Applying the writing process to facilitate learning of narrative and descriptive writing
involves several stages. Here’s a structured approach that can help students develop their
skills:
1. Prewriting
Objective: Generate ideas, organize thoughts, and plan the narrative or descriptive piece.
Brainstorming: Students can use techniques such as free writing, clustering, or mind
mapping to generate ideas about characters, settings, plots, or events.
Research: If the narrative requires specific details (e.g., a historical setting), students
should gather relevant information.
Outlining: Create an outline to organize the sequence of events or descriptions. For
narratives, this can include the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and
resolution. For descriptive writing, outline the key details and sensory experiences to
be included.
2. Drafting
Objective: Get ideas down on paper without worrying about perfection.
Start Writing: Encourage students to write freely, focusing on getting their ideas
down. They should follow their outline but allow for creativity and changes.
Focus on Details: For narrative writing, focus on developing characters, setting, and
plot. For descriptive writing, emphasize using sensory details and vivid language to
create a clear picture for the reader.
3. Revising
Objective: Improve content and structure.
Review and Reorganize: Have students read their drafts critically. They should
check for clarity, coherence, and logical flow of events or descriptions.
Enhance Details: In narrative writing, ensure characters are well-developed and
events are logically sequenced. In descriptive writing, enhance sensory details and
imagery.
Peer Review: Encourage students to share their drafts with peers for feedback.
Constructive feedback can highlight areas that need improvement or suggest new
ideas.
4. Editing
Objective: Correct grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors.
Self-Editing: Teach students to read their work aloud to catch errors they might miss
when reading silently.
Check Mechanics: Focus on correcting grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.
Ensure sentence variety and correct usage of descriptive and narrative techniques.
Use Tools: Utilize grammar and spell-check tools, but emphasize the importance of
manual checking for nuanced errors.
5. Publishing
Objective: Share the final piece of writing.
Final Review: Conduct a last review to ensure all errors are corrected and the piece is
polished.
Presentation: Depending on the assignment, students can publish their work in a
class anthology, on a class blog, or present it orally to the class.
Reflection: Encourage students to reflect on the writing process and what they
learned. This can help them identify strengths and areas for improvement.
Example Activities
Narrative Writing:
Personal Narratives: Write about a significant personal experience, focusing on the
emotions and events.
Short Stories: Create fictional stories with well-developed characters, settings, and
plots.
Descriptive Writing:
Descriptive Essays: Write about a place, person, or object using sensory details to
create a vivid picture.
Setting Descriptions: Describe a scene from a story or a real place, focusing on the
five senses.
Tips for Teachers
Model Writing: Share examples of your own writing process, including drafts and
revisions.
Mini-Lessons: Focus on specific skills like developing characters, using dialogue, or
creating vivid imagery.
Scaffold Learning: Provide graphic organizers and writing templates to support
students at different stages of the writing process.
Encourage Creativity: Allow students to explore different genres and styles to find
their unique voice.
By systematically applying the writing process, students can develop their narrative and
descriptive writing skills, gaining confidence and proficiency in expressing their ideas
creatively and effectively.
