resource writer definition

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Resource Writer Class

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Writes resources in the system-default format to an output file or an output stream. This class cannot be inherited.

The following example writes several strings into the myResources.resources file.

ResourceWriter provides a default implementation of the IResourceWriter interface. It enables you to programmatically create a binary resource (.resources) file.

Resources are specified as name and value pairs using the AddResource method. Resource names are case-sensitive when used for lookups, but to more easily support authoring tools and help eliminate bugs, ResourceWriter will not allow a .resources file to have names that vary only by case. The ResourceWriter class enables you to create string, object, and binary resources. Binary resources can be written to the resource file as a byte array or a stream.

This type implements the IDisposable interface. When you have finished using the type, you should dispose of it either directly or indirectly. To dispose of the type directly, call its Dispose method in a try / catch block. To dispose of it indirectly, use a language construct such as using (in C#) or Using (in Visual Basic). For more information, see the "Using an Object that Implements IDisposable" section in the IDisposable interface topic.

To create a resources file, create a ResourceWriter with a unique file name, call AddResource at least once, call Generate to write the resources file to disk, and then call Close to close the file. Calling Close will implicitly call Generate if you do not explicitly call Generate .

The resources will not necessarily be written in the same order they were added.

To retrieve resources from a binary .resources file created by the ResourceWriter class, you can use the ResourceManager class, which lets you retrieve named resources, or the ResourceReader class, which lets you enumerate all the resources in the file.

Constructors

• IResourceWriter
• IDisposable
• Resources in Desktop Apps
• Creating Resource Files for Desktop Apps

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Resources for Writers: The Writing Process

Writing is a process that involves at least four distinct steps: prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing. It is known as a recursive process. While you are revising, you might have to return to the prewriting step to develop and expand your ideas.

• Prewriting is anything you do before you write a draft of your document. It includes thinking, taking notes, talking to others, brainstorming, outlining, and gathering information (e.g., interviewing people, researching in the library, assessing data).
• Although prewriting is the first activity you engage in, generating ideas is an activity that occurs throughout the writing process.
• Drafting occurs when you put your ideas into sentences and paragraphs. Here you concentrate upon explaining and supporting your ideas fully. Here you also begin to connect your ideas. Regardless of how much thinking and planning you do, the process of putting your ideas in words changes them; often the very words you select evoke additional ideas or implications.
• Don’t pay attention to such things as spelling at this stage.
• This draft tends to be writer-centered: it is you telling yourself what you know and think about the topic.
• Revision is the key to effective documents. Here you think more deeply about your readers’ needs and expectations. The document becomes reader-centered. How much support will each idea need to convince your readers? Which terms should be defined for these particular readers? Is your organization effective? Do readers need to know X before they can understand Y?
• At this stage you also refine your prose, making each sentence as concise and accurate as possible. Make connections between ideas explicit and clear.
• Check for such things as grammar, mechanics, and spelling. The last thing you should do before printing your document is to spell check it.
• Don’t edit your writing until the other steps in the writing process are complete.

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Definition of resource

resource , resort , expedient , shift , makeshift , stopgap mean something one turns to in the absence of the usual means or source of supply.

resource and resort apply to anything one falls back upon.

expedient may apply to any device or contrivance used when the usual one is not at hand or not possible.

shift implies a tentative or temporary imperfect expedient.

makeshift implies an inferior expedient adopted because of urgent need or allowed through indifference.

stopgap applies to something used temporarily as an emergency measure.

Examples of resource in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'resource.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

French ressource , from Old French ressourse relief, resource, from resourdre to relieve, literally, to rise again, from Latin resurgere — more at resurrection

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing resource

• uniform resource locator
• natural resource
• universal resource locator

Dictionary Entries Near resource

resourceful

Cite this Entry

“Resource.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resource. Accessed 9 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of resource, more from merriam-webster on resource.

Nglish: Translation of resource for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of resource for Arabic Speakers

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UMGC Effective Writing Center Writing to Analyze

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When writing to analyze, your job as a writer is to put something under your mental microscope, to break it down and examine it as if you were a scientist studying a new species of bug.

After your examination, you report without prejudice what you saw. Your purpose is to serve as the eyes and ears of your audience, providing a detailed report on what something is or how it works.

For example, you could analyze a physical phenomenon such as a black hole in space or a tornado here on earth, a social custom such as the senior prom or graduation gowns, physical objects such as photographs or paintings, literary texts, or literary characters.

In other words, just about anything in our world can be put under the microscope of your analysis. Let’s look briefly at how we might write one of these essays.

The Atlantic Hurricane

How might we go about analyzing this phenomenon? We could begin by talking about when hurricanes are born—the hurricane season that lasts from June to November. The next step of our analysis might examine the early forms of the hurricane, which are the tropical storms and tropical depressions that occur in this season when sea temperatures and moisture rise. Then comes formation of the low pressure eye that signals the maturing of the hurricane, which is defined as a storm with winds greater than 74 miles per hour.

Thus, we’ve analyzed the hurricane (the "what") and several factors in its formation (the "how"). Based on this initial planning we can now write our thesis statement. In analysis writing, a thesis often consists of the “what” combined with the “how.” For example, our thesis for this hurricane essay could be:

The Atlantic hurricane is best understood by following its formation from birth to maturity.

The Graduation Gown

Let’s put one more topic under our microscope: a social custom like the graduation gown. We will examine its parts from head to toe, literally, beginning with the mortarboard and tassel, the gown, the hood, the honors medals, etc. The “what” is the graduation gown. The “how” is from top to bottom, head to toe. Our thesis simply combines the "what" with the "how":

Each part of the graduation gown, from head to toe, has special meaning.

One of the keys to a successful analysis essay is to have a clear method of taking apart the subject, then focusing on its parts one-by-one. This method (the "how") becomes the basis of your writing’s organization.

So, for instance, our outline for the Atlantic hurricane analysis might look something like this:

• The introduction paragraph will contain our thesis at or near the end: The Atlantic hurricane is best understood by following it from birth to maturity. 
• The first body paragraph could discuss the “hurricane season” Our paragraph topic sentence would be something like, "Atlantic hurricanes are born during the hurricane season from June through November." Then would come supporting details to help the reader understand more about the hurricane season: a few storms in June, with the number increasing to their peak in September.
• The next body paragraph would discuss the role of higher sea temperatures and increased moisture during this time that leads to tropical storms. So the topic sentence could be something like, “During this time, warmer seas fuel for tropical storms—the adolescence of many hurricanes.”
• The last body paragraph would cover the third stage in the life cycle, when the hurricane’s eye forms and winds are 74 mph or greater. So the topic sentence might be: “Finally, a tropical storm graduates to adult hurricane status when it develops winds of 74 mph or higher.”

Such a clear plan when writing the essay will allow you to bring in the right details at the right time in order to provide your readers a full and satisfying analysis of your topic, from hurricanes to graduation gowns.

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Workplace Writers

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

This page provides links to resources for workplace writers and people writing during the job search process.

For access to all OWL resources, click here . Please click on the links below to access resources for workplace writers and people writing during the job search process:

Effective Workplace Writing - This resource explains two dominant ideas in professional writing that will help you produce persuasive, usable resumes, letters, memos, reports, white papers, etc. This section outlines the concepts of rhetorical awareness and user-centered design, provides examples of these ideas, and contains a glossary of terms.

Audience Analysis - This section helps you build Information about your readers. It discusses your communication's complex audience and provides key questions you can ask to determine readers' needs, values, and attitudes. This section also provides useful charts to help you with your audience analysis.

Tailoring Employment Documents for a Specific Audience - This handout provides information on how to tailor your employment documents to a specific audience to help you land an interview.

Prewriting - This section explains the prewriting (invention) stage of the composing process. It includes processes, strategies, and questions to help you begin to write. While invention may seem to apply only to academic contexts, these strategies may also help professionals tackle workplace writing challenges and begin the research process necessary for white papers, reports, and proposals.

Employment Documents: The Cover Letter, Job Acceptance Letter, and Personal Statement

Job Skills Checklist - This handout provides a large skills inventory list that you can use to help build your cover letter and resume.

Action Verbs to Describe Skills, Jobs, and Accomplishments in Employment Documents - This section offers a categorized list of action verbs that can be utilized to explain the daily tasks completed by an individual on the job. In addition to the categorized lists, there are examples with some of the actions verbs being used; and there is also a sample resume provided for further assistance.

Cover Letters 1: Quick Tips - This page provides a guide to writing cover letters. Here you will find brief answers and lists of what you should include in a cover letter, how to order and format such a letter, and what to do before sending it out.

Cover Letters 2: Preparing to Write a Cover Letter - Before you start to write a cover letter, you should gather information about yourself, the company, and the job. This page will help you learn what kind of information to find, where to find it, and how and why to use that information to "sell yourself" in a cover letter.

Cover Letters 3: Writing Your Cover Letter - This resource offers a series of short documents that walks you through the creation of a cover letter. Here you can see the information in the "Quick Tips for Cover Letters" and "Preparing to Write a Cover Letter" pages put to use. This page guides you through adapting your experiences to the content in your cover letter and its different sections.

Letters Concerning Employment - This section covers writing additional correspondence beyond cover letters including reference requests, interview follow-up letters, inquiry letters, acceptance and rejection letters, request for further negotiations letters and thank you letters.

Academic Cover Letters - When you're applying for a faculty position with a college or university, the cover letter is your first chance to make a strong impression as a promising researcher and teacher. Below you'll find some strategies for presenting your qualifications effectively in an academic context.

Writing a Job Acceptance Letter - This slide presentation is an interactive presentation to help students and professionals understand how to prepare a job acceptance letter. This presentation is ideal for students and professionals who are involved in the job search process.

Writing the Personal Statement - This handout provides information about writing personal statements for academic and other positions.

Example Employment Documents - These annotated employment documents provide examples of resumes, CVs, and cover letters for a variety of disciplines.

Working Class Job Search Documents - These resources, developed with WorkOne Express at the Lafayette Adult Resource Academy (LARA), explain how to compose cover letters and resumes, as well as follow up and thank you letters, for working class jobs.

Employment Documents: The Resume and Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Resume Design - This handout offers advice making informed design choices in creating a resume. We also have a sample resume that uses these design principles available in the media section above.

Resumes 1: Introduction to Resumes - Before beginning to write your resume, it is a good idea to understand what you are writing, why you are writing it, and what is expected as you write it. This basic introduction will aid both new resume writers and those who may have forgotten certain details about resume writing.

Resumes 2: Resume Sections - When writing a resume, you need to understand the specific needs of each section. This resource, with information about contact information, education, and work experience sections, will help explain what each section requires.

Resumes 3: When to Use Two Pages or More - You have probably heard the saying, "Keep your resume to a page." Although this is true for most cases, many employers are accepting longer resumes...in certain instances. Use this resource to gain more understanding about what constitutes the page length of a resume.

Resumes 4: Scannable Resumes - This handout provides a traditional resume sample and a scannable resume sample for a comparison as well as general guidelines on writing scannable resumes.

Management Resumes - This handout describes how to tailor your resume when applying for management positions.

Writing the Curriculum Vitae - This handout provides an overview of strategies for writing an effective curriculum vitae. This topic is particularly important for graduate students who are entering the academic job market for the first time.

Reference Sheets - This section details how to develop and format a reference sheet.

More Professional Writing Resources

Email Etiquette - Although instant and text/SMS messaging is beginning to supplant email for some groups' primary means of Internet communication, effective and appropriate email etiquette is still important. This resource will help you to become an effective writer and reader/manager of email.

Writing the Basic Business Letter - This handout covers the parts of the basic business letter.

Business Letters: Accentuating the Positive - This handout provides information on accentuating positive news in writing business letters.

Model Letters for Various Purposes - This handout provides several model letters for various job-search purposes including: a reference request model, a request for further negotiations model, and a reply to a rejection model.

Sales Letters: Four Point Action Closing - This handout covers four points on how to write a good conclusion for a sales letter.

Writing Report Abstracts - This handout discusses how to write good abstracts for reports. It covers informational and descriptive abstracts and gives pointers for success.

Memo Writing - This handout will help you solve your memo-writing problems by discussing what a memo is, describing the parts of memos, and providing examples and explanations that will make your memos more effective.

Writing a White Paper - A white paper is a certain type of report that is distinctive in terms of purpose, audience, and organization. This resource will explain these issues and provide some other tips to enhance white paper content.

Writing a Research Paper - This section provides detailed information about how to write research papers including discussing research papers as a genre, choosing topics, and finding sources.

Handbook on Report Formats - This resource is an updated version of Muriel Harris’ handbook “Report Formats: a self instruction module on writing skills for engineers,” written in 1981.

Medical Writing - This resource contains information on medical journalism. The material explains the objectives of medical journalism and its applications in the media. Moreover, this resource demonstrates ways writers can accurately translate complex, scientific literature into layperson's terms.

Writing Press Releases - Effective publicity often requires the use of a press release (sometimes called, news release , or media release ). Essentially, a press release is a document that has been crafted for publication in newspapers, magazines and other print media, or for broadcast on television, radio, or Internet video. Learning to write press releases is as much about writing well as it is about knowing your audience expectations for content and format.

INDOT Workshop Resources for Engineers - This area contains resources for the Purdue Writing Lab-Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) Workshops. These detailed materials will help engineers from all disciplines, workplace writers, and students compose clear, dynamic, and effective technical communication. Elements of writing covered in these resources include grammar and mechanics, visual and document design, and overall organization.

Writing Definitions - This resource provides suggestions and examples for writing definitions.

Writing for a North American Business Audience - This handout provides examples and information (written for non-North Americans) on how to write for a business audience. It includes information on getting to the point, keeping it simple, active and passive voice, nondiscriminatory language, and verb overgeneralizing.

Writing for a Chinese Business Audience - This handout provides examples and information on writing in English for both domestic and international audiences doing business in China. It includes information on letters and memos, as well as important stylistic considerations.

Writing for an Indian Business Audience - This handout provides examples and information on writing for both domestic and international audiences doing business in India. It includes information on letters and memos, as well as important stylistic considerations. The handout concludes with comments on some important characteristics of English writing in India, and on the status of English in business writing compared with native Indian languages, such as Hindi and Bengali.

Tips and Terms for the International Student's Job Search - If you are an international student looking for a job in the United States, it is important to understand what specific job search terms mean in the United States as opposed to in your home country in order to be able to meet a prospective employer’s expectations. Listed below are some key terms that you will frequently hear while conducting a job search as well as important tips for creating a resume in the United States.

Style, Language, Research, and Revision

Paragraphs and Paragraphing - The purpose of this resource is to provide some basic instruction and advice regarding the creation of understandable and coherent paragraphs.

HATS: A Design Procedure for Routine Business Documents - The HATS presentation introduces students and instructors to the basic elements of document design. The presentation outlines how to use headings, (information) access, typography (fonts), and space in routine professional documents to promote user-centered communication.

Tone in Business Writing - This handout provides overviews and examples of how to use tone in business writing. This includes considering the audience and purpose for writing.

Transitions and Transitional Devices - This resource discusses transition strategies and specific transitional devices to help fs' and professionals' essays or reports and sentences flow more effectively.

Adding Emphasis in Writing - This handout provides information on visual and textual devices for adding emphasis to student and professional writing including textual formatting, punctuation, sentence structure, and the arrangement of words.

Conciseness - This resource explains the concept of concise writing and provides examples of how to ensure clear prose.

Paramedic Method: A Lesson in Writing Concisely - This handout provides steps and exercises to eliminate wordiness at the sentence level.

Sentence Variety - This resource presents methods for adding sentence variety and complexity to writing that may sound repetitive or boring. Sections are divided into general tips for varying structure, a discussion of sentence types, and specific parts of speech which can aid in sentence variety.

Using Appropriate Language - This section covers some of the major issues with appropriate language use: levels of language formality, deceitful language and Euphemisms, slang and idiomatic expressions; using group-specific jargon; and biased/stereotypical language.

Parallel Structure in Professional Writing - Provides information and examples on parallel structure in business documents.

Research: Overview - This section provides answers to the following research-related questions: Where do I begin? Where should I look for information? What types of sources are available?

Searching the World Wide Web - This section covers finding sources for your writing in the World Wide Web. It includes information about search engines, Boolean operators, web directories, and the invisible web. It also includes an extensive, annotated links section.

Conducting Primary Research - This section includes information on what primary research is, how to get started, ethics involved with primary research and different types of research you can do. It includes details about interviews, surveys, observations, and analysis.

Evaluating Sources of Information - This section provides information on evaluating bibliographic citations, aspects of evaluation, reading evaluation, print vs. Internet sources, and evaluating internet sources.

Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing - This resource will help you become more comfortable with the uses of and distinctions among quotations, paraphrases, and summaries. This handout compares and contrasts the three terms, gives some pointers, and includes a short excerpt that you can use to practice these skills.

Avoiding Plagiarism - This resource offers advice on how to avoid plagiarism in your work—there are few intellectual offenses more serious than plagiarism in academic and professional contexts.

Prioritizing Your Concerns for Effective Business Writing - When you are revising your resume or other business messages, there are priorities of concerns in choosing what to look for and work on. This handout provides tips for reviewing the content and quality of your business documents.

Punctuation - This resource will help clarify when and how to use various marks of punctuation. When speaking, we can pause or change the tone of our voices to indicate emphasis. When writing, we must use punctuation to indicate these places of emphasis.

Revision in Business Writing - Provides information on revising business documents for audience and purpose with emphasis on language, tone, organization, and correctness.

Proofreading Your Writing - This section provides information on proofreading, finding and fixing common errors.

Commas - This resource offers a number of pages about comma use.

Writing and Research Help by Email - Still have questions about your writing? Haven't found what you need? Send us an email! Our staff will provide individualized writing help online.

What Does It Mean to Be a Writer?

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

A writer is:

(a) a person who writes (articles, stories, books, etc.);

(b) an author : a person who writes professionally. In the words of author and editor Sol Stein, "A writer is someone who cannot not write."

The etymology is from an Indo-European root, meaning "to cut, scratch, sketch an outline".

Examples and Observations

• "Everyone is a writer . You are a writer. All over the world, in every culture, human beings have carved into stone, written on parchment, birch bark, or scraps of paper, and sealed into letters — their words . Those who do not write stories and poems on solid surfaces tell them, sing them, and, in so doing, write them on the air . Creating with words is our continuing passion." (Pat Schneider, Writing Alone and With Others . Oxford University Press, 2003)
• "A writer is someone who writes, it's true, but a writer is also someone with a large capacity for adversity. You'll want to cultivate that capacity. Stamina is a writer's first quality." (Bill Roorbach, Writing Life Stories . Writer's Digest, 2000)
• "We all know it's hard work. Nobody asked any one of us to become a writer . No one will care if you don't become one. "No one but you, that is." (George V. Higgins, On Writing . Henry Holt, 1990)
• " Writers are sentenced to their sentences, which sometimes set them free." (Adam Gopnik, "As Big as the Ritz." The New Yorker , September 22, 2014)

Gushers and Tricklers

"In regard to the work habits of professional authors, Robertson Davies insisted that there are just two kinds of writers, "gushers" and "tricklers." Take a moment to consider which category you fall into. [James] Thurber was a gusher; for one story which was 20,000 words when finished, he wrote a total of 240,000, and fifteen different versions. It is interesting that the torrential Thurber is the one who talked most about that dread of all writers — drying up....Frank O'Connor was also a gusher; he rewrote some of his stories even after they had been published. The tricklers may be represented by William Styron, who says: ''I can't turn out slews of stuff each day. I wish I could. I seem to have some neurotic need to perfect each paragraph — each sentence, even — as I go along.''  Dorothy Parker , also a trickler, said: 'I can't write five words but I change seven!' The industry of the gushers commands respect; Joyce Cary, Frank O'Connor, and  [Truman] Capote — we see them writing and revising, rejecting pages by the handful, and finally piecing their work together from the mass. But the tricklers have an agony of their own; they cannot continue until the last line written is as right as they can make it. Both methods seem to take about an equal amount of time." (Robertson Davies,  A Voice from the Attic: Essays on the Art of Reading , rev. ed. Penguin, 1990)

A Writing Exercise

"Before you begin writing about your life, I want you to think about how you feel about writing. We all have our personal mythology of what a writer is and does. I want you to write for fifteen minutes to complete the following sentence: A writer is someone who _______ .

"Write for fifteen minutes without stopping, letting yourself explore the possibilities. Let go of all your inhibitions and enjoy yourself. Remember to be honest. When you are finished, take a look at what you have written. Did anything surprise you?

"If you are working with a partner, take turns reading what each of you has written and discuss the work." (Janet Lynn Roseman, The Way of the Woman Writer , 2nd ed. Haworth, 2003)

Writers Write

"If you simply define a writer as someone who is writing, clarity sets in. You're truly a writer when you're writing; and if you don't write regularly, don't pretend to give yourself that title. 'Start writing more,' Ray Bradbury tells would-be writers at conferences, 'it'll get rid of all those moods you're having.'" (Kenneth John Atchity, A Writer's Time: Making the Time to Write , rev. ed. W.W. Norton, 1995)

You Are a Writer

"A writer is a writer. You care about writing. It isn't men or women. . . . You sit down, you write, you are not a woman, or an Italian. You are a writer." (Natalia Ginzburg, interviewed by Mary Gordon, "Surviving History." The New York Times Magazine , Marc. 25, 1990)

What Is a Writer Like?

• "A writer is like a bean plant: he has his little day, and then gets stringy." (attributed to E.B. White)
• " Being a writer is like being one of those riskily overbred pedigree dogs — a French bulldog, for instance — poorly suited for survival despite their very special attributes. Being a writer is in defiance of Darwin's observation that the more highly specialized a species, the more likelihood of extinction." (Joyce Carol Oates, A Widow's Story: A Memoir . HarperCollins, 2011)
• "A writer is like a Gypsy. He owes no allegiance to any government. If he is a good writer he will never like the government he lives under. His hand should be against it and its hand will always be against him." ( Ernest Hemingway , letter to Ivan Kashkin, Aug. 19, 1935)
• "Being a writer is like having homework every night for the rest of your life." (attributed to Lawrence Kasdan)

The Downside of Being a Writer

"You may have gathered from all this that I am not encouraging people to try to be writers . Well, I can't. You hate to see a nice young person run up to the edge of the cliff and jump off, you know. On the other hand, it is awfully nice to know that some other people are just as nutty and just as determined to jump off the cliff as you are. You just hope they realize what they're in for." (Ursula K. Le Guin, The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction , ed. by Susan Wood. Ultramarine, 1980)

"On the whole, professional writers are a lot of whining bastards who wouldn't last a day in a real job...The true mortification of being a writer is having to meet other writers from time to time, and listen to their mundane egotistical rantings." (Duncan McLean, quoted by Jim Fisher in The Writer's Quotebook: 500 Authors on Creativity, Craft, and the Writing Life . Rutgers University Press, 2006)

• Writer's Block
• The Basic Characteristics of Effective Writing
• The Writer's Voice in Literature and Rhetoric
• Postscript (P.S.) Definition and Examples in Writing
• Details to Give Recommendation Letter Writers
• Definition and Examples of Quotation in English Grammar
• Point of View in Grammar and Composition
• Definition and Examples of Repetition in Writing
• How to Write a Response Paper
• Bibliography: Definition and Examples
• What E.B. White Has to Say About Writing
• What Should Be Included in a Recommendation Letter?
• Contact Clauses in English
• 12 Writers Discuss Writing
• Sample Short Answer Essay on Running

What is narrative writing? And how do I use it?

Dive into the world of narrative writing, a powerful tool to captivate and engage your audience. This comprehensive guide breaks down the concept, its importance, and how to effectively use it in your writing.

What is narrative writing?

Narrative writing is, in essence, story-telling. It's a style of writing that tells a story in a structured and engaging manner, and it’s perhaps more familiar to us than we realize. Most of the books we read, the movies we watch, and the TV shows we binge on follow this narrative writing style. This article will examine the narrative writing style more closely and break down what it is, what its key features are, and some tips for getting started with narrative writing both in creative writing and in the work environment.

The features of narrative writing

Narrative writing is characterized by several distinct features, each playing a crucial role in constructing an engaging and immersive story:

1. Orientation

This provides the backdrop to your narrative. It's the "setting the stage" phase, introducing the reader to the story's environment, time, and place. For example, in a fairy tale, the classic opening "Once upon a time in a land far, far away..." sets the orientation.

A narrative isn't a random series of events. Instead, it's a logically connected sequence of occurrences that propels the narrative forward. The plot is the heartbeat of your narrative; it's the central thread around which all other story elements revolve. It should keep your reader engaged and invested in what's coming next.

3. Characters

Characters are the lifeblood of your narrative. They could be humans, animals, or even inanimate objects. The characters provide the story with its emotional core, as readers often empathize and connect with them. Remember, characters don't have to be perfect; in fact, complex characters with strengths and flaws often feel more real and relatable.

4. Conflict

The conflict is the narrative's central tension or obstacle that the characters need to overcome. It's what keeps the reader invested, adding intrigue and suspense. The conflict can be internal (within a character's mind) or external (between characters or against larger forces or environment).

5. Resolution

The resolution, or denouement, is where the story's conflicts and tensions get resolved, providing a satisfying conclusion. However, not all narratives neatly tie up every loose end; some intentionally leave aspects open to interpretation, prompting readers to engage with the story beyond its pages.

6. Narrative point of view

This is the lens through which the story unfolds. It could be first person, where the narrator is a character in the story, or third person, where the narrator is an outsider. The chosen point of view significantly influences how readers perceive the story and characters.

Understanding these features is the first step to mastering narrative writing. They act as the skeleton structure around which the flesh of your unique story is built.

Narrative writing examples

1. novels and short stories.

Novels like "To Kill a Mockingbird" or "The Great Gatsby" are excellent examples of narrative writing. They include characters, conflicts, and resolutions, all woven into a captivating plot.

2. Business storytelling

A company sharing its origin story on their "About Us" page uses narrative writing to engage their audience. It gives the company a human touch and allows customers to connect on a personal level.

3. Personal essays

Personal essays often tell a story from the author's life experience, illustrating a particular point or theme.

Tips for Great Narrative Writing

Creating a captivating narrative requires more than understanding its core elements. Here are some practical tips to elevate your narrative writing:

1. Plan your story

Rather than diving in headfirst, spend time crafting a clear outline. A robust framework helps maintain a logical flow and ensures you don't overlook key events or details.

📖 Read more: Popular indie author, Adam Eccles, uses Craft to create his story plans.

2. Character development

Invest time in building your characters. Make them multidimensional with strengths, weaknesses, and aspirations. The more relatable they are, the more emotionally invested your reader becomes.

3. Descriptive language

Use vivid, sensory language to paint a picture in the reader's mind. Instead of just stating "the cake was delicious," try something like, "the cake melted in my mouth, releasing a burst of sweet vanilla and tart cherry flavors."

4. Incorporate conflict

Conflict is what keeps your narrative engaging. Whether it's an external conflict with another character or an internal struggle, challenges keep your audience hooked.

5. Dialogue

Dialogue is more than characters speaking; it's a tool to reveal their personality, express their feelings, and move the plot forward. Ensure it sounds natural and contributes to the narrative progression.

6. Show, don’t tell

This is a very popular piece of advice amongst writers. Instead of explicitly telling your reader what's happening or how a character feels, demonstrate it through actions or dialogue. "His hands trembled as he held the letter" is more powerful than simply stating, “He was nervous.”

Narrative Writing at Work

Narrative writing isn't just for fiction; it has numerous applications in a professional setting too:

1. Marketing and advertising

Successful ad campaigns often tell a story. They draw the customer in, creating a connection between them and the product. For example, Nike's advertising narratives often tell stories of perseverance and triumph, aligning their brand with these inspirational themes.

2. Corporate communication

Companies use narrative writing to share their mission, values, or history. An engaging narrative can humanize a corporation, helping stakeholders connect with it on a deeper level. Airbnb, for instance, often shares stories of hosts and travelers to build a sense of community.

3. Case studies and reports

Narrative elements can make case studies and reports more engaging. Instead of presenting dry facts, weave them into a story. Describe the challenge, the strategies used, the struggles, and the ultimate resolution. This approach makes the information more digestible and memorable.

4. Presentations and speeches

Great speakers know the power of a good story. Incorporating narrative elements into your presentations can help to engage your audience, making your message more impactful and memorable.

🎓 How to improve your presentation skills: 10 tips for exceptional presentations

Remember, narrative writing is an art form that can be honed with practice. Keep these tips in mind, and with time, your narratives will captivate your audience, whether they're colleagues, clients, or readers.

More writing resources

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46 Introduction to Analysis Writing

Amy Minervini

by Amy Minervini

Analysis is the process of digging deeper into what we read, see, and hear. This skill is used both in academic writing and in everyday life. In-depth exploration helps us to more effectively understand issues in society and our daily lives, including but not limited to the articles and books we read, the videos we watch, the brands and ads that influence our buying habits, and the songs we listen to. We can analyze authors, subjects, issues, images, and texts of all kinds using various methods of analysis. This chapter will introduce you to rhetorical and visual analysis, text and literary analysis, and cause and effect (another form of analysis).

Key Characteristics

Analysis writing generally exhibits the following:

• Scrutinizing the details of a subject or text and then interpreting those details to show a particular point of view or theme is being conveyed
• Using a subjective point of view, backed up by evidence
• Determining the use of and quality of rhetorical strategies (pathos, ethos, logos, and kairos) used by others, see the Reading and Writing Rhetorically chapter for more information
• An incorporation of ethos, pathos, and logos to help support claims
• Awareness of and critique of bias that seeps in–for more information on this aspect, see the Addressing Bias and Stakeholder Concerns chapter for more information

Essay Types within this Chapter

• Rhetorical Analysis
• Textual (Article) Analysis
• Literary Analysis
• Image Analysis
• Film Analysis
• Cause and Effect

Introduction to Analysis Writing Copyright © 2020 by Amy Minervini is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Definition of resource noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

• cause/contribute to climate change/global warming
• produce pollution/CO 2 /greenhouse (gas) emissions
• damage/destroy the environment/a marine ecosystem/the ozone layer/coral reefs
• degrade ecosystems/habitats/the environment
• harm the environment/wildlife/marine life
• threaten natural habitats/coastal ecosystems/a species with extinction
• deplete natural resources/the ozone layer
• pollute rivers and lakes/waterways/the air/the atmosphere/the environment/oceans
• contaminate groundwater/the soil/food/crops
• log forests/rainforests/trees
• address/combat/tackle the threat/effects/impact of climate change
• fight/take action on/reduce/stop global warming
• limit/curb/control air/water/atmospheric/environmental pollution
• cut/reduce pollution/greenhouse (gas) emissions
• offset carbon/CO 2 emissions
• reduce (the size of) your carbon footprint
• achieve/promote sustainable development
• preserve/conserve biodiversity/natural resources
• protect endangered species/a coastal ecosystem
• prevent/stop soil erosion/overfishing/massive deforestation/damage to ecosystems
• raise awareness of environmental issues
• save the planet/the rainforests/an endangered species
• conserve/save/consume/waste energy
• manage/exploit/be rich in natural resources
• dump/dispose of hazardous/toxic/nuclear waste/sewage
• dispose of/throw away litter/garbage/trash
• use/be made from recycled/recyclable/biodegradable material
• recycle bottles/packaging/paper/plastic/waste
• promote/encourage recycling/sustainable development/the use of renewable energy
• develop/invest in/promote renewable energy
• reduce your dependence/reliance on fossil fuels
• get/obtain/generate/produce electricity from wind, solar, and wave power/renewable sources
• build/develop a (50-megawatt/offshore) wind farm
• install/be powered by solar panels

Join our community to access the latest language learning and assessment tips from Oxford University Press!

• 3 resources [ plural ] personal qualities such as courage and imagination that help you deal with difficult situations He has no inner resources and hates being alone.

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a source of supply, support, or aid, especially one that can be readily drawn upon when needed.

resources, the collective wealth of a country or its means of producing wealth.

Usually resources . money, or any property that can be converted into money; assets .

Often resources . an available means afforded by the mind or one's personal capabilities: to have resource against loneliness.

an action or measure to which one may have recourse in an emergency; expedient .

capability in dealing with a situation or in meeting difficulties: a woman of resource.

Origin of resource

Other words for resource, other words from resource.

• re·source·less, adjective
• re·source·less·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use resource in a sentence

At such a moment, the pilot has no resources other than his own instincts and experience.

Great resources were devoted to the science of air crash investigation.

The resources were what you might expect: Dining room, a media center, a library, a TV room, a meeting room, a computer room.

The more resources and education society becomes equipped with, the fewer stories like yours will surface.

For me and some of my students, 2014 was the year of rediscovering old resources whose value is not exhausted yet.

He accordingly betook himself to London, where he had social resources which would, perhaps, make exile endurable.

If mistakes are made they happen rarely and the resources of the accepting houses are easily able to repair the damage.

And for how many noble and philanthropic objects has he not exerted his artistic resources!

The question whether we can long support two fields of operation draining on our resources requires grave consideration.

The introduction of the balanced Swell pedal (Walcker, 1863) has greatly increased the tonal resources of the organ.

British Dictionary definitions for resource

/ ( rɪˈzɔːs , -ˈsɔːs ) /

capability, ingenuity, and initiative; quick-wittedness : a man of resource

(often plural) a source of economic wealth, esp of a country (mineral, land, labour, etc) or business enterprise (capital, equipment, personnel, etc)

a supply or source of aid or support; something resorted to in time of need

a means of doing something; expedient

Derived forms of resource

• resourceless , adjective
• resourcelessness , noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Non-Credit Certificate Program in Medical Writing and Editing

Master the fundamentals and best practices of medical writing, editing, and communication.

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The University of Chicago’s non-credit certificate in Medical Writing and Editing uses the AMA Manual of Style as the foundation for mastering the fundamentals and best practices of medical writing, editing, and communication.

Developed for professionals with backgrounds in science or writing, the online medical writing certificate program with synchronous course sessions has a comprehensive curriculum focused on creating medical communicators with strong writing, editing, data reporting, and analytic skills. Student have the opportunity to boost their skills quickly in nine months to one year, part-time.

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Designed for both professionals with a background in science who want to acquire writing skills, and those with a background in writing or an English degree who want to understand medical terminology.

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Meaning of resource in English

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• This book is an indispensable resource for researchers.
• The company is reconsidering the way in which it deploys its resources.
• The long war had drained the resources of both countries .
• Far more resources are needed to improve adult literacy .
• To conserve resources, please reuse this shopping bag .
• accoutrements
• capital assets
• in the name of something idiom
• lost property
• lost property office
• lost-and-found
• personal property
• toxic asset

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

• accommodate
• accommodate someone with something
• administration
• arm someone with something
• hand something down
• hand something in
• hand something out
• hand something over
• reassignment

Related word

Resource | intermediate english, resource | business english, examples of resource, translations of resource.

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a group of four people who play musical instruments or sing as a group

Shoots, blooms and blossom: talking about plants

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Play Minecraft Games with Game Pass

ALSO AVAILABLE ON:

Minecraft is available to play on the following platforms:

*Mac and Linux are compatible with Java Edition only.

Poisonous Potato Update

The (s)mashing update you always asked for!

Imagine being a potato. Now imagine being the potato’s less popular sibling who didn’t inherit the tuber-licious looks the rest of your family possesses. What’s worse is – you're facing the impossible decision of what to do with all this starch? Since neither French fries nor couch potato sat right with you, there's only one option remaining. Congratulations friend, you’re a poisonous potato. 

For years, Minecraft’s own toxic tuber has been neglected and underappreciated, lacking both purpose and usefulness. For years, you – the community – tried to highlight this, working tirelessly to bring it to our attention and literally begging us for more functionality. As of today, your concerns are a thing of the past. 

Mojang Studios is proud to release our most well-boiled update to date that will add so much usability to the poisonous potato that even tater-haters will become devoted spud-buds. The Poisonous Potato Update – rich in both carbs AND features! You asked. We delivered. Or maybe you didn’t ask, but we delivered anyway? In any case, it is HERE! 

GET THE SNAPSHOT UPDATE 

Snapshots are available for Minecraft: Java Edition. To install the snapshot, open up the Minecraft Launcher and enable snapshots in the "Installations" tab. You can even play the snapshot on your own Java Realms together with your friends! 

Remember, snapshots can corrupt your world, so please back up your world and/or run the snapshot in a different folder from your main worlds.  

-> DOWNLOAD THE CROSS-PLATFORM SERVER JAR

Poisonous potato add-on.

The roots of the poisonous potato run deep within Minecraft and extends far beyond Java Edition. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the tuber-lar sensation has spread its influence to Bedrock Edition as well. With Jigarbov’s Poisonous Potato add-on , you’ll be able to experience the joy of the poisonous potato the way it was always intended – through blocks and furniture to weapons and armor.

-> GET THE ADD-ON

Gameplay & features.

• Poisonous potatoes – LOTS of poisonous potatoes! 
• A few normal potatoes too! 
• The homeland of all potato kind
• Five spud-tastic biomes: fields, hash, arboretum, corruption, and wasteland 
• Experience the life of a potato – from its inception as a raw potato picked from the fields, through cooked hash browns, to its eventual decay
• Local weather with a-mashing effects 
• Added the Colosseum, home to the lord of potato kind... 
• A whole sack of a-peeling new blocks 
• Rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and Niacin! 
• No new mineral blocks. No need! The blocks themselves contain minerals: Potassium, Magnesium, and Iron! 
• Added the frying table – everyone asked for it, so we added it. It fries potato things. It's a really nice model! 
• Added functionality to the fletching table. You can now fletch toxic resin into more refined versions of the resin. 
• Added impurities because purity is overrated 
• Added a whole bunch new gadgets that will tune your poisonous potato game up to eleven! 
• You get it by now. They’re all poisonous potatoes... 

TECHNICAL CHANGES 

• The flux capacitor integration now synergizes with quantum voxelization, which enables a 360-noscope enhancing real-time RTX terrain-rendering nightshade multibox spectrum acceleration while optimizing transdimensional entity synchronization for seamless vitelotte-king edwards-russel burbank experiences! 

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DOWNLOAD THE UPDATE?

Then you will be the proud owner of the file that contains the update. 

WHAT CAN I EXPECT IN TERMS OF GAMEPLAY?  

Poisonous potatoes. We hope this article has made that perfectly clear. 

I DON’T BELIEVE I ASKED FOR THIS UPDATE, IF I’M HONEST. 

You might not have – but your brain (or maybe belly) did! 

ARE THERE CURRENTLY ANY OTHER CARB-BASED UPDATES IN THE WORKS? 

Great question! Please look forward to the Radioactive Rice Update and Toxic Taro Update in the very distant future! 

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TED Radio Hour

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Anne Lamott reflects on life, death, and 'learning to endure the beams of love'

Manoush Zomorodi

Rachel Faulkner White

Sanaz Meshkinpour

Anne Lamott has always been honest about the messiest parts of her life, from addiction to parenthood. Now, in her 20th book, she reflects on the beautiful—and complicated—realities of love.

About Anne Lamott

Anne Lamott photographed by her son Sam Lamott hide caption

Anne Lamott is the author of twenty books, including the bestsellers Bird by Bird and Operating Instructions . Her most recent book is Somehow: Thoughts on Love . Lamott is a recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship and an inductee to the California Hall of Fame. She lives in Northern California with her family. She is also a Sunday School teacher.

This episode of the TED Radio Hour was produced by Rachel Faulkner White and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour. You can follow us on Facebook @ TEDRadioHour and email us at [email protected].

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• lecturer writing resources center

Lecturer - Writing Resources Center

COMPANY:      Case Western Reserve University

JOB TITLE:        Lecturer

HOURS:             Full-time

LOCATION:       11112 Bellflower Road, Cleveland, OH 44106

DUTIES: Designing and leading first-year Academic Inquiry Seminars (offered both Fall and Spring semesters) and consulting with students in the Writing Resource Center. Responsibilities may also include designing and leading other writing-intensive seminars; creative writing, professional/technical or scientific communication courses; and/or other undergraduate courses. Opportunities for writing program administrative and assessment activities are available and count in the teaching load. Responsible for a teaching load equivalent to six courses over the academic year (does not include summer), which may include a mix of classroom teaching, WRC consulting, and administrative activities. FSAE 100 (AIAE 100) Course description: University level reading, writing, and public speaking requirements at Case Western Reserve FSAE 100 (AIAE 100) Case Western Reserve University offers international students and English language learners the opportunity to improve reading, writing, and language skills during their first semester by placing them in a special two-semester Academic Inquiry Seminar sequence. Based on your Directed Self-Placement responses, you will take AIAE 100: Academic English in your first semester and AIQS 120: Academic Inquiry Seminar in your second semester. Once this two-semester sequence is completed, you will have completed your Academic Inquiry Seminar requirement. FSCC 100 (AIQS 120) Course description: This course, specifically designed for non-native speakers of English, develops the habits of mind and writing/communication processes that characterize academic discourse. Special emphasis is given to critical reading and writing in academic English by focusing on rhetorical and linguistic concerns specific to non-native speakers of English. Students engage with questions and topics from multiple perspectives, and they establish effective writing processes (including planning, drafting, responding to feedback, revising, reflecting, and self-assessing) as well as language acquisition habits.

REQUIREMENTS: PhD in English, Writing Studies, Education, or a related field of study, and three (3) years of experience as a Lecturer or a related occupation involving College teaching.

TO APPLY: Email resume to Kimberly Emmons at [email protected] and reference: Lecturer