Narrative Writing
叙事体写作

　　At its simplest, narrative is telling a story. So the organization of narrative writing is essentially chronological, though like in a film there may be flashbacks in story-telling. For instance, a story starts with its main character already on gallows and then relates how he was brought to such an uncomfortable position. But the brief narrative employed in college writing is usually organized in the usual chronological order, that is, in natural order that events take place.

　　Since narrative organization is basically chronological, the transition words will usually refer to time: then after, when, during, meanwhile. Later, earlier, before, etc. their main purpose is to make time relationship between events clear. In conversation, we usually hook up events in a story by saying, "Then… and then… and then." In writing, the repetition of this transition seems simple-minded and boring. Surely you can think of something else.

Exercise:

Underline all the words that indicate temporal progression.

I was born twenty-three years ago in a small town in Gansu, a northwest province, backward in development. I was the second child and my brother was two years older than me. In the next four years another sister and brother came along. But during the year after that, my father's death, after a prolonged sickness, forced the whole family to move to the city where my grandfather lived. After I completed my elementary education, thanks to a scholarship from a rich merchant, I was able to go to one of the best universities of the country.