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public speaking extension

Narrative Writing
5 / Narrative

You have spent this workshop crafting a written narrative that tells a story that
is meaningful to you, but what if you wanted to share that same story through a
presentation to a live audience? What would you need to add, change, or delete to
make the story sound engaging? Think about stand-up comics you may have seen.
They are often great storytellers who include dialogue and details to really bring the
story to life. As you work through this process, refer to the elements of a presenta-
tion in Chapter 3 (p. 90), and use these steps to turn your written narrative into an
oral presentation.

Content

• Your hook. Reread the beginning paragraphs of your written narrative. Would this
capture the listener’s attention? Read it aloud to yourself a few times. Does it sound
dramatic or interesting? If it feels too long when you read it aloud, cut it down, so
that it is only two or three sentences.
• Your main conflict. Though your written narrative probably includes several
scenes and conflicts, you will want to focus your presentation on a single event
and describe that concisely, but with as much detail as possible. Go back through
your narrative with a highlighter and mark the most essential conflict and the most
relevant and interesting details. Read aloud only the highlighted sections to yourself.
Does it still make sense? Will your listener be able to follow the story? What details
are missing? Are any details unnecessary?
• Your closing. Look back at how you ended your written narrative and highlight the
strongest sentence or two that communicate to your audience what you learned from
the experience, what you would have done differently, or how it changed you in some
way. Rewrite it so that it will sound appropriate for a live audience.

Delivery

Unlike other speeches you deliver in school, a narrative presentation can be very
personal, revealing a side of you that you may not have shown to your teacher and
classmates before. This means that you might smile or gesture, laugh at a funny
moment in your story, or pause at times that are emotional or suspenseful. Because

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Copyright © Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers.
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For review purposes only. Not for redistribution.

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