GCSE writing narrative - how to put together an interesting story

English Quiz - Writing Narrative (Questions)

A narrative is a story. Narrative writing simply means story writing. And just as there are conventions and rules to follow when composing other kinds of texts, narrative writing has its own conventions. Some of the vital ingredients needed to create a story are plot, character, setting and dialogue. Beyond those, a writer should check that the story makes sense and keeps the reader engaged. Simple, right?

See how well you understand narrative by trying this quiz.

If you were writing a narrative, in whose voice would it be?

[ ]	Your own voice
[ ]	Your best friend's voice
[ ]	The narrator's voice
[ ]	Your teacher's voice

What is the name for a narrator who knows everything that is happening, including what each character is thinking?

[ ]	First-person narrator
[ ]	Second-person narrator
[ ]	Third-person limited narrator
[ ]	Omniscient narrator

Which of the following would NOT make an effective beginning for narrative writing?

[ ]	Beginning mid-dialogue
[ ]	Beginning mid-action
[ ]	Beginning with a long, repetitive, clichéd sentence
[ ]	Beginning with a short, sharp sentence

Which one of the following would be a good reason to add a passage of descriptive writing in your narrative?

[ ]	It's best if the reader can picture the setting exactly, in every detail
[ ]	Well-chosen description adds to the setting, the mood or a character
[ ]	A descriptive passage is good because it will make the story longer
[ ]	Every piece of narrative writing must have a long passage of description

What is setting?

[ ]	The meaning of the story
[ ]	The atmosphere of a story
[ ]	The time, location and surrounding events in which a story takes place
[ ]	The events of a story and the order in which they take place

Writing dialogue can be one of the hardest aspects of narrative writing to do well. Which of the following is NOT a common pitfall to avoid when writing dialogue?

[ ]	Being unclear who is speaking
[ ]	Using too many exclamatory sentences
[ ]	Writing clear, succinct, relevant dialogue
[ ]	Reproducing everyday conversation in all its boring detail

What is meant by the 'structure' of a story?

[ ]	The organisation of the story
[ ]	The type of story (i.e. horror, mystery, science fiction, post-apocalyptic, etc.)
[ ]	The mood and atmosphere of a story
[ ]	The perspective of the narrator

What is meant by the term 'rising action'?

[ ]	A word or phrase hinting at something which will occur later on in the story
[ ]	A series of events and complications occurring which lead to the climax of a story
[ ]	A story with a hopeful, optimistic ending
[ ]	All of the above

The events which occur in a story and the way in which they relate to each other are known as...

[ ]	setting
[ ]	resolution
[ ]	theme
[ ]	plot

10.

What must a story have at the end?

[ ]	A happy event
[ ]	Resolution
[ ]	Conflict
[ ]	A dream sequence

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Writing fiction

English Quiz - Writing Narrative (Answers)

If you were writing a narrative, in whose voice would it be?

[ ]	Your own voice
[ ]	Your best friend's voice
[x]	The narrator's voice
[ ]	Your teacher's voice

Even if you write in the first person, you will be writing in the voice of the narrator, who might or might not sound like you

What is the name for a narrator who knows everything that is happening, including what each character is thinking?

[ ]	First-person narrator
[ ]	Second-person narrator
[ ]	Third-person limited narrator
[x]	Omniscient narrator

'Omniscient' means 'all knowing'

Which of the following would NOT make an effective beginning for narrative writing?

[ ]	Beginning mid-dialogue
[ ]	Beginning mid-action
[x]	Beginning with a long, repetitive, clichéd sentence
[ ]	Beginning with a short, sharp sentence

The most important task of a first sentence is to make your reader want to read the next sentence (and the next, and the next,....)

Which one of the following would be a good reason to add a passage of descriptive writing in your narrative?

[ ]	It's best if the reader can picture the setting exactly, in every detail
[x]	Well-chosen description adds to the setting, the mood or a character
[ ]	A descriptive passage is good because it will make the story longer
[ ]	Every piece of narrative writing must have a long passage of description

Never add anything to your writing just for the sake of filling space - make your words relevant and put them to work!

What is setting?

[ ]	The meaning of the story
[ ]	The atmosphere of a story
[x]	The time, location and surrounding events in which a story takes place
[ ]	The events of a story and the order in which they take place

Writing dialogue can be one of the hardest aspects of narrative writing to do well. Which of the following is NOT a common pitfall to avoid when writing dialogue?

[ ]	Being unclear who is speaking
[ ]	Using too many exclamatory sentences
[x]	Writing clear, succinct, relevant dialogue
[ ]	Reproducing everyday conversation in all its boring detail

Another common pitfall is using the word 'said' too often (but you knew that already, didn't you?)

What is meant by the 'structure' of a story?

[x]	The organisation of the story
[ ]	The type of story (i.e. horror, mystery, science fiction, post-apocalyptic, etc.)
[ ]	The mood and atmosphere of a story
[ ]	The perspective of the narrator

In its most basic sense, structure is the beginning, middle and end of a story. More importantly, it is how you organise these elements of your narrative

What is meant by the term 'rising action'?

[ ]	A word or phrase hinting at something which will occur later on in the story
[x]	A series of events and complications occurring which lead to the climax of a story
[ ]	A story with a hopeful, optimistic ending
[ ]	All of the above

The events which occur in a story and the way in which they relate to each other are known as...

[ ]	setting
[ ]	resolution
[ ]	theme
[x]	plot

10.

What must a story have at the end?

[ ]	A happy event
[x]	Resolution
[ ]	Conflict
[ ]	A dream sequence

'Resolution' means letting your readers know what happened after the climax of the story; it also means making sure that you answer any major questions your story has raised in the minds of your readers. This is also called 'denouement'