Narratives, theory

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Narratives A narrative or story is a report of connected events, real or imaginary. These events are presented arranged in a logical sequence to the listeners or readers.

The narrative is told by a narrator who may be a direct part of the story as a firstperson narrator or may only observe the events as a third-person narrator.

Humans are natural storytellers and we enjoy listening to those stories too, we share our experiences with others all the time. Storytelling and listening to stories are part of what makes as humans.

There are different ways to tell a story and writers employ a variety of narrative techniques in their works to attract their readers.

Through narratives, we are not only entertained, we also learn a lot! Think, for example, of a historical novel or a narrative set in another country… Moreover, depending on the author’s intention, we may also be persuaded into thinking or believing what the author wants us to believe or think.

A good narrative should consist of: 

An original title.

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An introduction in which the scene is set (people involved, time and place). In this part, it is essential to catch the reader or the listener’s attention. They

should be hooked to keep on reading or listening to know what’s next. Remember: a good beginning is as important as a good ending! 

A main body in which the plot of the story is developed and the incidents that lead up to the main event are described.

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A conclusion, which is the final part of the story and the problems are solved (or not… It depends on the writer’s intention or on the actual events if it is a narration based on real facts). Remember: a good ending will make your reader feel satisfied.

Important points to consider before starting a narration: 

Do not start writing until you have come up with a plot.

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Sequence your events! That will help the reader understand the plot easily. You may use time sequencers to connect such events: at first, before, while, when, until, during, after, then, finally (we learnt some of them the previous week).

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Use a variety of adjectives to describe feelings, and adverbs to describe actions. Try to make use of reported speech and a variety of verbs; that will make your story more exiting (on the contrary, using always the same verbs will make your narration poor and monotonous).

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About tenses… Pay attention! Past continuous can be used to set the scene (I was reading my favorite book and the dog was sleeping by my side when somebody knocked.) Past simple can be used to describe the main events and past perfect to set the background of the narration (I opened the door but no one was there. It had been raining and the ink of the letter that someone left on the floor was smudgy.) Present participle and past participle can also be used (Startled, I took the letter and went inside.).

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Descriptions can be used in a narrative to emphasize people, objects, places…