Hello, welcome to your lesson today on exploring unique narrative voices.

I'm Ms. Sutherland and I'll be teaching you today.

Our learning outcome for today is to identify unique narrative voices and use tone and register to write with a unique voice in our own writing.

We have three key words for today's lesson.

Let's go through them together.

The first key word is register.

Register refers to the level of formality of language.

So a register could be casual, it could be formal, it could be conversational, it could be intimate.

Tone.

Tone refers to the mood or attitude conveyed in writing.

A piece of writing could have an upbeat tone, a nostalgic tone, a bitter tone, a furious tone, for example.

And lastly, voice.

Voice is the language a writer uses to communicate their perspective or to communicate a story.

I'll give you a moment to take a note of those three key words now.

Brilliant.

Let's move on to look at our learning cycles for today.

So in today's lesson, we'll be first exploring the unique narrative voice in "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold.

We'll then be drawing inspiration from "The Lovely Bones" to write with our own unique voice.

So let's start off by exploring narrative voice in "The Lovely Bones." Register and tone are important parts of establishing voice in an extract.

Let's start off by looking at register.

Register is the level of formality of language used.

Discuss when might a formal, conversational and intimate register be used? Pause the video and discuss.

A formal register may be used when speaking to unfamiliar people, a conversational register may be used when speaking to familiar people, and an intimate register may be used when speaking to close family and friends.

Sometimes in fiction writing, a writer might give a first person narrator a conversational register to establish a sense of closeness with the reader.

So although we usually think of conversational registers being reserved for conversation with friends or people that we know, writers can use conversational registers in their fiction texts to create this bond between the reader and the narrator from the get go.

Tone is the mood or attitude conveyed in a text.

Some examples of tones are bitter, proud or sarcastic.

Can you think of any more tones of voice that a writer could use in a text? Pause the video and discuss.

You may have said that writers can also create a nostalgic or melancholy tone, for example.

Now let's read this excerpt from "Jane Eyre." We're going to try and work out the tone and register of the narrative voice.

"I hold myself supremely blest, blest beyond what language can express; because I am my husband's life as fully as he is mine.

No woman was ever nearer to her mate than I am: ever more absolutely bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh.

I know no weariness of my Edward's society: he knows none of mine, any more than we each do of the pulsation of the heart that beats in our separate bosoms; consequently, we are ever together.

To be together is for us to be at once as free as in solitude, as gays in company.

We talk, I believe, all day long: to talk to each other is but a more animated and audible thinking.

All my confidence is bestowed on him, all his confidence is devoted to me; we are precisely suited in character, perfect concord is the result." Discuss now what is the tone and register of the narrative voice in this example from "Jane Eyre?" Pause the video and discuss.

You may have said that the voice seems to have a proud tone.

It also has a formal register.

Perhaps this could reflect the narrator as an educated and philosophical person who thinks quite deeply about matters in her life.

Discuss then how might we keep a tone of pride, but write with a more conversational register.

Pause the video and discuss.

So to help us with this task, you could think of how this narrator might explain her and her husband's relationship to a friend on the phone.

A conversational register might sound something like this.

"We can't get enough of each other.

We're practically joint at the hip.

We even finish each other's sentences." So that extract on the right still has that tone of pride, but expresses the content in a much more conversational and casual way.

Now, I want you to match each sentence to the register being used.

Which sentence shows a formal register? Which sentence conveys a conversational register? And which sentence shows an intimate register? Pause the video and match each sentence to the register being used.

Off you go.

Let's start off by looking at which sentence has a formal register.

This sentence conveys a formal register.

"Their house was small, for the lumber to build it had to be carried by waggon many miles." That example isn't trying to speak to the reader in any particular way.

Now, which example has a conversational tone? "Call me Ishmael." That sentence has a conversational tone, and it's an example of a text in which the writer uses a conversational tone to build a sense of relationship between the reader and speaker.

And lastly, intimate.

"You naughty little thing." This sentence is said by Bessie in "Jane Eyre" when Jane Eyre is being told off for something.

We can sense the familiarity between Bessie and Jane through the intimate register.

Now you are going to read an example from chapter one of "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold.

Read from the beginning of chapter one to the word "indignity." This text provides a really interesting and unique narrative voice.

I hope you enjoy reading it.

Pause the video and get reading.

I haven't come across a narrator like Susie in any text that I've read.

Sebold really crafts a unique narrative voice in this chapter.

Now, I want you to discuss, who is the narrator? What is she describing? And what impression do you get of the narrator? Pause the video and discuss.

The narrator of "The Lovely Bones" is a 14-year-old girl who has been killed.

She begins to tell the reader the circumstances around her death, and the impression we get of her is actually not what we may expect from a 14-year-old girl that's been murdered.

She speaks with a casual, bold and humorous voice that we might not expect from someone in her situation.

Now I want you to write a short paragraph in response to the question, what makes the narrative voice in "The Lovely Bones" engaging? You could write about the perspective Sebold offers, the tone of the voice and the register of the voice, and how these might be intriguing for a reader.

Pause the video and get writing.

Off you go.

Let's go through what you may have written about.

What exactly makes the narrative voice in "The Lovely Bones" interesting? Let's start with the perspective.

This text is narrated from the perspective of a 14-year-old murdered girl.

She writes heaven, and this is unique because we usually do not hear from the perspective of a dead person.

We might hear from the perspective of people surrounding that person, but I've not read a text in which I hear from the person that's died themselves.

So that's a really bold and interesting choice from Sebold there, which makes the voice immediately interesting.

Now, how does the tone of voice contribute to an engaging voice? So Susie Salmon talks about the circumstances around her death.

So whilst the topic is serious, and we may expect a serious voice from her, and a somewhat sad, a melancholy voice from her, the tone of voice is blunt and humorous.

It gives us a sense of the narrator's bravery and ability to overcome hardship.

Makes it quite a power, which makes it quite a powerful voice.

Now let's look at the register.

The register is also engaging because the register is conversational.

Susie Salmon talks to us directly and talks to us in a very casual manner, which invites the reader to connect with her voice immediately.

In summary, the narrative voice in "The Lovely Bones" is engaging because of the unique perspective, tone and register it offers.

Now let's look at how we can write with a unique narrative voice in our own text.

When crafting a unique narrative voice, it is important to consider using narrative perspectives that we might not be used to hearing from, just like Alice Sebold does in "The Lovely Bones." We're not used to hearing from the voice of a dead person, so that already makes her voice immediately engaging.

Let's take a look at this extract.

"My glow commands throngs of impatient drivers to a halt.

They grumble and curse, drumming their fingers on the wheel.

Ungrateful.

Ignorant.

The lot of them.

Don't they remember what happened the last time they didn't obey me?" Now, what perspective, what unique perspective might this example be written from? Pause the video and discuss.

Now I want you to consider how the writer has shaped this voice.

How is the voice engaging? What makes it stand out? Pause the video and discuss.

So the example you've just read is written from the perspective of a red traffic light, and the writer has shaped the voice to be bold and audacious.

This already gives us a unique and engaging narrative voice because first of all, we're not used to a narrative being written from an object's perspective.

But second of all, we're not used to objects having such a distinct personality.

So by writing from an objects perspective and by making that object seem bold and audacious, that already creates an engaging voice for the reader.

Now, which perspectives might provide a unique insight into the below scenarios? Here are the scenarios that I want you to find unique perspectives on.

A couple have their first baby.

Someone forgets their homework.

Someone is looking to buy a new car.

A murder mystery.

A romance blossoms. What perspective could you use to narrate each of those scenarios? Remember to make it a really unique, engaging perspective that the reader may have not come across before.

Pause the video and discuss.

Off you go.

Let's go through what you may have said.

A couple have their first baby.

This could be written from the perspective of a neglected pet who feels jealous of the way the couple react to the baby and seemingly forget to give love to the pet.

Someone forgets their homework.

This scenario could be written from the perspective of the homework itself.

How does the homework feel to be forgotten? Does the homework judge the student? Does the homework feel angered that it's not getting shown off? How about someone looking to buy a new car? That scenario could be narrated from a used car at the garage that no one bothers to look at or consider for purchase.

We could get across potentially the low self-esteem of this car if we choose to narrate from its perspective.

A murder mystery.

We could write from the perspective of the criminal or the weapon to provide a really different and unique insight to that narrative, one that we may not be used to hearing from, and one that may unsettle the reader.

And a romance blossoming.

We could write from the perspective of a jilted lover who observe the couple, because that person might have really strong feelings on the couple and may not see it in the beautiful way that the couple see it in.

We could also narrate that scenario from love itself.

We could personify love and write from love's perspective.

That might be a really interesting voice to grapple with.

Now let's look at this example on the left and try and decipher what perspective it's written from.

"My bowl was empty again this morning.

It's that new tiny human; it's led them to forget about me.

I used to be the only one they fussed over and stroked and adored.

All it does is whine all day and yet it's made their lives complete." What perspective do you think this text is written from and how can you tell? Pause the video and discuss.

This example is written from the perspective of a pet.

This is shown through the way that the dog describes the people in his house as "human" and the baby as "it." And this is not any old pet.

This is the neglected pet describing his owners having a baby and forgetting about him.

So this provides us with quite a humorous voice as well.

Now, how can we identify that this example is written from the perspective of a child? "Mommy says it's bedtime but I'm not sleepy.

Not one bit.

First I will tell a story to Blue Bear.

I wrap him up, all cosy in my new blanket.

Mom says I'm good at sharing." How can we identify that this example is written from the perspective of a child? Pause the video and discuss.

This example is written from the perspective of a young child, and we can see this through the use of childish language such as "Mommy." It also shows, it is also shown through the naming of the teddy bear and the need to tell the narrator that they are good at sharing.

These three things give us hints that this extract is written from the perspective of a child.

And indeed the word choices mimic how a young child might speak, therefore helping to create a distinctive, compelling voice.

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

What might best give away the narrative perspective that a text is written from? Pause the video and answer that question.

Well done if you said word choice would best give away the narrative perspective that a text is written from.

Notice how in the example written from the perspective of a pet, words such as "human" and "it" give away that it's from an animal's perspective.

And in the example written by a young child, words such as "Mommy" and "Blue Bear" give away that a text is written from the child's perspective.

Now, I want you to describe a blossoming romance between two people from a unique perspective using a unique narrative voice.

It could be an object, an animal, or an onlooker who has strong feelings about the relationship.

I want you to write with a jealous, bitter tone and a casual register.

Here are some sentence starters.

"They make me sick." "There they are again." "They think they are so perfect." Good luck creating your unique narrative voice.

Pause the video and get writing now.

Great job with your writing there.

I now want you to reread your work.

I want you to highlight phrases that make your perspective tone and register obvious to the reader.

I want you to annotate exactly what they show about your voice.

Pause the video and reflect upon your work now.

Brilliant job.

I hope you've enjoyed creating a unique narrative voice today.

It might be a little different to the way that you are used to writing, but by trying to create different voices and experimenting with different methods, you're going to become a really bold, brilliant writer that's not afraid to take risks in their writing.

Here's what we've learned today.

Register and tone are important parts of establishing voice in a narrative register is the formality of language, whilst tone is the mood of a text.

"The Lovely Bones" has a unique perspective, tone and register, making the narrative voice engaging.

Unique perspectives might include writing from the perspective of an inanimate object, an animal, or an abstract idea, and we can adapt our perspective, register and tone to create unique voices in our own creative writing.

Thank you so much for joining me in today's lesson.

I hope to see you in another one soon.