New
New
Year 11
AQA
Creating voice in our narratives
I can consider what makes a distinct and compelling narrative voice.
New
New
Year 11
AQA
Creating voice in our narratives
I can consider what makes a distinct and compelling narrative voice.
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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
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
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.
You may want to model the creation of your own narrative voice before students plan their own in Learning Cycle 2.
Teacher tip
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Starter quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
What is narrative voice?
the voice of the author
whether a text is narrated by a reliable narrator or not
Q2.
What does compelling mean?
difficult to believe
difficult to unpick
Q3.
Which of the below has an indignant tone?
"It's okay, hurt people do hurtful things."
"I'm not angry at him, I'm angry at myself."
Q4.
Which of the below examples might signal a non-human voice?
"I was running late again."
"I live at home with my husband and dog (my dog the more favourable companion)."
Q5.
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
Q6.
How would you describe the narrative voice in 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman?
authoritative, callous
blunt, reckless
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
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.
Q2.
If you have an idea for a narrative but cannot relate to it, what might best bring the story to life?
ask someone else to write it for you
tell it from your own point of view with embellishments
Q3.
What is most important to consider when choosing a voice to tell your story?
which character will witness the storyline unfold
which character is most brave
Q4.
Which of these may not help to shape a compelling voice?
revealing a character's inner thoughts
revealing a character's personality
Q5.
How might the tone of voice in 'The Yellow Wallpaper' be described?
stable
furious
bitter
Q6.
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.
I was back early from work and so was my husband.