CREATIVE WRITING AND PUBLIC SPEAKING

Narrative structure

A narrative structure is the order in which a story’s events are presented. It is the framework from which
a writer can hang individual scenes and plot points with the aim of maximizing tension, interest,
excitement, or mystery.

Traditionally, most stories start at the chronological beginning ("once upon a time") and finish at the end
("and they lived happily ever after"). However, a story can technically be told in any order. Writers can
arrange their plot points in a way that creates suspense — by omitting certain details or revealing
information out of order, for example.

Sometimes, storytellers will begin in the middle and literally 'cut to the chase' before revealing the
backstory later on. In short, narrative structure is a powerful tool that writers can wield to great effect if
handled with care and consideration.

Types of narrative structure

There’s a whole branch of literary criticism dedicated to studying narrative structure: narratology. We
won’t quite go into academic depth, but it’s important to know the main types of structure available for
your narrative so you can best choose the one that serves your story’s purpose. Here are four of the
most common types of narrative structure used in books and movies.

1. Linear

Linear narrative structure is exactly what it sounds like — when a story is told chronologically from
beginning to end. Events follow each other logically and you can easily link the causality of one event to
another. At no point does the narrative hop into the past or the future. The story is focused purely on
what is happening now. It’s one of the most common types of narrative structures seen in most books,
movies, or TV shows.

Example: Pride and Prejudice

2. Nonlinear

On the flip side, a nonlinear narrative is when a story is told out of order — where scenes from the
beginning, middle, and end are mixed up, or in some cases, the chronology may be unclear. With this
freedom to jump around in time, new information or perspectives can be introduced at the point in the
story where they can have maximum impact. A common feature of this type of narrative is the use of
extended flashbacks.
These types of stories tend to be character-centric. Hopping through time allows the author to focus on
the characters' emotional states as they process different events and contrast them against their
previous or future selves.

But why would you choose to tell a whole story in such a confusing way? One thing nonlinear structures
allow a writer to do is heighten suspense. Since events don’t necessarily logically follow each other, you
never know what will happen next. They can also disorient the audience and leave them feeling off-
kilter, which is incredibly useful if you’re writing horror or suspense, though this structure certainly isn’t
limited to these genres.

Example: Amores perros

Alejandro González Iñárritu’s 2000 film Amores Perros is a prime example of how a nonlinear narrative
can heighten suspense and create a character-centric story. The film is a triptych, three stories following
different characters in Mexico City whose lives intersect with a car crash shown in the opening scene.

The first third of the movie flashes back to tell the story of Octavio, a young man involved in
underground dog fights who is in love with his brother’s wife. Most of the second story takes place after
the crash and centers on Valeria, a Spanish model injured in that wreck, while the final storyline takes
place in both timelines and focuses on a hitman, El Chivo, who we first meet in Octavio’s story.

The nonlinear nature of the film allows the director to explore and juxtapose the nuances of each
character's struggles. Every character’s story is anchored by the opening. As Octavio, Valeria, and El
Chivo move closer to the time of the car crash that will upend their lives, there’s a mounting tension as
the audience knows what’s going to happen, but has no idea how it will affect them.

This is a general type of nonlinear narrative. However, some subtypes are more commonly seen in
fiction, such as the parallel narrative.

3. Parallel

A parallel narrative is where two or more stories are told concurrently, though they may not always be
happening at the same time. This is common in stories with multiple lead characters and viewpoints.
They tend to be interconnected, though how they relate may not be immediately obvious.

Eventually, the story threads in a parallel structure will dovetail, resulting in some kind of plot twist or
revelation. As a result, parallel structures are often used in thrillers or historical fiction novels.

Example: Gone Girl

Gillian Flynn’s best-selling domestic thriller is a masterclass in parallel narratives. The story of suburban
teacher Nick’s reaction to his wife’s mysterious disappearance is interspersed with flashbacks taken
from Amy’s diary, revealing the shaky state of Nick and Amy's relationship.
The reader is presented with two unreliable narrators: the idealized life Nick presents to the media
following Amy’s disappearance stands in stark contrast to the diary entries that reveal Nick's affair and
the difficulties of their personal lives. The back and forth of the narrative only increases the tension as
the readers try to figure out what’s real, what’s a lie, and what will happen next.

4. Episodic

You can think of episodic narratives as interconnected short stories that contribute to a larger story arc.
Each individual story has a beginning, middle, and end, but the larger arc unites them in some way.
Usually, this type of structure follows the same set of characters in a specific setting or situation. You’ll
recognize this type of narrative in TV programs like sitcoms and medical dramas, where episodes can,
broadly speaking, be watched in any order.

Example: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The popular 90’s TV show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is something of a pioneering show, balancing its
monster-of-the-week format (“the gang must stop a vampire cheerleader!”) with a slow unraveling of a
season-long plot that culminates in a fight against a larger enemy (“the town’s mayor is a demon!”).

While many other episodic TV shows prioritized maintaining the status quo at the end of each episode,
one of Buffy’s strengths was its willingness to tell grander stories within the framework of episodic
storytelling. With these narrative seeds being planted across 20-plus episodes, its season finales were
often more impactful than those of its contemporaries.