Narrative Writing Techniques

Narratives tell the story of an experience or a set of events. These stories can be about a real or imagined experience or event. Writers accomplish this by using effective techniques, well-chosen details, and well-structured order of events.

Elements of a Narrative:

Setting
Characters
Plot
Point of View
Problem(s)/Situation(s)/Conflict
Observations

What techniques can a writer use to develop the elements of a narrative?

Dialogue: Lines spoken by characters or conversation between two or more characters
Pacing: How an author handles the passage of time in a narrative
Descriptive Details: How authors use adjectives and imagery to help their readers visualize the story.
- Also used to convey the setting and develop the characters of the story.
Syntax: Often authors use shorter sentences to create tension, urgency or excitement. Likewise, they can use longer, more complex sentences for reflective thoughts, slow moments and for developing character emotions or setting. Sometimes writer use repeated words, phrases or sentences.
Parallel Structure: Authors use similar grammatical structures for different parts of the sentence to create a sense of balance, reinforce key themes, or highlight contrasts.

Image that talks about writing the perfect narrative. News Reporter Voice sounds like: "The little girl really, really wanted it to rain. It had been three weeks and it hadn’t rained. The plants were starting to die." Story Teller Voice sounds like: “Come on rain!” I say squinting into the endless heat. Momma lifts a listless vine and sighs. “Three weeks and not a drop,” she says, sagging over her parched plants. How do I make it sound like a narrative?
Use sensory details - describe what you see, taste, smell, and feel
Use dialogue
Use conversations to add detail
Beginning, Middle and End
Describe actions
Don’t state feelings, describe them
Show feelings with actions

A writer uses multiple techniques to create an engaging story. What they use ultimately depends on the author purpose. Sometimes an author may chose to use an archetype for their plot structure or their characters because they are familiar structures that we are all preconditioned to understand. For example, the hero's journey archetype. This is used in popular movies like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars. When readers are familiar with the overall plot structure, the author can focus on developing strong characters and conflicts. Additionally, an author may choose to use multiple perspectives to help communicate their overall message. An example of this is Jason Reynolds book entitled Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks. Each chapter is a short story, but they are all connected by the same settings and main event. By using multiple perspectives the author was able to give the reader the opportunity to see an event from multiple perspectives. This technique helped the author better communicate the theme or universal truth of their novel.

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