Date: 14th October 

Topic: Narrative writing

This week in our literature course, the spotlight was narrative writing. It led me down a path of pure nostalgia remembering all those delightful stories I read growing up. I fondly remembered this type of writing in school as well, to me it was a grand opportunity to run wild with my imagination. Anything I could think of, I could bring to life, for me it was pure bliss. However, judging from the process we went through in the literature course, I’ve come to the realization that there was much I missed while learning about narrative writing in primary school.

Now, I am aware of all the elements narrative writing is composed of, for example: the plot, characters, setting, style, conflict, theme; and the various points of view the author can adopt. Am also now cognizant of the specific vocabulary like figurative language and sensory details/imagery the author can incorporate to create a more vivid picture for the audience to experience.

More importantly, our facilitator emphasized the significance of preparing/planning, which is better known as the prewriting stage in the writing process. Following this, our lecturer methodically guided us through a brainstorming exercise. In groups, we selected a topic and began formulating ideas on various aspects like the plot and characters. On completion we shared and discussed these ideas. Without even starting to write the narrative piece, this exercise helped tremendously in preparing the foundation of the story. Realizing the crucial need for adequate preparation was undoubtedly the high point for me.

I am eagerly anticipating the moment to expose my students to this method of teaching narrative writing. I firmly believe that if they are well prepared in getting their ideas out on paper, they will be better equipped to weave those ideas together into an ideal narrative piece.

Here is a short clip of how you can use brainstorming to help you and your kids come up with different story topics to write about.