Narrative techniques

English

Definition

The methods and strategies an author uses to tell a story effectively, including choices about point of view, pacing, dialogue, flashback, foreshadowing, and how information is revealed to the reader.

Examples

  • Using flashback to reveal a character's traumatic past at a key moment
  • Alternating between two narrators to show different perspectives on the same event
  • Slow pacing during a suspenseful scene to build tension

Related Terms

Narrative arc Point of view Literary devices Narrative terms

Study This Concept

Practice narrative techniques with free review games in these units:

AP English Literature and Composition Unit 2: Prose Fiction Analysis