Table 1
Basic concepts of narrative structure with examples of questions useful in exploring these concepts
|
Concept |
Illustrative probing questions |
|---|---|
|
Genre |
What literary type (or genre) do you think this writing might be described as (e.g. prose, poetry, drama, obituary, prayer, diary entry, legal document, recipe, etc.)? |
|
Narrator vs. author |
Do we know who the author is? Who is the narrator? |
|
Narration |
Is the voice of the narrator in the 1st person (I), 2nd person (you), 3rd person (he/she/them)? What is the narrator’s status (e.g. powerful, expert, novice, victim, neutral, biased, involved, distant)? Does the narrator change during the course of the text? Are there multiple points of view (POV) expressed in the narration? Example: Is there a third-person omniscient POV? Is such a POV possible? How would you describe the visual lenses (or focalization) through which you are apprehending the events and characters in this narration? |
|
Diction |
Is it serious, grandiose, cold/impersonal, pleading, clinical, casual, etc.? |
|
Time |
When does this story occur? Is it in the past, present or future or a combination? How much time passes in the story? In what order are events described? Are there any flashbacks or flash-forwards? |
|
Plot |
What happens in this story? Can you recognize a type of story that this narrative may resemble? Have you been exposed to this theme before (e.g. story of quest, chaos, revenge, love, restitution?) |
|
Images |
What images are conjured up? What metaphors are used? What do you wonder about? |
|
Feelings/emotions |
What feelings are evoked in this text? |
|
Gaps or ‘left out text’ |
What might be ‘missing’ from the text? Is there anything you want to know more about in this story? |
|
Meaning |
What meanings do you think the author is trying to convey in this story? |
Note this table is based on The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative by H. Porter Abbott [18]
Table 2
A list of writing prompts
|
‘Ice-breaker’ type of prompts—to be used at the beginning of the workshop: |
Write about your name |
|
Write about one of your scars | |
|
Describe something important in your life: a pet, a hobby, a car, a house, a song—anything except a person | |
|
Writing prompts that may be appropriate for clinical teachers or practitioners: |
Think of a clinical encounter that involved suffering and write a description of it. You may write about any aspect: what you thought and felt or what you think the patient or family thought and felt |
|
Write about a clinical encounter in which you regret your action | |
|
Write about an episode where you made an error, or one in which you triumphed | |
|
Writing prompts that may be appropriate for students in the health professions: |
Describe your first… [first experience of a patient dying] [first time dissecting a cadaver] [first time you got angry with a patient] [first time you felt incompetent] [first assist at a cardiac arrest] [first time you cried in a clinical setting] [first time you felt like a doctor] [first time you felt like throwing in the towel] [first time on call] [first time you physically hurt a patient (e.g. invasive procedure)] |
|
Write about a patient encounter episode where you witnessed healing or where there was a missed opportunity to provide healing | |
|
Describe an event where you suddenly realized that you are becoming a [doctor] [nurse] [midwife] [dentist] |