Narrative Writing Prompt

Sofia was sitting by the window in her favorite old rocking chair, which she'd loved relaxing in since she was a child. Now, at sixteen years old, she sat there contemplating the leaves changing colors outside. A chilly wind was rising in the yard, pushing the empty swing into the air and filling her mind with bittersweet memories. Sofia could see her reflection in the window and was surprised to notice a tear running down her face. When her mother walked into the room, Sofia could not stop herself from bursting into tears and running into her arms.

Which dialogue would BEST develop this passage?

• "I'm feeling so downhearted, Mom," said Sofia. "I saw you in here with tears in your eyes," said Mom.

• "I loved living in this house, Mom," said Sofia. "I know, and I'm sorry we have to move away," said Mom.

• "The wind is pushing the swing outside, Mom," said Sofia. "It sure is cold and windy out there," said Mom.

• "This is my favorite chair, Mom," said Sofia. "Yes, you've had that since you were a little girl," said Mom.

If a writer wished to add a sentence in which character traits are communicated through description, which of these choices would be MOST appropriate?

• The first day of spring possessed great beauty, despite being dreary.

• The leaves were scattered over the ground like pages of colored paper.

• It wasn't long before the tall, lean, tanned man emerged from the limo.

• The girl wrinkled her nose with wary disgust as the group of boys walked in.

He wasn't very tall, but Coach Tucker was clearly massively muscled and earned his nickname as the "mad little man" with his ferociously hard workouts.

What narrative technique is used to characterize the wrestling coach in this sentence?

• detailed descriptions

• dialogue

• pacing

• reflection

I still remember that day like it was yesterday. Everything about that day-- the sights, the sounds, the smells-- lingers in my mind, even though it all went down over 14 years ago. Every night I dream about it.

If you wanted to establish the narrator's feelings about the event he is describing, which of these would make an appropriate final sentence to the above paragraph?

• Every day I think about it.

• My dreams are incredibly vivid and intense.

• The sense of horror and brutality is hard to shake.

• Others who experienced the event also feel the same way that I do.

If you wished to suggest something about a character's personality without stating anything directly, which of these statements would be best to use?

• "What would you like to know?" she answered.

• The tall man gazed at the train as it passed.

• "Please tell me a bit about yourself," he said.

• "Are you sure you want to do that?" he asked with a sly, insinuating smile.

Which sentence would be the most effective and clear opening of a short story?

• Jackson crept down the hall with a baseball bat in his hand.

• She put the letters on the construction paper, making sure to spell everything correctly.

• After all had been said and done, Stephanie knew that she had done her best in everything.

• When Nick woke up for his first day of sixth grade smelling pancakes and bacon from downstairs, he knew that today was going to be a big day of change in his life.

You want to write a story about a young boy who is very bored spending the summer at his grandparents' farm and learns to enjoy being there through different experiences.

Which sentence would be the most effective opening for that story?

• He was bored as he looked out the window at the empty fields.

• Suddenly, Jay heard a noise behind him and turned too late to see the bull had escaped from his pen.

• After it was all over, Jay discovered that he'd been wrong about this summer after all; it had been the best summer ever!

• Jay looked out the window of his grandparents' farmhouse and sighed, certain that this boring summer would never ever end.

Excerpt from Chasing a Dream

Elizabeth Kibler

My riding experiences began three years ago at a local riding school. Watching horse races on television sparked my interest in learning to ride. The first day I arrived at the school, I was nervous but excited. When I stepped out of my car into the fresh air, I knew I had made the right decision. The horses in the barn neighed and whinnied at one another. I saw some of the other students taking their horses for a walk. Then, I mustered up courage and walked toward the barn.

Read this draft of the introductory paragraph for a narrative essay. Which sentence is appropriate to place at the beginning of this paragraph?

• People in North America have tamed and ridden horses for thousands of years.

• I think that every person should learn how to ride horses by the time that they are adults.

• Taking horseback riding classes is a good idea for people who want excitement in their lives.

• Learning to ride horses is one of the most challenging, yet thrilling, experiences of my life.

If a story is told in a simple chronological manner, starting at the beginning and going through the middle to the end, which would it definitely NOT feature?

• complicated characters

• various settings

• intricate conflicts

• frequent flashbacks

In a story containing the following points, which would likely occur LAST?

• Franklin was excited about his upcoming hiking trip.

• The night before the trip, Franklin could barely sleep.

• On the day of Franklin's hike, the sunny weather was perfect.

• Franklin went to the outdoor sports store to buy new hiking boots.