Lesson video

Hello, welcome to your lesson today on Creating Voice in a Narrative.

I'm Miss Sutherland, and I'll be teaching you today.

Our learning outcome today is to consider what makes a distinct and compelling narrative voice.

I'm so excited to start thinking about how we can incorporate a unique and distinctive voice in our own narratives today.

We have three key words, and they are distinct, compelling and facade.

Let's go through each of them together now.

Distinct means recognisably different from something else.

So if one voice is distinct, it means you can distinguish it from another voice in the narrative.

Compelling, if something is compelling, it makes you believe it because it is so strong.

Again, if we have a compelling sense of voice, that character really comes alive for you, and you get a sense of a very real character behind that voice if it is a compelling one, and facade.

Facade means a deceptive outward appearance.

In Macbeth, Macbeth puts on the facade of being a loyal subject to the king when his true intention is to of course, kill the king.

So there we have the three key words for today's lesson.

Pause the video and reflect on them before we continue with the lesson.

Brilliant, let's look at our learning cycles in our first learning cycle today, we'll be exploring narrative ideas because before we start thinking about our voice, it's a good idea to start thinking about what kind of scenarios we might want to write about.

And in the second learning cycle, we'll be looking at what voice we can use in each of our narrative ideas and how we might create those voices.

So let's begin with exploring interesting narrative ideas.

So you'll soon be writing your own narrative with a strong sense of voice.

I'm so excited to see what you come up with.

I hope you're excited to be tackling that task as well.

Every compelling narrative needs something to spark creativity with an author.

So you need some inspiration for your narrative before you write it.

And that's the same with any author.

So I'm giving you a bit of inspiration here.

I've given you four story prompts or four narrative prompts, and I want you to discuss outta the below prompts, which sparks the most creativity in you.

Pause the video and discuss.

Remember, it's okay if you're not drawn to the same prompts as the person you spoke to.

That's completely fine.

And we're going to see how much the Oak students vary in their preferences now.

So Aisha, Andeep, Jacob and Jun have told us what narrative prompts they most enjoyed and which one they're likely to be using for their narrative.

So let's take a look.

Aisha says, I like the flexibility of outsider.

It could be about being new at school or even someone with superhuman abilities.

So remember, you can really think outside of the box when you're giving a narrative prompt.

You don't have to go with the first thing that comes into your head.

You don't have to go with a realistic situation either.

Andeep, Andeep says I want to play around with the prompt.

I have no idea how I ended up here.

Perhaps someone feels trapped in a mundane life.

So Andeep is thinking about starting his story with the phrase, I have no idea how I ended up here.

And instead of making it very dramatic or setting it in a haunted house or abandoned forest, Andeep is saying that actually he's gonna use that prompt to talk about a very mundane situation where someone feels like they're not living their life to the fullest.

So remember, your narrative can be based on a really simple idea without having to be based in a outta the ordinary place.

Jacob says, I think I'll write about the time I found out Santa wasn't real and no one my age was supposed to know.

So Jacob wants to use the narrative prompt, write a narrative about a time you found out something that no one was supposed to know.

And he says, I think I'll write about the time I found out Santa wasn't real and no one my age was supposed to know.

Now, initially, that might strike you as quite a childish idea for a story, but by crafting a really distinct and compelling voice, Jacob could really craft that story to be something quite interesting.

And lastly, Jun.

Jun has latched onto the narrative set in the future, and he wants to write about the extinction of the human race for his narrative set in the future.

So I hope that seeing all the ideas of the Oak students shows you just how creative you can be and shows you the beauty of working with narrative prompts, that there really is no limit to what you write about, and that these prompts are there to really spark your creativity and inspire you.

Now, Laura is reflecting on one of the tasks.

She's reflecting on the task, write about a time when you discovered something no one else was supposed to know.

Laura says, this prompt is impossible for me to use as I've never discovered something no one else was supposed to know.

Maybe you had that thought when you looked at those prompts that there was one you just could not relate to.

But Laura's comment raises the importance of looking at all four real versus narrative voice.

Whilst as an author Laura cannot relate to the prompt, it does not mean she cannot use the prompt.

Laura can create a character that can relate to the prompt, and this voice can guide her narrative.

So Laura doesn't have to write the story from her perspective.

Now I want you to discuss what different voices could then narrate the following scenario, right about a time when you discovered something no one else was supposed to know.

What type of character could believably narrate that scenario? Pause the video and discuss.

Here are some ideas.

A doctor realises her patient's illnesses have been artificially implemented, a teenager stumbles across information revealing her parents are not who they appear to be.

Someone overhears their partner having a romantic talk with their best friend, and a journalist finds out that the perpetrator of a crime has been living in her own house.

There are just some examples of voices that you could use to narrate that scenario.

Now, when creating a strong sense of voice in our narratives that is distinct to our own, another important thing to consider is who would provide the most interesting perspective? The most compelling narrative voice often comes from the character who is most affected by the situation or storyline that you're writing about.

So as an example of this, let's look at Ishiguro's dystopian novels.

"Never Let Me Go" is told from the perspective of Kathy, a clone, and "Klara and the Sun" is told from the perspective of Klara, a humanised robot.

Both Kathy and Klara provide unique and compelling voices as they are the voices with direct involvement in their worlds, arguably the most affected by the rules and inner workings of the worlds they live in.

So what we're saying here is that if Ishiguro decided to narrate his stories from any other perspective, his story wouldn't be as powerful because his voice would not be the most compelling and the most suitable one to tell that story.

Notice how in all of the scenarios that we looked at, the narrator has an emotional connection to the secret making for an engaging voice.

So let's take the teenager stumbling across information revealing her parents are not who they appear to be.

That teenager will feel shock and betrayal from finding out that information, making the story and the voice powerful and compelling.

Again, someone who overhears their partner having a romantic talk with their best friend will feel those same emotions of shock, betrayal, sadness and anger, which really helps the reader to believe the narrative voice if we were to choose to narrate the story from that perspective because that person is going to tell the story in the most powerful, believable and compelling way.

Now, let's check your understanding of what we've talked about so far.

True or false, you should only use narrative prompts that apply to your life.

Pause the video and answer that question.

It's false, you don't have to only use narrative prompts that apply to your life.

Now, I want you to pause the video and reflect upon why that is false.

An exciting part of writing narratives is that we can use our imagination to bring prompts to life even if we cannot relate to them ourselves.

And we saw that through Laura's example.

Laura felt that she couldn't relate to one of the prompts, but we showed her that we can indeed use the prompt that we're not comfortable with as long as we create a voice that's different to our own, as long as we distinguish between narrative and authorial voice, we can definitely use prompts that we can't relate to, and that's the beauty of narrative writing.

Now it's time for your practise task.

I want you to choose one of the following scenarios to centre a narrative around.

I then want you to mind map a couple of ideas for whose voice would make for the most engaging retelling of events.

And then I want you to decide whose voice your narrative will be told from.

Your prompts are below, pause the video.

I hope you enjoy coming up with some really interesting and creative story ideas.

Great job there.

I'm really excited to see your narratives come to fruition later.

I now want you to reread your work.

Did you play around with multiple ideas for each narrative prompt, allowing yourself freedom to be creative.

Did you consider how each narrative prompt could relate to a life distinct from your own? And did you choose to narrate from a voice that would be emotionally affected by the narrative scenario you chose? Pause the video and reflect upon your planning now.

Excellent work.

Remember, you can go over your plan as many times as you want until you're happy with your storyline and your narrative voice.

Editing is a very important part of the narrative writing process, and you can refine your ideas until you are convinced that you have a compelling voice.

Now let's move on to our second learning cycle where we'll be creating a voice.

We'll be learning how to create a voice in our narratives.

So once we've decided upon the voice we want to use in our narrative, as we did in the previous learning cycle, we must decide upon the background and personality behind the voice to make it compelling.

So I'm going to read you two extracts.

Let's start with extract A.

One day I was asked to do a school project.

I had to create a family tree.

I interviewed my parents and my grandparents about their upbringing and background.

But one stormy night, I was bored on my laptop and it led me to a shocking revelation.

And extract B.

It was that stupid project set by Mr. Fisher that led me to be parentless.

My family was pretty picture perfect for anyone looking in, I have to give it to them.

Jake and Sandra, formerly my parents, had done a pretty good job at keeping up the facade as long as they had.

I now want you to pause the video and discuss, what is the difference between the two extracts below? Remember to relate your answer back to voice.

Pause the video and discuss.

Perhaps you notice that extract B creates a sharp, blunt and humorous voice, whereas extract A is flacked, with no distinct character.

In other words, we need to be writing more like extract B when writing with a compelling and distinct narrative voice, the character behind the voice really comes through in extract B, unlike in extract A, which could have been written from anyone's perspective.

Successful and compelling voices might often reveal something about the character's personality.

What impression of personality do we get from this extract below? Let's quickly read it together.

I always knew I was different.

It was nothing anybody had ever said.

No vicious comments or anything like that.

Nothing obvious, nothing tangible.

It was a feeling I got as I entered the room, like everyone was holding their breath in some way.

Pause the video and discuss what impression of the person's personality do you get from reading that extract.

You may have said that the extract could suggest a thoughtful, reflective and sensitive person.

And this is suggested through the lengthy description of them realising they were different and how they explain that to the reader is quite long-winded in a way that seems like they might be protecting themselves or in a way that makes it seem like they might be overthinking how other people treat them.

So so far, we've explored how you can create a blunt and sharp voice in your narrative, and we've also explored how you could create a reflective voice in your narrative.

Successful and compelling voices might also reveal the character's thoughts.

Let's read the two extracts below, and we're going to discuss the difference between the two.

Extract A, "I was back early from work and so is my husband.

I open the front door and hear him on the phone.

I wonder who he is talking to in a soft voice and what he is giggling about.

Then I hear the distinct voice of Emma." And extract B, "I managed to escape work early, thank God.

If I have to deal with one more of Sheila's lectures about how I should cook my rice, I'll go mad.

I unlock the door, psyching myself up for an hour or two of respite when I see his shoes, great, and he's on the phone too." I want you to discuss what is the difference between the two extracts? Pause the video and discuss.

By revealing more of the character's feelings, Extract B shapes the voice as belonging to someone who is dissatisfied, irritable, and perhaps someone with a critical mindset.

Successful and compelling voices might also reveal the character's background.

Let's read the two extracts below and discuss the difference.

A, "I walked down the desolate street, it was raining again.

I buy a sandwich from the nearby store, but the cashier doesn't even notice me, as usual, I pay eat my sandwich, which is not at all appetising, and then sit on a nearby bench to watch the world pass me by." And extract B "The rain's back as if the sky hasn't already cried enough tears for my sins.

I slog along in my tatty Docs and decide to make a pit stop at my usual, Donna's.

The greasy cafe on the left with a dodgy neon sign, feels like home to me that place, I scrape a few coins out while scoffing the sarnie.

no ham and pickle, just cardboard and regret." I want you to discuss, what is the difference between the two extracts below? Pause the video and discuss.

Through its voice, extract B shapes our opinion of someone with a lack of money and status, rough around the edges and struggling to make ends meet.

Perhaps it could be someone that has gone through a lot of hardship.

So in that sense, in extract A, we don't get a sense of the background of this person.

In extract B, we get quite a clear image of that person in our heads and we also get a sense of what their background could be as well.

So, so far we've explored how successful and compelling voices can reveal the character's personality, background and inner thoughts.

So let's check your understanding of what we've talked about in the lesson.

Which of these might not contribute to a compelling voice? Pause the video and answer that question.

So revealing what your character is wearing does not necessarily contribute to a compelling voice.

A voice is all about telling us something that is intrinsic to the character, such as their thoughts, their background and their personality.

Revealing what the character is wearing might give the reader an image of what they look like, but it wouldn't necessarily contribute to a compelling voice.

Now, here is a planning grid that might help an author to create a compelling voice in their narrative.

In the grid, we have a section for personality traits, tone of voice, background and thoughts and feelings about their situation.

Here's how we might complete the grid for the voice of Banquo in "Macbeth".

So when Shakespeare was deciding what he wanted Banquo to sound like, he might have planned out some of these things.

So personality traits, loyal, honourable and honest.

That's how he could describe Banquo's personality.

How would Banquo speak based on that? Banquo might speak with a suspicious and unsure tone of voice, perhaps even guilty tone of voice because he has indulged in the supernatural somewhat.

Background, we know Banquo is a noble warrior, and he was recently told his son would be king, so that also might shape the way he talks.

He might talk in a formal register because of his status.

And lastly, his thoughts and feelings about the situation he finds himself in in Macbeth, he's unsure about whether to trust his friend.

He wants to see the best in his friend, but he's also afraid to listen to his own gut instinct.

So we could shape Banquo's voice as being quite paranoid, as asking a lot of questions and maybe being quite cold to Macbeth because of his suspicions.

So there we have the completed planning grid for the voice of Banquo.

Discuss now how might we complete the grid for the narrative voice in "The Yellow Wallpaper", here's an excerpt to remind you of the narrator's voice.

"If a physician of high standing and one's own husband assures friends and relatives there is really nothing the matter with one, but temporary nervous depression, a slight hysterical tendency.

What is one to do?" Discuss how much we describe the personality traits, tone of voice, background and thoughts and feelings of the narrator in "The Yellow Wallpaper".

Pause the video and discuss.

For personality traits, we might say this character is timid, people pleasing and meek, because she doesn't feel like she can stand up to her husband and her brother, her tone of voice comes across as anxious and unstable.

She seems quite irritable, she seems quite worried.

Her background.

So for her background, we might assume that she's a 19th century housewife and we know that she's had ongoing problems with her mental health and her thoughts and feelings.

We know she feels trapped and helpless, and she's increasingly sceptical about her husband and all of these things here, they come across in the narrative voice.

So we need to be planning our narrative voice to ensure that the personality, the tone, the background and the thoughts of feelings are obvious from our voice.

Now, I want you to reread your notes from Learning Cycle One, where you planned your own narrative.

Discuss which narrative voice will guide readers through your narrative.

I then want you to fill the table in to create a plan to shape your narrative voice into a compelling one.

Pause the video and get started, off you go.

Now, great job on planning a compelling narrative voice for your story.

I want you to reread your plan for your narrative voice.

Is there anything else you would like to add to your plan that you think would be important when writing with your voice? Pause the video and reflect upon your plan.

Off you go.

Excellent job.

The more you feel like you know the character, the more compelling your voice will be.

Let's look at what we've learned today then.

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.

And planning a complete profile for a character can help us adhere to a compelling, consistent voice in our narrative.

Thank you so much for joining me in today's lesson, I hope you're more confident with creating voice in a narrative, and I hope to see you in another lesson soon.