Narrative Writing Resources for Australian Teachers

Q: What is the difference between narrative writing and a recount?

A narrative is an imaginative story with a complication and resolution — it creates tension and engages the reader through plot. A recount retells events that have already happened in chronological order (like a diary entry or a news report). The key difference is that narratives have a complication that drives the plot, while recounts simply sequence events.

Q: How can I help students who say "I don't know what to write"?

This is one of the most common challenges. Try: (1) visual prompts — images are more inspiring than written prompts for many students; (2) story planning — teach students to plan before writing so they know where the story is going; (3) mentor texts — read examples of the type of story they're writing; (4) collaborative brainstorming — discuss ideas as a class before independent writing; (5) choice — let students choose from several prompts rather than assigning one.

Teach narrative writing with confidence. Structure guides, curriculum alignment, NAPLAN tips, and teacher-created resources for Foundation to Year 6.

Teaching Narrative Writing in Australian Primary Schools

Narrative writing — telling stories — is one of the most important text types in the Australian Curriculum. From Foundation to Year 6, students learn to create imaginative texts with developed characters, engaging plots, and purposeful language choices.

It's also one of the text types assessed in NAPLAN. The NAPLAN writing test uses either a narrative or persuasive prompt each year — the genre is not disclosed in advance, so students need to be confident with both.

This page covers the structure of narrative texts, how narrative writing is taught across year levels in the Australian Curriculum, strategies for improving student writing, and ready-to-use resources created by Australian teachers.

Structure of a Narrative Text

Australian primary schools teach a consistent narrative structure that builds in complexity as students progress through year levels. (See also NSW Education's narrative text type guide.)

Orientation

The opening establishes the characters, setting, and time. It answers: Who is in the story? Where does it take place? When does it happen? Young writers might start simply: "One sunny morning, a girl named Lily walked to school." Older students create more engaging openings that hook the reader with action, dialogue, or description.

Complication

The complication is the problem, conflict, or challenge that drives the story. Without a complication, there is no story. For younger students, this might be a lost toy or a disagreement with a friend. Older students develop more layered complications involving internal conflict, moral dilemmas, or multiple problems.

Rising Action (Series of Events)

The events that unfold as the character responds to the complication. Each event should build tension and move the story towards the climax. This is where Year 4–6 students learn to develop their plots with detail, suspense, and pacing.

Climax

The turning point — the moment of highest tension where the complication reaches its peak. Teaching students to identify and write a clear climax significantly improves the quality of their narratives. Many younger students skip this, moving straight from problem to resolution.

Resolution

How the problem is solved or the situation is resolved. Strong resolutions connect back to the complication and show how the character has changed or what they've learned. Weak resolutions feel rushed ("and then everything was fine") — this is one of the most common areas for improvement in student narratives.

Coda (Optional)

A reflection or lesson learned at the end of the story. Not all narratives need a coda, but it can add depth. "From that day on, Lily always checked the weather before leaving the house."

Narrative Language Features

Students learn to use specific language techniques to enhance their narratives:

Descriptive language — adjectives, adverbs, and sensory details ("the icy wind stung her cheeks")
Figurative language — similes, metaphors, personification ("the trees whispered in the breeze")
Dialogue — conversations between characters to reveal personality and advance the plot
Show, don't tell — describing emotions through actions ("Her hands trembled" instead of "She was scared")
Varied sentence beginnings — starting sentences with different words and structures to create rhythm
Time connectives — words that sequence events ("suddenly", "meanwhile", "the next morning", "after a while")
Strong verbs — precise action words ("sprinted" instead of "ran", "whispered" instead of "said")

Narrative Writing in the Australian Curriculum

The Australian Curriculum v9 for English includes narrative writing within the Literacy strand, under "Creating texts." Students create imaginative texts with increasing sophistication from Foundation to Year 6.

Foundation & Year 1

Students create short imaginative texts using familiar events and characters. They learn basic story structure — beginning, middle, and end — and are beginning to write simple sentences with capital letters and full stops.

Effective activities at this level include:

Retelling familiar stories in their own words
Shared writing where the class creates a story together
Drawing pictures and writing captions to tell a story
Using story maps with three boxes (beginning, middle, end)

Year 2 & Year 3

Students write narratives with a clear orientation, complication, and resolution. They include simple descriptions of characters and settings, use time connectives to sequence events, and experiment with dialogue. Year 3 students may encounter NAPLAN narrative writing for the first time.

Effective activities at this level include:

Story planners with orientation, complication, and resolution sections
Character description activities using adjectives and comparisons
Practising dialogue with correct punctuation (speech marks)
Writing narratives from picture prompts or story starters

Year 4 & Year 5

Students write well-structured narratives with developed characters, detailed settings, and engaging complications. They control paragraphing, use a range of language features including figurative language and varied sentence structures, and create tension through pacing and word choice.

Effective activities at this level include:

Analysing mentor texts to identify effective narrative techniques
Writing from different perspectives (first person, third person)
Developing "show don't tell" skills through targeted exercises
Timed narrative writing practice for NAPLAN preparation
Peer editing and feedback using writing rubrics

Year 6

Year 6 students write sophisticated narratives that demonstrate strong authorial voice, deliberate language choices, and control of narrative structure. They experiment with non-linear structures (flashbacks, foreshadowing), develop complex characters with internal conflict, and use figurative language with purpose. Their narratives show awareness of audience and the ability to engage the reader from the first line.

Effective activities at this level include:

Writing in response to visual and conceptual prompts
Experimenting with narrative techniques like foreshadowing, cliff-hangers, and circular structure
Crafting strong opening paragraphs and satisfying resolutions
Analysing published authors' techniques and applying them to own writing

Narrative Writing and NAPLAN

The NAPLAN writing test uses either a narrative or persuasive prompt each year. The genre is not announced in advance — ACARA selects the genre each year and there is no guaranteed alternation pattern. When a narrative prompt is set, students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 write an imaginative text in response to a stimulus (usually a visual prompt with a title or theme).

What NAPLAN Markers Look For

NAPLAN narrative writing is assessed against ten criteria:

Ideas and Content

Audience — awareness of the reader and engagement
Character and setting — development and description
Ideas — originality and elaboration of the storyline

Structure

Text structure — orientation, complication, rising action, climax, resolution
Paragraphing — logical organisation into paragraphs
Cohesion — use of connectives, referencing, and linking devices

Language

Vocabulary — range, precision, and effectiveness of word choices
Sentence structure — variety and complexity of sentences
Punctuation — accurate and purposeful use of punctuation
Spelling — correct spelling of common and topic-specific words

Common Weaknesses in Student Narratives

Weak complications — The problem is too simple, solved too easily, or doesn't create tension
Rushed resolutions — "And then everything was fine." Students run out of time or ideas
Telling instead of showing — "She was sad" instead of "Tears blurred her vision as she turned away"
Flat characters — Characters who are names only, with no personality, thoughts, or dialogue
No paragraphing — Writing as one continuous block of text
Repetitive sentence beginnings — Starting every sentence with "Then" or the character's name

Preparation Tips

Practise regularly — at least one narrative per fortnight from Year 3 onwards
Teach the planning step — students who spend 5 minutes planning write significantly better narratives
Use mentor texts — read and analyse high-quality narratives to build a bank of techniques
Practise under timed conditions — so students learn to manage their time and finish their story
Focus on the complication — a strong complication is the single biggest predictor of a strong narrative

Looking for more NAPLAN writing practice? See our NAPLAN Practice Resources page.

Narrative Writing Prompts by Year Level

Need a quick narrative prompt? Here are ideas grouped by year level, with Australian contexts where possible.

Foundation – Year 2

The day my pet could talk
A trip to the beach that went wrong
The magic door in the school playground
I found a baby [Australian animal] in my backyard
The day it rained inside the classroom
My teddy bear's secret adventure

Year 3 & Year 4

Lost in the bush — a camping trip goes wrong
The new kid at school has an unusual secret
A message in a bottle washes up on an Australian beach
The day I switched places with my teacher
A storm knocks out the power and something strange happens
I discovered a hidden room in the school library

Year 5 & Year 6

Write from the perspective of an animal during a bushfire
A time capsule from 100 years ago is opened — what's inside changes everything
Two friends discover their small town is hiding a secret
You wake up and realise you're the only person who remembers yesterday
A journey across the outback reveals something unexpected
Write a story where the ending is also the beginning

Looking for more? See our Narrative Writing Prompts page for an extended collection.

Frequently Asked Questions About Narrative Writing

What is narrative writing?

Narrative writing is a text type where the writer tells a story — real or imagined. In Australian primary schools, narrative writing focuses on creating imaginative texts with characters, settings, a complication (problem), and a resolution. Students learn to use descriptive language, dialogue, and narrative structure to engage the reader.

What is the difference between narrative writing and a recount?

A narrative is an imaginative story with a complication and resolution — it creates tension and engages the reader through plot. A recount retells events that have already happened in chronological order (like a diary entry or a news report). The key difference is that narratives have a complication that drives the plot, while recounts simply sequence events.

Is narrative writing assessed in NAPLAN?

Yes, but not every year. The NAPLAN writing test uses either a narrative or persuasive prompt — the genre is selected by ACARA each year and is not disclosed in advance. Students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 respond to a visual or thematic prompt by writing a complete narrative or persuasive text under timed conditions.

When do students start learning narrative writing?

Students begin creating simple imaginative texts from Foundation, starting with drawings and simple sentences about familiar events. Formal narrative structure (orientation, complication, resolution) is typically introduced in Year 2, with increasing complexity through to Year 6.

How can I help students who say "I don't know what to write"?

This is one of the most common challenges. Try: (1) visual prompts — images are more inspiring than written prompts for many students; (2) story planning — teach students to plan before writing so they know where the story is going; (3) mentor texts — read examples of the type of story they're writing; (4) collaborative brainstorming — discuss ideas as a class before independent writing; (5) choice — let students choose from several prompts rather than assigning one.

Can I find narrative writing resources on TeachBuySell?

Yes. TeachBuySell has hundreds of narrative writing resources created by Australian teachers, including planning templates, writing scaffolds, prompt cards, rubrics, and complete writing units. Browse narrative writing resources here or use the collections above.