Narrative and Storytelling Principles Flashcards

Which narrative technique involves revealing a character's thoughts and feelings directly to the reader without authorial commentary?

Answer: Interior monologue

Interior monologue presents a character's inner thoughts directly, giving readers unfiltered access to the character's mind.

A story that begins at the climactic moment and then flashes back to explain events is using which structure?

Answer: In medias res

In medias res drops the reader into the middle of the action, often at a peak moment, before filling in backstory.

When a narrator's reliability is questioned because their account conflicts with evidence in the text, they are called a(n):

Answer: Unreliable narrator

An unreliable narrator's credibility is compromised, forcing readers to read between the lines for the true story.

Which element of storytelling refers to the central contradiction or problem a protagonist must resolve?

Answer: Conflict

Conflict is the driving engine of plot, representing the struggle a protagonist faces that must be resolved by the story's end.

A narrative told from multiple first-person perspectives across different chapters is using which technique?

Answer: Polyphonic narration

Polyphonic narration uses multiple distinct voices or perspectives, each telling part of the story from their own viewpoint.

The moment in a story when the protagonist undergoes a significant internal change or realization is called the:

Answer: Epiphany

An epiphany is a sudden moment of insight or revelation that transforms the character's understanding of themselves or the world.

Which storytelling principle holds that every story element introduced should serve a narrative purpose?

Answer: Chekhov's Gun

Chekhov's Gun states that if you show a gun in Act 1, it must go off by Act 3—no element should be superfluous.