Types of Narrative Structure

Linear/Chronological: When the author tells a story in chronological order. This

structure can include flashbacks, but the majority of the narrative is told in the order that
it occurs. Most books tend to fall under this narrative structure.

Nonlinear/Fractured: A nonlinear structure tells the story out of chronological order,

jumping disjointedly through the timeline. David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas is an example of
this narrative structure, as it switches between multiple characters at different points in
time.

Circular: In a circular narrative, the story ends where it began. Although the starting and
ending points are the same, the character(s) undergo a transformation, affected by the
story's events. S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders is an example of circular narrative structure.

Parallel: In parallel structure, the story follows multiple storylines, which are tied together
through an event, character, or theme. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby or the
movie Finding Nemo are both examples of this structure.

Another common form of parallel story is the extended flashback. A few quick flashbacks placed
throughout a story are not generally considered parallel narratives. Some stories, however, rely
on flashbacks to tell a large portion of the story. These stories flip back and forth between the
story’s present and past. This story structure is an effective way to build suspense as the
flashbacks at first deepen and eventually elucidate mysteries in the present narrative.

Interactive: The reader makes choices throughout the interactive narrative, leading to

new options and alternate endings. These stories are most prominent as "choose your
own adventure" books.

Building a Narrative Structure

 As you can see, these character arcs easily fall in-line with the plot narrative structure.
Some books even tend to have multiple characters experiencing different character arcs
on top of the plot structure.

It may take some time to work everything out, but taking the time to work through your
plot and character arcs will go a long way to ensure you’re writing an engaging and
exciting story.

First, try to decide if your story will be mostly plot-driven or character-driven. If you feel
stuck, use these questions to help you figure it out:

 What is your protagonist’s goal? Is it external, like defeating a villain? Or is it internal,

like overcoming a deeply-held belief?
 How about your antagonist?
 Will your story be centered around specific events of conflict that move your story
forward? Or are they more focused on the personal, internal struggle of your
character(s)?
 When you set out to write a story, what comes to mind first, a riveting plot or a cast of
compelling characters?

This exercise is merely to help you understand which of the two takes precedence in
your story—not which one you follow and which one you ignore.

Often, the decision between a plot-driven or character-driven story will come down to
personal preference. Which is most appealing to you? Then, the one you don’t choose
will just become secondary.

Plot-Driven Narratives
When your focus is on plot, you should pay special attention to the events that will occur
in your story.

Plot-driven narratives are exciting, action-packed, and fast-paced. They compel the

reader to keep reading just to find out what will happen next.

When writing a plot-driven story, make sure all your plot points tie together seamlessly to
create a full narrative structure. As you focus on events, it’s easy to forget about the
characters and their motivations.
 Remember: your story isn’t about things that are happening to the character, it’s about
how your character is reacting to and participating in these events.

While many of these events may be out of your character’s control, they should still have
an active role within them.

In every scene, you should be asking yourself these questions:

 What is my character’s motivation?

 Why is he/she making this decision and not another one?
 What in the character’s background led them to make this decision?

As a result, your characters will tie into your plot arc.

Character-Driven Narratives
When your story’s focus is on characters, you should explore how a character arrives at
a particular choice.

Character-driven narratives tend to focus more on internal conflicts than external ones,
such as the internal or interpersonal struggle of the character(s).

When writing a character-driven story, make sure you’re putting extra attention
toward developing interesting, realistic, and charismatic characters. The true test of a
good character-driven story is one where the reader feels a deep, emotional connection
to your characters.

Your plot may be simple—used less to create action and more to further develop the
character’s arc—but you still need to make sure your characters are
actually doing something.

The main character should interact with others and their environment, and these things
should shape your character in some way.

Put your character in situations that show the reader who they truly are. Test them.
Make things difficult.

In every scene, you should be asking yourself these questions:

 What’s the worst thing that can happen to my character right now?
 If I throw it at them, how would they respond?

As a result, your plot will tie in to your character’s narrative arc