Narrative Writing

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Why it works

Narrative writing, telling a real or imagined story, is one of the major writing types (alongside argument and informational), distinct in its purposes and craft, and valuable for developing voice, imagination, structure, and language. Teaching it well goes beyond write a story: it develops narrative craft, establishing character, setting, and situation; building and sequencing events with tension and pacing; using dialogue, description, and sensory detail; developing voice and point of view; and shaping a satisfying structure (beginning, rising action, resolution). Strong narrative instruction teaches these craft moves explicitly (through models, mentor texts, and focused practice), engages students in the pleasure and challenge of storytelling, and develops writing skills that transfer. Narrative is a serious genre with its own techniques worth teaching.

The research: Writing standards; research on narrative writing.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

The core activity: teach narrative craft explicitly

Teachers leave teaching specific narrative craft moves with mentor texts.

Pick a narrative writing task.
Teach specific craft moves (character and setting, building events with tension, dialogue and sensory detail, voice, structure).
Use mentor texts and models to make craft visible.
Give focused practice on the craft, not just write a story.

Storytelling is a craft to teachNarrative writing has specific craft, character, tension, dialogue, voice, structure. Teach these moves explicitly with mentor texts and practice, not just by assigning a story.

Facilitator notes

Teach specific narrative craft moves, and use mentor texts.
Give focused practice.
It is a serious genre.

Write a story with no craft instruction teaches littleAssigning a story without teaching narrative craft, character, tension, dialogue, voice, structure, leaves students guessing. Teach the craft moves explicitly.

Adapt it

Elementary: character, setting, events, detail.
Secondary: tension, pacing, voice, structure, craft.
All settings: explicit craft moves, mentor texts, practice.

Participant handout

One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

K12 Academics · Professional Learning

Narrative Writing: teach the craft

Storytelling is craft: character, tension, dialogue, voice, and structure, taught explicitly with mentor texts and practice.

The narrative writing task:
The specific craft moves I teach (character, tension, dialogue, voice, structure):
The mentor texts and models I use:
The focused craft practice I give:
A craft move to teach explicitly:

Make it stick

Teach the craft:

Teach narrative craft explicitly.
Use mentor texts.
Bring a narrative-craft lesson to the next PLC.

Common questions

Isn't narrative writing just write a story?

It is a craft with specific techniques: establishing character and setting, building events with tension and pacing, using dialogue and sensory detail, developing voice, and shaping structure. Teach these craft moves explicitly, not just write a story.

Why teach narrative writing?

It is a major writing type that develops voice, imagination, structure, and language, and its craft moves (and the pleasure of storytelling) build transferable writing skill. Narrative is a serious genre worth teaching well.

How do I teach narrative craft?

Through models and mentor texts, explicit teaching of craft moves (character, tension, dialogue, voice, structure), and focused practice. Make the techniques of storytelling visible and teachable.