Narrative Writing Techniques - SoLA

Conversation between two or more characters

Example: The smuggler grins at you & goosebumps creep up your spine...

Example: "What is your name?" the smuggler loudly asked. "I- I'm Nasira Mohammad," you whisper.

Example: The desert sun was a hungry beast.

Example: The hot desert sun slinked across the sand, eating up every life form along the way.

Example: Your brain rattles as a bomb detonates, throwing up brown dirt and smoke in your face.

Example: "On the other hand," you reason to yourself, "a smuggler costs money."

Told from a narrator outsides of the story, using "he" "she" "they" etc.

Example: You make the decision to swallow the last drops of water, knowing that dehydration is now unavoidable.

A struggle WITHIN a character, often between good versus evil, needs versus wants, etc.

Example: As you close your eyes, you hear the unmistakable crunch of leaves to your left...

Descriptions that appeal to a reader's senses (sight, touch, taste, hearing, smell).

The turning point of a story where it is "make or break" for the main character.

Example: The slippery snake slithered into your sleeping bag.

Using hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a story.

A struggle between a character and an outside force, such as another character or nature.

Example: The desert sun was like a hungry beast.

The thoughts of a character

told from the narrator's point of view, using "I" "me" "my"

A feeling of anxiety or excitement about what may happen next in a story.

Example: You're torn. Should you help the abandoned child, or push on alone at a faster pace?

Told from the reader's point of view, using "you" and "your"

Words or phrases used to show the order of events in a plot.