1. Some Notes By Brian Yablon
Narrative Writing
Some Notes
By Brian Yablon

2. What is Narration?
Narration means telling a story, or a series of stories for a purpose.

3. The Communication Connection
There are always three parts to communication:
The creator (writer, songwriter, playwright, photographer, sculptor, painter, etc.)
The creation (text, song, sculpture, play, movie, etc.)
The receiver (reader, listener, viewer)

4. How They Fit Together
The creator (writer) manipulates the creation (text) in order to influence, or cause the desired reaction from, the receiver (the reader).
So, if you want to make someone laugh, write a funny story.
If you want someone to feel, create an emotional song, etc.

5. What Can Narratives Do?
Help persuade readers by telling a compelling story.
Help define an idea by telling an exemplary story.
Show similarities or differences with comparison-contrast.
Help show effects or causes by sharing a dramatic account of events or situations.
Entertain.
Inform by telling what happened.

6. What to do First?
Decide upon a purpose -- what effect do you want to have on the reader?
Decide on an audience -- to whom are you telling your story?

7. Figure out the Obstacles
All stories have one or more of the following:
Crisis
Conflict
Obstacle
Decision
problem

8. Types of Conflicts Internal conflicts
Decisions that characters need to make

9. Other types of conflicts
External conflicts
Character versus character, such as two people competing for a job or in an argument
Character versus something LARGE, such as society, God, nature, tradition

10. Figure out the Setting Settings include:
Time (of day, week,, month, season, year, decade, century, era)

11. Location, Location, Location
Location (a spot, in a room, in a house, on a block, in a neighborhood, in a city, in a state, in a country, on a planet)

12. Think about Events Narratives focus on actions.
Decide on which actions you will focus in order to achieve your desired effect.

13. Create Interesting Characters
Readers care about characters more than any other part of a story.
Make them interesting and memorable.

14. Consider Perspective
There are three choices of narrative perspective to embrace:
First person
Second person
Third person

15. First Person Point of View
When using first person point of view, the narrator tells his/her story and uses “I,” and “me” as the narrative stance.
The narrator is part of the story and telling it from his/her perspective.

16. Second Person Point of View
Here, the narrator is directly interacting with the reader, and uses the word “you” as the narrative stance.
This is used almost exclusively when giving instructions.

17. Third Person Point of View
Here, the narrator is observing the story and is not part of it.
He/she uses words such as “he,” “she,” “they,” “them,” and “it.”

18. Types of Third Person P.O.V.
Omniscient
The narrator knows the actions, thoughts, and feelings of all the characters.
Limited Omniscient
The narrator knows only the thoughts and feelings of a single character but may know the actions of all other characters.

19. More on Perspectives
Once you choose a narrative perspective, stick with it -- switching back and forth between perspectives almost always confuses the reader.

20. Consider organization
Make your narrative clear and easy to follow.

21. Chronological This is the most common way to organize your story.
Beginning, middle, end.
Morning, noon, night.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.
This is simple and straightforward.

22. Flashbacks
In a flashback, the story starts in the middle of the action.
Then, the narrator recounts images, or memories, of the past -- to explain how the characters got to their present state of affairs.

23. Flash-Forwards A flash-forward is a variation on a flashback.
The story begins almost at the end of the action, then retraces the steps leading to that point, then finishes up the story.

24. Don’t confuse the Reader
Remember, you can be complicated, but you must always be clear to your reader.
If your reader cannot follow your story, then the story is worthless.

25. So What? Always write a story that has meaning for you.
But…you need to convey the importance of your story to your reader.
Story-telling is a shared experience.

26. Be aware of Language. Your choice of words creates a tone.
Be aware of the tone you create and the words you choose to use to create it.

27. The Grammar Police Make sure that you avoid errors.
You want readers to pay attention to your story, not the annoying errors made in telling that story.

28. Good Words Always use vivid, concrete, specific, interesting words.
Get rid of lifeless words that don’t really say anything.

29. Use Dialogue
It’s always interesting to hear people speak, even if they’re only speaking to themselves.
Always try to include dialogue.

30. So, take a seat and relax

31. And let’s tell a story