Introduction
Crafting a story doesn’t have to be as mystical or as daunting as it’s made out to be. There’s a type of rhythm that comes with writing, and there are boons that writers use to hone their stories into something extraordinary. While each story is uniquely its own, there is at least one thing that they all share, and that is the use of narrative storytelling techniques.
Not only do narrative techniques add interest and mystique to a piece, but they also help to further convey a certain knowledge to the reader about either the character or the situation the character is in. But how does one use a narrative technique exactly, and what exactly is narrative technique? Let’s dive into the uses of different narrative techniques and give you a taste of how they can help add flavor your story.
“The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.” – Brandon Sanderson
Prerequisite – What is a Narrative Technique?
Narrative techniques are methods and strategies that authors employ to convey the story’s plot, characters, and themes, giving them a deeper meaning.
These techniques are not to be confused with the narrative structure, which is the overall setup of the story. Narrative techniques can be used to guide readers through the narrative structure in order to create suspense or confusion or intrigue and keep the audience hooked.
“The way we experience story will evolve, but as storytelling animals, we will no more give it up than start walking on all fours.” – Jonathan Gottschall
Warm-Up – Practice Using Narrative Techniques
There are plenty of narrative techniques to choose from, and if you’re not sure where to start, selecting one at random and really delving in to get to know it can be beneficial to strengthening your chops as a writer.
For this warm-up, a technique has already been selected: personification. Personification is the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.
Take a character, put them in a situation surrounded by inanimate or nonhuman things, and personify one of those things. What does this technique look like when it’s applied to an inanimate object, like a nearby tree or a couch? What about an animal? What about an element, meaning the wind, the water, the fire, or the earth? How does using personification help hold the interest of the audience?
Here is an example to help guide you in your writing: The headlights winked through the trees as she ran, desperate to get away from their burning gaze.
In that example, I’ve personified the headlights of a car to be able to wink and have a gaze. Now you try!
“Inside each of us is a natural-born storyteller, waiting to be released.” – Robin Moore
Examples of Narrative Techniques
Narrative techniques are the backbone of any good story, and you may not even realize that you’re using them. Some have been engrained into us from schooling or reading, such as the metaphor or the simile—and yes! Those are narrative techniques!
Here is a list of narrative techniques that would be honored to be among your good graces (see what I did there?):
Personification – discussed previously in this blog, personification is the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman – Example: The tree waved goodbye as we went on our way.
Narrative Hook – creating a gripping entry into the story, usually with the first sentence, enticing the audience to keep reading – One book that does this well is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury with the line “It was a pleasure to burn.”
Sensory Detail – also known as imagery; use of the five senses as descriptors help paint a mental picture for readers – Example: The children shrieked as they chased each other around the front lawn, a cacophony of voices melding together in the hot summer sun.
Pathetic Fallacy – the mood of a character is reflected in the nonhuman elements around them, such as the weather or the lighting – Emily Brontë uses this technique when describing a violent storm reflecting Cathy’s inner feelings as Heathcliff leaves in Wuthering Heights.
Multiple Perspectives – showing the story from multiple viewpoints and angles, often switching between characters each chapter – Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn uses multiple perspectives excellently to deliver its narrative.
Epistolary Format – the narrative is constructed through a series of documents—they could be letters, emails, texts, diary entries, etc. – A great example of this technique is employed in Dracula by Bram Stoker.
Unreliable Narrators – using a narrator whose credibility is in question due to biases and intentionally (or unintentionally) withholding information from the reader – Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a great example of an unreliable narrator as his viewpoint is biased towards being in awe of Gatsby.
Chronology – playing with the timing of the story; events can be described out of order that will all come together in the end, or flashbacks or flash forwards can be used to describe a different time in the character’s life that impacts the character’s present storyline – All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda shows excellent use of this technique as the story is told in reverse chronological order.
Foreshadowing – characters, objects, or events are used in the story to indicate or suggest the outcome of the end of the story – The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling uses foreshadowing throughout the seven books and is a great example of this technique.
Red Herrings – distractions used to misdirect the reader’s attention, most often used in crime and thriller novels to keep the suspense going – And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie does this well by leading the reader away from the true killer.
Hyperbole – using categorically extreme exaggerations to create a lasting impression or strong feelings within the reader – Example: She was dying of laughter.
Repetitive Designation – repeated references to a certain object or character to signify their importance; initially, the mention is banal, but the repetition makes it clear throughout the narrative that this object or character is important to the story – A good example of this technique appears in The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe.
Cliffhangers – an ending is left open or unresolved, whether that is the ending of a chapter or the ending of the story itself, to entice readers to read the next chapter or the sequel – The first two books in The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins do this excellently by enticing the reader to come back for the sequel and third book.
“I’m obsessed with giving the audience something they don’t see coming.” – Jordan Peele
Conclusion
Writing is a challenge, one that’s meant to be fun and creative, but when we find ourselves in a rut, looking back at tried-and-true techniques that have been used over the years by countless authors can maybe help us become a little less stuck. The idea of crafting a story to many is akin to building an airplane by hand or constructing a building by your lonesome, but it doesn’t have to be so frightening.
Narrative techniques are there to be used fervently and with reckless abandon, splashing them across the page to hold the audience’s attention and draw them in to the story being crafted before them. They are the building blocks with which your story grows and using them will only improve your writing.
Resources
25 Narrative Techniques Explained with Examples – Holly Landis describes twenty-five different techniques that can be used in writing.
26 Narrative Techniques for Writers (With Examples) – The Indeed Editorial Team defines narrative techniques and provides examples for them.
10 Unconventional Writing Techniques That Can Transform Your Manuscript – S.K. Rosewood lays out lesser-known techniques to dabble with in your writing.
112 Common Literary Devices: Definitions, Examples, and Exercises – Sean Glatch expounds upon different literary devices that can be used in myriad ways.
What are Narrative Techniques? – Twinkl.com goes through several narrative techniques and describes their usefulness.
Madison Eigel is a junior editor for A.E. Williams Editorial who is working on breaking into the writing and editing industry. As a former visual effects artist and writing hobbyist, she can offer various creative perspectives to the blogs that she writes. You can connect with her on the company Facebook, LinkedIn, or through email.
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