Starter quiz
- What is narrative voice?
- the voice of the author
- the language and style of the narrator used to tell a story ✓
- whether a text is narrated by a reliable narrator or not
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- What does compelling mean?
- difficult to believe
- believable because it is strong ✓
- difficult to unpick
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- Which of the below has an indignant tone?
- "It's okay, hurt people do hurtful things."
- "How dare you? It's shameful that you think you can get away with this!" ✓
- "I'm not angry at him, I'm angry at myself."
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- Which of the below examples might signal a non-human voice?
- "They pressed the button on my nose and my limbs began to convulse." ✓
- "I was running late again."
- "I live at home with my husband and dog (my dog the more favourable companion)."
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- What might help you to make your narrative voice distinct from your authorial voice?
- write about your life biographically
- make up a character with the exact same life experiences as you
- come up with a character who has a different voice to you ✓
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- How would you describe the narrative voice in 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman?
- anxious, helpless ✓
- authoritative, callous
- blunt, reckless
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Exit quiz
- What is the difference between authorial and narrative voice?
- Narrative voice is the voice of an author whereas authorial is of a character.
- Authorial voice is always flat whereas narrative voice is vibrant.
- Narrative voice is a constructed voice whereas authorial voice is a writer's own ✓
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- If you have an idea for a narrative but cannot relate to it, what might best bring the story to life?
- create a character voice, distinct from your own ✓
- ask someone else to write it for you
- tell it from your own point of view with embellishments
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- What is most important to consider when choosing a voice to tell your story?
- which character is emotionally invested in the story line ✓
- which character will witness the storyline unfold
- which character is most brave
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- Which of these may *not* help to shape a compelling voice?
- writing about a character's biographical details ✓
- revealing a character's inner thoughts
- revealing a character's personality
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- How might the tone of voice in 'The Yellow Wallpaper' be described?
- anxious ✓
- stable
- furious
- bitter
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- Which of these sentences crafts the most compelling voice?
- One day I was asked to do a school project; I had to create a family tree.
- It was that stupid project set by Mr. Fisher that led me to be parentless. ✓
- I was back early from work and so was my husband.
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Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Prompts can help spark ideas for interesting narratives.
- Authorial and narrative voice are different things.
- Narrative voice is often distinct to our own, with endless possibilities
- To shape a compelling voice we should hint at a character's personality, background and thoughts
- Planning a complete profile for a character can help us adhere to a compelling, consistent voice in our narrative
Common misconception
You can never use slang, colloquialisms and idioms in narrative writing.
If slang, colloquialism and idioms are part of your narrative voice, it is okay to use them but you have to ensure your use of them comes across as deliberate, consistent and that you have secure grammar and control over the piece of work.
Keywords
Distinct - recognisably different from something else
Compelling - if something is compelling, it makes you believe it because it is so strong
Façade - a deceptive outward appearance
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