Harriet the Spy 4/8

Chapters 5, 6, 7 Writing Prompt

It’s writing time! I hope your pencils are sharpened and your notebooks are out, cause we are leaping right into it.

Earlier this week we learned about a new way to narrate a story. While there are a billion stories to write about and probably twice as many ways to tell them, there are only a few ways a story is narrated. And by narrated I mean, who is the person telling the story and what is their point of view. Types of narration really only break down into three categories- First, Second, and Third Person narration.

It’s kind of wild to think that all novels, books, poems, are written with just these three kinds of narrators. And really mostly third person which is used the majority of the time.

However, there is some flexibility to this and some writers like Louise Fitzhugh, author of Harriet the Spy have cracked the case! Pun intended. ;) I’m talking of course about Free Indirect Style. If you would like to learn a little more about this and how it is applied in the book, take a look at this week’s earlier post 3/8.

Since I always think the best way to learn about a type of writing is to practice it, that is just what we are going to do.

For this week’s creative writing prompt we will be focusing on narrative voice. I would like you to have your character write a journal entry about their day.

Voice is how the character sounds and it should have their attitude and their manner of speaking all over it. Start by picking a character that is bold. I’m thinking, sassy, rude, silly, frustrated, super shy. Next, have them journal about something they are passionate about or upset by. Go back to the book and read the parts where Harriet doesn’t want to go to dancing school, or is thinking about the loss of her nanny. What does your character feel strongly about what happened to them today? How do they talk about it and in what voice?

I can’t wait to read what you’ve come up with. Be sure to post writing here.

Or even better, share this with a friend and see what you both come up with!