Narrative Techniques Assignment Can you improve your story? When you wrote the first draft of your narrative, you were probably thinking mostly about the story's plot and setting. Character development is just as important, though. Caring about what happens to characters is what keeps some readers reading until the very end. Click the Activity button below, and use the worksheet to revise your narrative. Then submit the worksheet containing your revised draft to your teacher. (Click the Rubric button to see how your draft will be graded.) DIRECTIONS: Follow the steps below to revise the first draft of your personal narrative or short tory. Steps for Revising Your Story 1 |dentify sections of your story where you could add more characterization. Identify at least one section in your story where you could add dialogue. Revise these sections of your story, using the lesson's guidelines for formatting dialogue. | Step 1: Identify sections of your story where you could add more characterization. Copy and paste the first draft of your story in the space below. Then mark at least three sections where you will add some type of characterization. Turn that text from plain to bold- face type so that you can find it later. Step 2: ldentify at least one section in your story where you could add dialogue. When you find a section that will get dialogue added, turn that text a different color. Step 3: Revise these sections of your story, using the lesson's guidelines for formatting dialogue. Now revise the sections of your first draft that you marked in Steps 1 and 2. Leave the sections marked as you add details so that your teacher can see what you added or changed. Narrative Progression mn Step 1: Write the first few paragraphs of your story, including the exposition and the inciting incident. Remember to include some details about where and when the story takes place. However, you should describe the inciting incident as soon as possible. (You can even make that your first sentence!) Just be sure that you also include details that help orient readers to the \"world\" of your story. Title: The Forgotten Melody Introduction: Amara was a 15-year-old girl who lived in a small town called Willow Cove. The town was by the sea, where the waves always made a gentle, soothing sound. Amara loved music more than anything else. She played the violin, an old instrument that had been in her family for many years. Every day after school, she would go to the beach and play her violin while watching the waves. But even though she loved her life, Amara always felt that something was missing. There was a part of her past that she didn't know, and it made her feel a little sad and empty. Setting: Willow Cove was a quiet town where everyone knew each other. The mornings were often foggy, with thick mist covering the streets and the sea. There were old stories about Willow Cove stories of shipwrecks and lost treasures, and even a few about ghosts. Near the edge of the town stood an old lighthouse. It hadn't been used in years, and most people stayed away from it, saying it was haunted. Inciting Incident: One evening, when the fog was thicker than usual, Amara was playing her violin by the shore. Suddenly, she heard a strange melody. It wasn't coming from her violin; it seemed to be coming from the wind or the sea itself. The melody was soft and sad, and it made Amara feel like she had to find out where it was coming from. The sound led her to the old lighthouse. Even though she felt a little scared, her curiosity was stronger. She decided to go inside and find out what was making that beautiful, haunting music. Step 2: Write the rest of your story, using transition tags to guide readers through its sequence of events. Don't rush the events of your storytake the time to make sure your readers know where and when each event occurs and how it relates to your story's conflict. Rising Action: Amara pushed open the heavy, creaky door of the lighthouse. Inside, it was dark and cold, and the air smelled of salt and old wood. As she climbed the spiral staircase, the melody grew louder. At the top, she found a small room filled with dust and cobwebs. In the middle of the room was a grand piano, looking almost new despite everything else being old and forgotten. On top of the piano, there was a yellowed sheet of music. The notes on the page matched the melody she had been hearing. Amara sat down at the piano and began to play. As soon as she touched the keys, a ghostly figure appeared. It was a woman dressed in an old-fashioned gown, her face full of sadness but also kindness. The woman told Amara that she was her great-grandmother, a famous musician who had disappeared many years ago. She explained that the melody was a special song that was meant to bring peace to lost souls. But the song was never finished, and because of that, her spirit and the spirits of many others were trapped. She asked Amara to help finish the song so they could all be free. Climax: Amara practiced the melody every day. She wanted to help her great-grandmother and the other spirits find peace. But strange things began to happen whenever she played the piano. The wind would how! louder, storms would suddenly appear, and she would hear whispers telling her to stop. The people in Willow Cove noticed these strange events and started to worry. They told Amara to stay away from the lighthouse, but she knew she couldn't give up. She felt that finishing the song was the only way to finally understand the part of her past that had always felt missing. One night, as a big storm raged outside, Amara returned to the lighthouse. The wind was so strong that it almost knocked her over, but she was determined. She sat at the piano and played the melody one last time. As she played, the ghost of her great-grandmother appeared again, smiling at her. When Amara hit the final note, the storm suddenly stopped, and the lighthouse began to shake and crumble. Falling Action: Amara ran down the stairs as fast as she could, just barely escaping the lighthouse before it collapsed. When she looked back, all that was left of the old building was a pile of stones. But instead of feeling sad, Amara felt peaceful. She knew that her great-grandmother and the other spirits were finally at rest. Conclusion: After that night, Willow Cove was different. The fog seemed lighter, and the town was calmer. Amara continued to play her violin by the shore, but now the music felt fuller, as if the missing piece had been found. She no longer felt empty or sad. She knew her great-grandmother's story, and she felt proud to be part of it. Amara had found the missing piece of her past, and with it, she had found peace for herself and for the spirits of Willow Cove