Ever wondered how some stories leave an indelible mark on your memory? The answer lies in the skilled use of narrative techniques. In this blog post, we’ll explore simple yet impactful 12 examples of narrative techniques to enhance your writing. Let’s elevate your storytelling to new heights!
Table of Contents
What Are Narrative Techniques?
Narrative techniques are the tools and strategies that writers use to shape and enrich their stories. They help guide the reader through the narrative, build suspense, develop characters, and create an overall impactful experience.
By skillfully incorporating narrative techniques, writers can shape their stories, evoke emotions, and connect with readers on a deeper level, creating a more memorable and engaging reading experience.
Examples Of Narrative Techniques
Here are some common narrative techniques with examples:
Point of View (POV) – Examples Of Narrative Techniques:
Think of POV as the camera angle in a movie. It’s about deciding who’s telling the story and from what perspective. Is it someone in the story (first-person), someone outside the story but knowing one character’s thoughts (third-person limited), or someone who knows everyone’s thoughts (third-person omniscient)?
Example:
- First Person: “The sound of rain tapping on my window woke me up. Little did I know, this rainy day would change my life forever.”
- Third Person Limited: “John woke up to the sound of rain tapping on his window. Little did he know, this rainy day would change his life forever.”
- Third Person Omniscient: “As John woke up to the sound of rain, little did he know that this seemingly ordinary day held the power to change his life forever.”
Learn more: Point of View in Literature
Dialogue – Examples Of Narrative Techniques:
The spoken words between characters. Dialogue helps develop characters, advance the plot, and create a sense of immediacy in the narrative.
Example:
- “Samantha exclaimed, ‘I can’t believe you did that!'”
Foreshadowing – Examples Of Narrative Techniques:
The use of hints or clues to suggest future events in the story. Foreshadowing is like dropping subtle hints about what might happen later in the story. It keeps readers curious and guessing.
Example:
- In Act 1, Scene 5 of “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, there is a conversation between the two main characters, Romeo and Juliet. The dialogue is romantic and suggests that their love will be quite intense. The use of religious language suggests that their love will face challenges, which foreshadows the tragic events that will occur later on due to the feud between their families.
Learn more: Foreshadowing in Literature
Flashback – Examples Of Narrative Techniques:
Picture a movie scene that takes you back in time. Flashbacks do the same in a story. They help you understand events or characters’ pasts, even though the main story is happening in the present.
Example:
- “As Maria flipped through the photo album, memories flooded back. She remembered the day they first met, in the crowded bookstore.”
Learn more: Flashback Examples
Symbolism – Examples Of Narrative Techniques:
Think of symbols as secret codes in a story. Objects, actions, or words can represent deeper meanings. For example, a heart might symbolize love, but it could also represent courage or kindness, depending on the context.
Example:
- In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock is a powerful symbol. It represents Gatsby’s unattainable dreams and his yearning for a love just out of reach. This symbol adds depth to the narrative, prompting readers to reflect on broader themes in the novel.
Irony – Examples Of Narrative Techniques
Imagine telling a joke where the meaning is different from what you’d expect. Irony is like that in a story. It adds a twist by presenting something unexpected or opposite to what you think will happen.
Example:
- “The fire station burned down while the firefighters were away on a training exercise.”
Learn more: Irony Examples
Suspense – Examples Of Narrative Techniques:
Suspense is like a roller coaster ride. It’s that feeling of excitement and anticipation, not knowing what’s coming next. Writers create suspense by keeping certain information hidden or building tension.
Example:
- In “The Da Vinci Code“, Dan Brown masterfully uses suspense to keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Learn more: Examples of Suspense
Imagery – Examples Of Narrative Techniques:
Using colorful and descriptive words can really help bring a story to life. When we read something that creates a vivid mental picture in our minds, it can make the experience that much more enjoyable.
Example:
- In Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road”, vivid imagery is employed to paint a stark and haunting picture of a post-apocalyptic world. McCarthy’s descriptive language evokes powerful mental images that enhance the reader’s sensory experience. For instance: “The soft black talc blew through the streets like squid ink uncoiling along a sea floor and the cold crept down and the dark came early and the scavengers passing down the steep canyons with their torches trod silky holes in the drifted ash that closed behind them silently as eyes.”
Learn more: Imagery examples
Characterization – Examples Of Narrative Techniques:
Characterization is how writers introduce and develop their characters in the story. It’s about learning who they are, what they want, and how they change.
Example:
- In Arthur Conan Doyle’s “A Study in Scarlet”: “He was, as I have already said, remarkably quick, active, and energetic in mind and body… He was lean, wiry, keen, as active as a squirrel, and as full of energy.”
Red Herring – Examples Of Narrative Techniques:
A red herring is a narrative technique where the writer intentionally introduces a misleading clue or distraction to divert the reader’s attention away from the real issue or solution. It’s like a false trail in a mystery story.
Example:
- In a detective novel, the author might introduce a suspicious character early on, leading readers to believe they are the culprit, only to reveal later that the real villain is someone entirely unexpected.
Satire – Examples Of Narrative Techniques:
Satire is a technique where the author uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or mock people, societies, or institutions. It’s like making fun of something to highlight its flaws.
Example:
- George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” is a book that pokes fun at the Russian Revolution. It tells the story of farm animals who rise against their human owners. They succeed but new leaders emerge who are just as flawed as the old ones. This mirrors the failures of political ideologies.
Figurative Language – Examples Of Narrative Techniques:
Figurative language is when you use words in a way that’s more than their literal meaning to create a cool and imaginative description. It’s like when you use similes, metaphors, or personification.
Example:
- “My love is like a red, red rose…” – Robert Burns, “A Red, Red Rose” (vividly compares passionate love to a beautiful flower)
These narrative techniques add layers to storytelling, making it more engaging, thought-provoking, and entertaining for readers.
Learn more: Figurative language examples
Key Takeaways
Narrative techniques are like the paintbrushes in a writer’s toolkit, adding color and depth to the canvas of storytelling. From the subtle foreshadowing to the vivid imagery, these techniques turn basic writing into exciting adventures. Now that we know about them, let’s start our own storytelling journeys, crafting tales that grab our attention. Have fun writing!
Ref: Indeed | Skillshare | Study.com
