel something cold and wet by my feet. |
Para 3 | Getting out of the cinema - decide to go home and reschedule the date, and on to the train to travel home | relief, disbelief, feelings, uncomfortable, safe, laughing about the escape, considering the damage done and how it could have been worse | Resolution of the conflict - characters actions tell us about their personality - back on the train - different setting | My shoes squelched and Amanda laughed as we stepped out of the cinema with all of the other amazed movie watchers. |
End | When I got home I called her again and made a new time for a date, we laughed and talked for ages | familiar, friendly, looking forward to the next time | Theme - despite the disaster we helped each other and now share a funny experience - good things can come from difficult times | Eventhough the evening had been a complete disaster Amanda and I had laughed about the events all the way home in the train. I picked up the phone and decided to make a second date. |
The next step is to start to write the paragraphs. Start with simple paragraphs -
Topic sentence -detail detail detail (TSDDD)
Para | Topic Sentence | Detail | Detail | Detail |
Intro | In great anticipation I was getting ready for my first date, to see the movie Noah with Amanda Anderson. | Who is Amanda? | Why are you going to the movies together? | How do you feel about this? |
Para 1 | I met Amanda at the local train station and we traveled together to the small cinema which was only a few stations away and we bought our tickets and found two seats at the front of the cinema | What does the cinema look like? (smell/ sound) | What do you do? What does Amanda do? (make small talk andtry to think of things to talk about) | How do you feel? What do you expect to happen this evening? |
Para 2 | There was a strange gurgling noise and then the cinema lights came on with a buzz and a flicker just as I could feel something cold and wet by my feet. | What is happening around you? | What is Amanda doing? What are you instructed to do? | What is it like for you to get out of the cinema? |
Para 3 | My shoes squelched and Amanda laughed as we stepped out of the cinema with all of the other amazed movie watchers. | What can you see/ hear/ smell? | What has been the cause of the problem? | What do you decide to do and how do you feel about it? |
Conclusion | Eventhough the evening had been a complete disaster Amanda and I had laughed about the events all the way home in the train. I picked up the phone and decided to make a second date. | What does she say? | Reflect on what you have learnt - Good things can come out of difficult times. | How do you feel? |
Next Step
Edit
Reread the work
Look for 1 thing each time you read.
Does it make sence?
Does it have paragraphs?
Are the paragraphs longer than 1 sentence?
Is there a clear introduction, middle and end?
Can you see the 5W+1H and the 5 elements of writing in your story?
Are their clear characters?
Is there a message?
Do you describe places, people and feelings?
Are you happy with your work?
6 Steps to writing a Narrative
5W+1
Wordpool
PCCTS
FAST
TSDDD
Edit
[[file|Narrative Template ]]
Story 2
Tuesday April 1, 2014
English student Melissa North, 22, is so terrified of cheese that she can’t go anywhere near the deli counter in supermarkets in case she bursts into tears. She has struggled with her fear since the age of four and likens it to a phobia about spiders or snakes that can bring on a panic attack.
Order | Event | Language | Element Placement (PCCTS) |
Beginning | |||
Middle | |||
Para 1 | |||
Para 2 | |||
Para 3 | |||
End |
Tuesday March 18, 2014
Rachel Hayes, 40, of Carmarthenshire,Wales, owes her life to her spaniel Mollypops. The dog accidentally performed an equivalent of the Heimlich manoeuvre on her as she choked on a hard sweet. As she struggled for breath, concerned Mollypops hit her on the back with her paws and the lolly popped out.
Friday March 14, 2014
A rampaging elephant that crashed through a West Bengal home stopped after it heard a baby crying under debris. The father said he heard a crash in the bedroom and saw the elephant standing over the baby. He said when the elephant heard the cries it stopped and used its trunk to remove debris. The girl had only minor injuries.
Friday March 7, 2014
Jamie Edwards, 13, stunned his headmaster in Pemwortham, England, with a plan to build a nuclear reactor in a classroom. After assuring him it wouldn’t blow up the school and town, he went on to build the reactor from scratch. This week, he became the world’s youngest person to achieve nuclear fusion.
Crucial details in 30 New York trials went unrecorded because the court typist was writing "I hate my job, I hate my job" over and over instead, it has emerged. At least 10 convictions could be overturned after stenographer Daniel Kochanski failed to deliver the transcripts judges were expecting.
Friday April 4, 2014