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Year 11
Edexcel

Creating voice in our narratives

I can consider what makes a distinct and compelling narrative voice.

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New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

Creating voice in our narratives

I can consider what makes a distinct and compelling narrative voice.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Prompts can help spark ideas for interesting narratives.
  2. Authorial and narrative voice are different things.
  3. Narrative voice is often distinct to our own, with endless possibilities
  4. To shape a compelling voice we should hint at a character's personality, background and thoughts
  5. Planning a complete profile for a character can help us adhere to a compelling, consistent voice in our narrative

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.

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

You may want to model the creation of your own narrative voice before students plan their own in Learning Cycle 2.
Teacher tip

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).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is narrative voice?
the voice of the author
Correct answer: the language and style of the narrator used to tell a story
whether a text is narrated by a reliable narrator or not
Q2.
What does compelling mean?
difficult to believe
Correct answer: believable because it is strong
difficult to unpick
Q3.
Which of the below has an indignant tone?
"It's okay, hurt people do hurtful things."
Correct answer: "How dare you? It's shameful that you think you can get away with this!"
"I'm not angry at him, I'm angry at myself."
Q4.
Which of the below examples might signal a non-human voice?
Correct answer: "They pressed the button on my nose and my limbs began to convulse."
"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
Correct answer: come up with a character who has a different voice to you
Q6.
How would you describe the narrative voice in 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman?
Correct answer: anxious, helpless
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.
Correct answer: Narrative voice is a constructed voice whereas authorial voice is a writer's own
Q2.
If you have an idea for a narrative but cannot relate to it, what might best bring the story to life?
Correct answer: create a character voice, distinct from your own
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?
Correct answer: which character is emotionally invested in the story line
which character will witness the storyline unfold
which character is most brave
Q4.
Which of these may not help to shape a compelling voice?
Correct answer: writing about a character's biographical details
revealing a character's inner thoughts
revealing a character's personality
Q5.
How might the tone of voice in 'The Yellow Wallpaper' be described?
Correct answer: anxious
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.
Correct answer: It was that stupid project set by Mr. Fisher that led me to be parentless.
I was back early from work and so was my husband.