Definition of Narrative

A narrative is some kind of retelling, often in words (though it is possible to mime a story), of something that happened (a story). The narrative is not the story itself but rather the telling of the story -- which is why it is so often used in phrases such as "written narrative," "oral narrative," etc. While a story just is a sequence of events, a narrative recounts those events, perhaps leaving some occurrences out because they are from some perspective insignificant, and perhaps emphasizing others. In a series of events, a car crash takes a split second. A narrative account, however, might be almost entirely about the crash itself and the few seconds leading up to it. Narratives thus shape history (the series of events, the story of what happened).
Narratives are stories and are part of our daily lives. You can find them anywhere in books, on television, at the movies or on the internet.

Types of narratives Novels

A novel is a long story. It is usually fiction (not true) but it can also be non-fiction (true). A novel might be a mystery, romance, adventure, science fiction, fantasy, a comic strip or real life story, to name a few, and many novels are made into films or television series.

Myths
A myth is a traditional story used to explain something about nature or society. Other similar types of narrative include:

folk tales fairy tales legends fables.

Each one has a particular structure. For example, a fable will have a moral (message) at the end and a fairy tale will have some elements of magic in it.

Biographies
A biography is a written account of another persons life. They are often about famous people such as politicians, artists and musicians. An autobiography is also a written account of a persons life, but it is written by that person.

Plays and film scripts

A play is a story written as dialogue and action. It uses a stage to create setting and time. A film script also uses mainly dialogue and action, but it is told using images and sound on a screen.

Legend
legend (a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history )

Anecdote
anecdote (short account of an incident (especially a biographical one)

short story
short story (a usually fictional story that is shorter than both a novel and novella)

Elements of narratives

Place. This usually refers to the geographical location of the story. The story may move from
one place to another. For example, a story may begin in a particular city in England. By the middle of the story, the character(s) may find themselves in other locations within England. Time. First, this refers to the period of history, if the story is set in the past. If the story could happen now or at some recent unspecified time, we say that it is "contemporary." If it is a science fiction story, it may be set in the future. Time also refers to the season, month, and even time of day. Climate/Weather. This is an aspect of setting which can be important to the novel. If the story begins in the midst of a hurricane, it is significant to the story.

Atmosphere. This is the mood or feeling of the story, the emotional quality that the story gives
to the reader. The setting of the story is usually responsible for creating the mood or feeling of the story. You might say that a novel opens with a mysterious atmosphere, a gloomy atmosphere. Like the setting, the mood may change throughout the novel.

Plot. The plot is a synopsis of the storyline in chronological order. The plot usually arises out of
the conflict in the story, which eventually builds to a climatic moment. The basic plot is comprised of the following:

Introduction. Refers to the beginning of the story where the characters and setting are presented. Problem/Conflict. This is where the events in the story become complicated and the problem in the story is revealed. Climax. This is the turning point in the story in which the reader wonders what will happen next (i.e., will the problem get solved or not?) Solution/Conclusion This is the point in the story in which the problem is solved

Conflict This is referred to as the struggle between opposing forces in the story. The main
purpose of conflict is to provide interest and suspense. There are various types of conflict, which can usually be categorized as one of the following:

a character struggling against nature a struggle between two or more characters a struggle between the main character and some aspect of society a struggle of opposing forces within one character (e.g. self-doubt)

Characters. Refers to people, animal, robots, etc., who play parts in the action of the story.

The protagonist is the main character throughout the novel. A novel can have more than one protagonist (e.g. two or even three main characters). The force with which the protagonist is in conflict is called the antagonist. The force can be a person or persons, society or an internal struggle within the main character.

Theme. Theme refers to the central idea in the story or novel. It can usually be expressed in a
short statement about human nature, life issues, or the universe.

RESOURCES http://www.units.muohio.edu/technologyandhumanities/nardef.htm Read more at Suite101: Elements of a Narrative: Essential Structures Needed to Develop a Story | Suite101.com http://www.suite101.com/content/elements-of-a-narrative-a68404#ixzz1QZlyBtBE http://www.mtabe.k12.vt.us/middleschool/aurora/languagearts/6elements.htm