TYPES OF WRITING

	The Modes of Writing:
	Definition: The modes of writing are based on the ways human brains process information. Choosing the one mode that matches your topic helps you organize your writing and helps the reader process the information you want to discuss. Using key words that emphasize the chosen mode helps reinforce your essay's coherence. http://www.la.unm.edu/~straight/E101-4-6/comp_6.htm

	Narrative
	Descriptive
	Expository
	Persuasive/Argumentative

A Narrative composition

Purpose: to entertain

Examples: Story (personal, true, imaginative), Fable, Myth, Poem, Play, Biography

Cues words in prompt:

	Tell about a time when . . .
	Write a story. . .
	Write a poem . . .

First Steps Framework:

1. Orientation

Who, when, where

2. Events that lead to a complication or problem

	Sequence of important events
	Details that enhance story development

3. Complication or problem

	Real-life complication or problems for main characters
	Other minor complications or problems

4. Resolution

Complication or problem solved in a satisfactory way

Key Features:

	Strong story line
	Defined characters
	Details enhance plot, setting, characters, and events
	Descriptive language
	Effective dialogue
	Organization supports plot development
	Pacing builds suspense
	Past, present, or future tense
	Strong voice

A Narrative composition tells a story. It has character, setting, and action. The characters, the setting, and the problem of the narrative are usually introduced in the beginning. The problem reaches its high point in the middle. The ending resolves the problem.

The purpose of this type of writing is to recount a personal or fictional experience or to tell a story based on a real or imagined event. In well-written narration, a writer uses insight, creativity, drama, suspense, humor, or fantasy to create a central theme or impression. The details all work together to develop an identifiable story line that is easy to follow and paraphrase.
Example of a Narrative Prompt
In the prompt below, the topic is an unforgettable experience. The second component of the prompt suggests that the student think about various experiences and then write about one that was unforgettable.

Writing Situation:
Everyone has done something that he or she will remember.
Directions for Writing:
Before you begin writing, think about something you have done that you will always remember.
Now tell the story about a time you did something that you will always remember.

The narrative approach, more than any other, offers writers a chance to think and write about themselves. We all have experiences lodged in our memories which are worthy of sharing with readers. Yet sometimes they are so fused with other memories that a lot of the time spent in writing narrative is in the prewriting stage.

In this stage, writers first need to select an incident worthy of writing about and, second, to find relevance in that incident. To do this, writers might ask themselves what about the incident provided new insights or awareness. Finally, writers must dredge up details which will make the incident real for readers.

Principles of Writing Narrative Essays

Once an incident is chosen, the writer should keep three principles in mind.

Remember to involve readers in the story. It is much more interesting t