如何写好叙述性短文（narrative essay）
大家学习英语除了四六级，大部分都是为了出国考试，准备的重心也都是议论文。其实在出国之后，很多时候我们的学习和工作是要求我们具备有写叙述文的能力。就像国内从小要求我们写日记一样，学会写好叙述文对学习语言是很有帮助的。
● 如何用六七百字来描述非常平常的周一~（先放两段，全文附录在最后~）
#01
It was one of those busy Monday mornings when you’d rather throw yourself out of the window than get up and go to work.（描述周一的普遍心态，是在不想起床上班啊啊啊啊） A man slapped away his ringing phone as he was on his bed. His usual ear-splitting alarm going off, telling him to wake up and get ready for work. It was the third alarm this morning. Suddenly realizing he actually slapped his phone own to the floor he jolted up and picked up the phone.(描述被闹钟吵醒，又被手机掉地上所惊醒)
jointed: to give someone a sudden shock or surprise
'Phew, no damage.’ He said to no one as he hauled himself to the bathroom, getting ready.
As he was driving to work, he felt empty. Not just because he hadn’t eaten anything and his stomach was complaining, but also because it was this same routine every day.(描述日复一日相同路线的无聊) He didn’t want to go to work again after the weekend. He wanted to stop the car right there, jump out of it and start running towards nowhere, possibly finding some adventure. He wanted his life to have a meaning beyond an office, earning monthly, paying bills and drinking Chai.
Well, he didn’t jump out of the car, not until he had reached his office.（把想逃离这种重复的生活的心理状态描述的淋淋尽致）
#02
下面我们将一步一步的来讲解如何写好一篇生动形象的叙述文：
叙述问通常时从一个人的角度讲一个生动的故事。最基本的三个要素：人物，背景，情节，（每个人理解的都不一样哈，还有的是七个要素，但我觉得这三个是最重要的，就先分析这三个啦~~）
● 人物
叙述文总会是一个故事，有故事即要有主角。人物的体现可以用话语和动作甚至表情，用一些心里描写，物体反射，天气描写反应人物心情等等。
● 背景
时间、地点、环境（将读者带入另一个世界）、甚至季节等等，背景帮助读者理解，甚至可以在脑海中构建出画面。
● 情节
精心设计一个值得和无法预测的情节。了解情节及其对故事的影响，是撰写引人入胜的叙事的重要组成部分。
剧情包括背景信息，冲突，故事的高潮以及最后的结论。一定要是跌宕起伏的，引人入胜
是不是和初高中语文叙述文分析差不多~~~
说完了元素，我们讨论一下结构：
#introduction
在开头段我们引入文章的背景/环境，在这里，可以设置一个小小的悬念，增加阅读的趣味
可以使用questions, facts，intriguing statement, an insight into a moment within the story, a quote, etc.
example：
It was my first time attending a conference of such magnitude. I was quite dazed at the beginning of the whole experience so little did I know I was in for the worst night ever.
这个就是一个intriguing statement，可以激起读者的好奇心忍不住去想什么造成了这个糟糕
example2：
Sometimes we don’t understand things as they are. Sometimes we are bent on believing something just because it is convenient to do so. I learnt that the hard way when I …
这里就是facts开头
#Main body
这里我们可以按照时间的先后顺序写。一般来说整个情节部分分为三部分：（其实和语文作文差不多啦~~）
rising action--> climax--> falling action, aftermath
rising action:（开始阶段、铺垫阶段） This part contains the events that build up and make the story. The problem, the questions, the issues are presented in this part.
Climax: （高潮阶段）This part is NOT the final moment. Rather, the climax is the TURNING point of the whole story, where the issues and questions become resolved. Where the story moves towards a steadier pace. The initial dilemma gets resolved in this part.
Falling action, aftermath:（高潮的后续、决定、解决办法） This is where we explain the aftermath of the events that happen after the climax. A good narrative essay needs a good resolution.
在情节的叙述上，非常建议使用对话，心里描述，表情描述等等
She actually said, “I wonder if the leprechauns left it!” While judging her for being such a silly woman, I couldn’t help but laugh and lean into her a little.
叙述文通常时第一人称，也有很少一部分是第三人称
#Conclusion
重述了故事中发生的事件的一些关键细节，经验教训，或者感想，留给读者一些思考的东西。避免突然结尾（不完整的结尾）。
·撰写任何文章都需要的三个重要步骤
1. prewriting：写作之前，想一下outline,该如何叙述故事。
2.Draft：下面开始写作，有几个注意事项：
a. 有关重要人物和重要风景的生动细节。
b. 表达情绪,并保持写作风格一致。例如：
At that moment, I realized that I had done a grave mistake. A mistake that may cost me my reputation. I had forgotten the movie tickets.
有效表达了情绪
对比：I noticed that I forgot about the movie tickets.
直接阐述，并没有感觉到情绪
3.proofreading：
重新阅读文章，看它是否传达您想要传达的信息？感觉整个文章风格/情绪一致/连贯嘛？
TIPS
a. 叙述文和短篇小说不完全一样，叙述文是有目的有主题的，而短篇小说可以随意发挥，没有主题。
b. 非常建议使用带有情感色彩的描述性词汇。譬如：
It was an empty, vast, blue sea.
上面的这个描述就没有下面的这个描述好：
There was nothing as far as the eye could see in that sea, carrying the color of the sky.
祝愿看到这里的朋友们都可以写一篇精彩绝伦的叙述文！