Writing a narrative: characters, setting, plot and message
A narrative has seven features. Characters: who is in it. Setting: where and when. Plot: the events in the order they happen. Point of view: first person (I, my) or third person (he, she). Dialog and description: what people say and what things look, sound or feel like. Message: the idea at the end. Emotion and voice: how the writer shows feelings. Plan first with a table, then write 70 to 90 words; if you can, you may go up to 120. Keep the future balanced: show what technology helps with and what people still do best. The book’s model on page 80 is named by page only, and its task on page 81 asks for about 180 to 200 words; ours are shorter and guided.
| Feature | Question to ask | In our model |
|---|---|---|
| characters | Who is in it? | I, a teacher, friends, a grandmother |
| setting | Where and when? | 2050, home and school |
| plot | What happens in order? | morning, school, break, evening |
| point of view | Who tells it? | first person (I, my) |
| dialog / description | What is said or seen? | a soft lamp, a bike chain |
| message | What is the idea? | technology and people together |
| emotion | How does it feel? | happy, calm |
In 2050 my morning begins when a soft lamp wakes me with a tune. At school a helper robot hands out the maths sheets, but my teacher still listens to our ideas. At break, my friends and I mend a bike chain, and nobody needs a machine for that. In the evening I tell my grandmother about my day, and she laughs at my stories. Technology saves me time, yet I enjoy it most when it leaves space for people. I think the best day is one with both.
Plan with the table, then write a narrative of 70 to 90 words (up to 120) about a day in your school in the year 2050. Include at least one machine that helps, one thing that people still do best, one feeling and a closing message. Do not include danger.