Name: ______Date: ______

Prompt and Directions:
You have been reading and learning about stories of suspense (“The Monkey’s Paw”, “Sorry, Wrong Number”, “The Tell Tale Heart”), reading a suspenseful novel, Lord of the Flies, in addition to studying techniques authors use to generate a feeling of suspense in readers (“Let ‘Em Play God”). Now you will use those techniques to write your own suspenseful narrative based on real or imagined experiences and events. This essay may be about anything that you would like to write about that includes a suspenseful plot. As always, please keep the content school appropriate!
Your narrative should include:

  • a plot with a beginning, middle, and end
  • a clear setting
  • characters and dialogue
  • a suspenseful theme

Introduction to narrative writing:
Narrative writingtells a story of real or imagined experiences or events. Narratives can be fiction, such as stories and poems, or non-fiction, such as memoirs and personal essays. Good narrative writing uses effective techniques, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences to convey a story to readers. The features of narrative writing include:

  • setting
  • characters
  • plot
  • theme
  • point of view

Questions to consider before writing:

  • What types of characters and settings do you like to read about? Why?

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  • Do certain character types seem to encounter more conflict than others?

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  • What kinds of conflicts are interesting to readers?

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  • How can a story's setting impact the conflict in the story?

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  • How do writers keep readers in suspense?

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  • What elements of suspense are enjoyable to readers?

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  • How does a narrator's point of view affect the reader's experience?

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  • List some characters that you will be writing about.

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Descriptive Details

We have been working on diction during warm ups and discussed the importance of word choice made by the author. Please be aware of this skill during your writing!

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Narrative Focus / The author creates a strong narrator, point of view, setting, and characters. The narrative tone is consistent throughout. / The author’s portrayal of the narrator, point of view, setting and characters is adequate. The narrative tone is adequately maintained throughout. / The author’s portrayal of the narrator, point of view, setting and/or characters in inconsistent. The narrative tone is inconsistently maintained throughout. / The author’s portrayal of the narrator, point of view, setting and/or characters is underdeveloped. No clear narrative tone is established. / The narrative may be confusing or too short.
Elaboration of Narrative / The author uses strong narrative techniques, providing details, dialogue, and description that help readers understand the story. / The author uses adequate narrative techniques, providing details, dialogue, and description that help readers understand the story. / The author uses narrative techniques, providing details, dialogue, and description unevenly. / The author rarely uses narrative techniques or uses them ineffectively. / The author does not attempt to use narrative techniques.
Organization / The author creates as a strong unified plot that follows a logical sequence of events. The author uses a variety of transitional strategies. / The author creates a plot which is mostly unified, but sometimes includes events that don’t seem to fit. The author uses some transitional strategies. / The author creates an inconsistent plot that does not follow a logical sequence of events. The author uses few or no transitional strategies. / The author creates a lot that is confusing. The author uses few or no transitional strategies. / The author does not attempt to create a plot and/or use transitional strategies.
Language & Vocabulary / The author skillfully uses strong sensory, concrete and figurative language that shows purpose and enhances the narrative. / The author’s use of sensory, concrete and figurative language is adequate and shows purpose. / The author’s use of sensory, concrete and figurative language is weak, and at times lacks purpose. / The author’s use of sensory, concrete and figurative language is weak, and lacks purpose. / The author uses limited language that often lacks purpose.
Conventions / One or two errors are present in usage and sentence formation, punctuation, capitalization, and/or spelling. / Three to five errors are present in usage and sentence formation, punctuation, capitalization, and/or spelling. / Six to eight errors are present in usage and sentence formation, punctuation, capitalization, and/or spelling. / Nine or ten are present in usage and sentence formation, punctuation, capitalization, and/or spelling. / More than ten errors are present in usage and sentence formation, punctuation, capitalization, and/or spelling.

Total: ______/115 +1 point for signing this page: ______

Final Grade: ______/116