Narrative is writing that connects ideas, concepts or events.

The definitions
below show three important aspects of narration in storytelling: Often, the
word narrative is synonymous with story. A narrative is the story (fiction or non-
fiction) told and the order in which it is told. Sometimes, there is a narrator, a character
or series of characters, who tell the story. Sometimes, as with most non-fiction, the
author himself/herself in the narrator.

1. It connects events, showing their patterns, relating them to each other or to

specific ideas, themes or concepts.
2. It is a practice and art in that when we tell a story, we shape the narrative – the
connection between events.
3. Narrating a story involves shaping events around an overarching set of
aims or effects (whether consciously or unconsciously). For example, in a
comedic narrative, the overarching aim is to surprise/shock or otherwise lead
the audience or reader to be amused.

It means that narrative is:

1. A spoken or written account of connected events; a story.

2. The practice or art of telling stories.
3. A representation of a particular situation or process in such a way as to reflect
or conform to an overarching set of aims or values.

1: Descriptive narrative
Descriptive narrative connects imagery, ideas, and details to convey a sense of
time and place.

The purpose of descriptive narrative

Descriptive narrative has two key purposes:

1. To create a sense of setting, of time and place.

2. To convey the mood and tone of said time and place (e.g. threatening,
peaceful, cheerful, chaotic).
2: Viewpoint narrative
Often, the express purpose of a section of narration is to help us understand the
views and feelings of the narrating character or ‘viewpoint narrator’. Point of
view or POV is thus a key element of narration (read about different types of
POV here and a definition of narration here).

The purpose of viewpoint narrative

Viewpoint narrative presents events or scenes to us so that we see
understand them through narrators’ feelings, desires, beliefs or values.

3: Historical narrative
In genres such as biography, autobiography and various historical subgenres
(e.g. historical romance or WWII fiction), a lot of narration recounts events in the
past. Of course, the author may choose to tell a war story in a tumultuous
present tense. There’s no single way to narrate the past. Yet it serves a
common purpose:

The purpose of historical narrative

One thing common to historical narrative in different genres is it shows historical
process. It links causation from event to event, showing the chain reactions that
lead to how things pan out.

4: Linear narrative
Linear narrative is narration where you tell events in the order they happened,
i.e. in sequence. This type of narrative is typical of realist fiction where the
author wants to create the sense of a life unfolding as a character experiences
day to day or year to year.
The purpose of linear narrative
Linear narrative shows causation clearly. When we see what happened to a
character yesterday, then today, then tomorrow, its often easier to notice
patterns and chains of cause and effect. Stories told in a linear time-frame might
be told mainly using past, present, or even future tense. Yet each event flows
on simply from the previous incident described. Often this helps to create what
Will Self calls ‘the texture of lived life’, as we see characters going through this,
then that, then the next thing.

5: Nonlinear narrative
Different types of narrative include narration that does not follow events in the
order they happened. Chronological events (e.g. what happens in 1990 followed
by what happens in 1991) don’t have to match up with the order
of narrative events. The author might share key details from 1991 before going
back to the events of 1990 in the story.

The purpose of non-linear narrative

Non-linear narrative has various uses:

1. It can represent the narrator’s emotional state or consciousness. For

example, a severely traumatized narrator who has flashbacks might tell events
in a jumble of chapters set in different years, out of sequence, as they try to
piece together fragments and memories.
2. It can show stories with related arcs or themes unfolding in different
places and times. In Michael Cunningham’s retelling (of a sort) of Woolf’s Mrs
Dalloway, characters living in different time periods have personal experiences
and tragedies that echo events from Woolf’s book as well as Woolf’s own life.
3. It can build suspense. For example, Donna Tartt opens The Secret History by
telling the reader about a murder. We next meet the murder victim alive, as the
story jumps back to the events leading to his killing.
Essay
the word ‘essay’ is derived from a Latin word ‘exagium’essays are
representing one’s side of the argument or one’s experiences, stories etc.
Essays are very personalized.
An essay is generally a short piece of writing outlining the writer’s perspective
or story. It is often considered synonymous with a story or a paper or an article.
Essays can be both formal as well as informal. Formal essays are generally
academic in nature and tackle serious topics. We will be focusing on informal
essays which are more personal and often have humorous elements.

Types of Essays
The type of an essay will depend on what the writer wants to convey to his
reader. There are broadly four types of essays. Let us see.

1. Narrative Essays: This is when the writer is narrating an incident or story

through the essay. So these are in the first person. The aim when writing
narrative essays is to involve the reader in them as if they were right
there when it was happening. SO make them as vivid and real as possible.
One way to make this possible is to follow the principle of ‘show, don’t
tell’. So you must involve the reader in the story.
2. Descriptive Essays: Here the writer will describe a place, an object, an
event or maybe even a memory. But it is not just plainly describing things.
The writer must paint a picture through his words. One clever way to do
that is to evoke the senses of the reader. Do not only rely on sight but
also involve the other senses of smell, touch, sound etc. A descriptive
essay when done well will make the reader feel the emotions the writer
was feeling at the moment.

3. Expository Essays: In such an essay a writer presents a balanced study of

a topic. To write such an essay, the writer must have real and extensive
knowledge about the subject. There is no scope for the writer’s feelings
 or emotions in an expository essay. It is completely based on facts,
statistics, examples etc. There are sub-types here like contrast essays,
cause and effect essays etc.

4. Persuasive Essays: Here the purpose of the essay is to get the reader to
your side of the argument. A persuasive essay is not just a presentation of
facts but an attempt to convince the reader of the writer’s point of view.
Both sides of the argument have to presented in these essays. But the
ultimate aim is to persuade the readers that the writer’s argument carries
more weight.
5. Cause and effect essays: A paragraph or essay form which probes and
analyzes into the causes (rationale, reasoning and background reasons) along
with the effects (consequences, effects and outcome) for a particular event,
happening, condition or behavior.