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NARRATIVE WRITING PROJECT: THINGS FALL APART

I believe in the complexity of the human story and that theres no way you can tell that story in one way
and say, this is it. Always there will be someone who can tell it differently depending on where they are
standing this is the way I think the worlds stories should be told: from many different perspectives.
Chinua Achebe

PROJECT OVERVIEW
THE GOAL
Choose a character from the novelOkonkwo, Obierika, Unoka, Ekwefi, Ezinma, Nwoye, Ikemefuna, or
someone elseand either 1) rewrite a small-moment-scene from the novel or 2) write an additional, new
small-moment-scene from your chosen characters perspective, in his or her voice. Your narrative will reveal
the thoughts, emotions, desires, conflicts, and decisions of one specific person, at one specific moment in
time.
Your small-moment narrative must work within the reality of the novel: rather than changing the outcome of
the story or altering the characters, your narrative should instead provide the reader with a richer
understanding of the complexity of the story.
To approach this project, ask yourself: Why am I choosing this particular character? What role does this
character play in the novel? What small moment would be significant for this character and why? How
would (re)reading this scenefrom this particular characters perspectivedeepen readers understanding
of the storys complexity and its themes (central ideas)?

THE PROCESS
Planning
o Reread key scenes from the novel
! Observe characters thoughts and emotions
! Examine conflicts and tensions
o Choose a character and a small moment for your narrative
o Reread to research. Notice and take notes on character, conflict, and setting
o Visualize and sketch/write about
! Characters thoughts, words, body movements, and emotions
! What the environment looks like, sounds like, smells like, etc.
o Plot your narrative using a story mountain diagram
Drafting
o Write a first draft of your narrative
o Reread your own writing, paying attention to ideas and content
o Invite someone else to read and comment on your first draft (focus on ideas and content)
Revising
o Make changes based on your own and the readers observations about ideas and content
o Reread your own writing
Editing
o Make changes to improve sentence structure, grammar, conventions, and formatting
Publishing
o Present a polished final draft of your story to your audience

CALENDAR
Monday
20
On-demand
narrative writing
Intro to Narrative
Writing Project

Tuesday
21
Writing with a
personal voice

Wednesday
22
Writing with a
personal voice

Thursday
23
Planning:
Rereading to
Research

Friday
24
Planning:
Rereading to
Research

27
Planning:
Developing
characters

28
Planning:
Developing
setting

29
Planning:
Structuring the
plot

30
Drafting:
Exposition

1 MAY
Drafting: Showing
character
development

4
Drafting: Adding
dialogue

5
Lit Circles

6
Lit Circles

7
First drafts are
due
Peer Reading +
Review

8
Lit Circles

12
Published (Final
Draft) Stories Due

13

14

15

Lit Circles
11
Lit Circles

NOTE: Calendar is tentative: observe homework and due dates assigned in class.

RUBRIC
Character Development: Voice & Perspective
Distinguished
30 pts
Everything in Proficient, plus:
- Readers suspect that instead
of describing a character that
was obvious to the writer from
the start, the writer has
discovered and developed a
characters perspective and
voice in the process of writing
and by writing with an
attentiveness to and respect
for details
OR
- In addition to chosen
character, other characters
perspectives and voices are
well-developed

Proficient
24 pts
- Character is well- developed
and complex: s/he shows
believable and specific
thoughts, emotions, and
behaviors
- Characters voice is strong and
realistic: word choice, sentence
structure, punctuation, and
internal thoughts allow readers
to hear his/her perspective

Developing
21 pts
- Character is fairly well
developed; s/he shows some
believable thoughts, emotions,
and behaviors
- Limited or inconsistent display
of characters voice

Not Meeting
15 pts
- Limited character
development
AND
- Limited display of characters
voice

Plot Structure
Distinguished
20 pts
Includes everything from Level
3, plus:
- Includes more than one plot
line that unfolds logically and
naturally alongside the primary
plot line

Proficient
16 pts
Exposition: Introduces a
character and setting
Rising Action:
-Identifies characters
desire/need/goal/ambition
- Identifies obstacles that get in
the way of the characters
desires
Climax: Introduces something
that intensifies the problem
Falling Action: Describes choices
characters make in reaction to
climax
Resolution: Includes an end that
satisfies the need created in the
beginning

Developing
14 pts
Includes all five plot points:
(Exposition, Rising Action,
Climax, Falling Action, and
Resolution)

Not Meeting
12 pts
Does not include all five plot
points: (Exposition, Rising
Action, Climax, Falling Action,
and Resolution)

But the events do not unfold


naturally and logically (ex: The
end may not satisfy the need
created in the beginning; or
the characters choices may
not make sense.)

Narrative Techniques
Distinguished
30 pts
Everything in Proficient PLUS:
Uses narrative techniques to do
one or more of the following:
- Build suspense or tension
- Show more than one
characters complexity
- Highlight a sophisticated
theme or central idea

Proficient
24 pts
- Uses a balance of action,
dialogue, description, and
reflection to show what is
happening and as well as what
the characters are thinking and
feeling

Exceeding
10 points
- Writer thoroughly and
thoughtfully includes revisions
from previous drafts
- Final piece is the result of
extensive, persistent, and
deliberate re-working

Meeting
8 points
- Writer thoroughly and
thoughtfully includes revisions
from previous drafts

Exceeding
10 points
With no exceptions
- Dialogue is properly formatted
- Writer does not use the word
said or be more than a few
times
- Sentences are grammatically
correct
- Sentences are properly
punctuated
- Words are spelled correctly

Meeting
8 points
With few (no more than three)
exceptions
- Dialogue is properly formatted
- Writer does not use the word
said or be more than a few
times
- Sentences are grammatically
correct
- Sentences are properly
punctuated
- Words are spelled correctly

Developing
21 pts
- Includes action, dialogue,
description, and reflection; but
the elements are unbalanced
(too much or not enough of
one or more elements)

Not Meeting
15 pts
- Does not include all four
narrative techniquesone or
more element is missing

Evidence of Revision
Developing
7 points
- Final draft demonstrates
inconsistent or incomplete
revision

Not Meeting
5 points
- Final draft does not show
evidence of revision

Conventions
Developing
7 points
Multiple errors in one or more of
the following areas:
- Dialogue is properly formatted
- Writer does not use the word
said or be more than a few
times
- Sentences are grammatically
correct
- Sentences are properly
punctuated
- Words are spelled correctly

Not Meeting
5 points
No clear evidence of
understanding the following
conventions:
- Dialogue is properly formatted
- Writer does not use the word
said or be more than a few
times
- Sentences are grammatically
correct
- Sentences are properly
punctuated
- Words are spelled correctly

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