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Narrative interviews: an important resource in qualitative research

2014, Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP

Objetives This methodological study explain and emphasize the extent and fertility of the narrative interview in qualitative research. Methods To describe the narrative method within the qualitative research. Results The qualitative research method is characterized by addressing issues related to the singularities of the field and individuals investigated, being the narrative interviews a powerful method for use by researchers who aggregate it. They allow the deepening of research, the combination of life stories with socio-historical contexts, making the understanding of the senses that produce changes in the beliefs and values that motivate and justify the actions of possible informants. Conclusion The use of narrative is an advantageous investigative resource in qualitative research, in which the narrative is a traditional form of communication whose purpose is to serve content from which the subjective experiences can be transmitted.

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This chapter provides a case-study example of narrative interviewing. It discusses the Biographical Narrative Interpretive Approach and ethical aspects of narrative interviews.

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Write an A+ Interview Paper Using Our Tips and Examples

06 September, 2021

13 minutes read

Author: Josh Carlyle

You will quickly find yourself with your back to the wall once your teacher assigns you an interview paper. Studying is often a headache by itself, and now you have to conduct interviews. Worse yet, you probably have no idea how you can do this. Luckily, we will tell you how to write an interview paper step by step in this comprehensive guide. So prepare your favorite drink and learn how to write a top-notch interview paper.

What is an Interview Paper?

An interview paper provides an expert opinion on a specific issue. In essence, it is an interview transcript inserted somewhere between the introduction and conclusion of an academic piece.

How long should it be? It depends on the topic and the length of your interview, but most papers are within the length of 2,000 – 5,000 words. What things should you consider before writing an interview paper in the first place? Let’s check them out below.

General Aspects of Writing an Interview Paper

Academic papers require you to provide arguments based on studies, research pieces, statistics, etc. But an interview paper is different – for this type of essay, you will develop assumptions around an expert’s opinion.

Let’s imagine your essay question reads the following: “Should we ban abortions?” If you write an interview paper, you should ask someone high-powered for their consideration. Let them be an executive director of the American Gynecological & Obstetrical Society.

You would reach them via email or phone or whatever communication channel you prefer and conduct an interview. Afterward, you would put all your findings on paper.

But in practice, writing an interview paper involves many more complexities and challenges, like planning, topic research , drafting, etc.

Let’s speak straight facts: nobody will reschedule their week to meet you because you need to do some homework. You’re one of the millions of students, and the local governor or a famous scientist won’t give you an interview nine times out of ten.

So you would want to target someone less busy, like professors from other faculties of your college or some researchers within your academic environment. Hunting a bigger fish is pointless unless you’re a well-established journalist working for a popular media channel. If you struggle to find someone within your college/university, you can contact people from your circle.

Writing Outline and Structure of an Interview Paper

As you know, a typical paper consists of three parts:

Introduction. This part includes background information, the hook, the thesis statement, and the transition.
Body. It is the longest part of the paper consisting of several paragraphs. It should contain the actual interview.
Conclusion. The final part summarizes the considerations and insights of your essay.

The question is: ‘where should you put an interview transcript and how do you do this?’

To answer this question, you need to come up with the interview papers format in the first place. There are several of them:

The narrative format implies that you can use either direct or indirect speech when referring to your interviewee. If you choose this path, you can stick to a 5-paragraph essay structure, retell the considerations of your interviewee, and cite their words here and there at your discretion.

You can also choose this format if you contact several people. Check what a narrative interview paper structure looks like when you reach out to several people:

Introduction.
Paragraph #1 – the first interviewee’s perspective.
Paragraph #2 – the second interviewee’s opinion.
Paragraph #3 – the third interviewee’s thoughts.
Conclusion.

Alternatively, you can dedicate each paragraph to a particular idea of one person.

“Question and answer” will suit your needs perfectly if you interview one person. It is the simplest format used in online magazines, news reports, and other media. Your interview paper outline will look like this:

Introduction
Question #1 – Answer #1
Question #2 – Answer #2
Question #3 – Answer #3
Question #4/5/6/etc. – Answer #4/5/6/etc.
Interview analysis. You may include your thoughts on the subject matter.

Conversational

Conversational style is informal, and you can use either first-person or second-person narrative and follow a typical 5-paragraph paper structure. But writing interview papers in this lousy style might be perplexing, especially if you deal with this task for the first time.

We advise you to try the Q&A format because it’s the simplest one and takes the least time. Just imagine how much time your paper writing will take if you decide to interview three or five people.

How to Start an Interview Paper?

If you have no idea how to start an interview paper, choose the topic first. Selecting a topic for your interview paper is not a big deal, but you should keep in mind that you may not find appropriate interviewees for it.

Let’s imagine you want to explore whether the government should force people to get vaccines. This topic implies that you need to contact authorities. It might be a local lawyer, governor, or executive director of a local hospital. Well, the chances are these people will politely refuse to give an interview for your homework.

But if you choose to investigate how lockdown impacts intellectual workers, you can contact your friends or family members who work at home. In other words, it’s better to choose topics that reflect the experiences of ordinary people rather than the opinions of untouchable experts.

Asking people for their opinion about well-known facts like the Earth’s shape is a bad idea. You would want to choose high-profile debatable topics you can actually discuss.

Establish the Goal of Your Interview Essay

You have to establish the goal of your essay before researching the topic. For this, ask yourself: “What message should your interview essay deliver?” Sometimes, a topic of your choice might already explain the purpose of your essay.

Conduct Research

Interviewing someone implies that you should ask questions. But you will fail to do so if you know little to nothing about your topic. So read some case studies, news, articles, etc. Once you get the picture of your subject matter, you will come up with dozens of interview questions.

Get to Know Your Interviewee

A good interviewer always refers to the life and experience of their interviewee. If you’re lucky to work with someone you can read about on the Internet, find out as much information about them as possible. If your interviewee publishes any books, articles, or studies, you will better know them as well.

The more you know about the person, the more interview questions you can come up with. You can ask them whether the Internet tells their true story: “Is it true that you, Mr. Interviewee, support flat earthers?”

Draft Your Interview Questions

If you want a person to share their in-depth vision of the topic, you need to ask both open-ended and close-ended (“yes/no”) questions. However, you may struggle to prepare interview questions. Many students get stuck during this stage. To overcome this block, you need to learn some types of interview questions:

Opinion – What do you think of this topic?
Behavioral – What would you do in this situation?
Experience and knowledge – What do you know about the subject?
Background – How are you connected to the subject? What is your age, occupation, etc?
Emotional – How do you feel about the subject?
Sensory – What does the subject taste and feel like?

You can also think of the questions following the interviewee’s “yes” and “no” answers.

Tips for Conducting a Successful Interview

These four tips will help you conduct a productive interview on the first try:

1. Plan Your Meeting

Note that you want to interview a person in a quiet place so that nobody will distract you. This might be some cozy book store or a café. Or, you can arrange an online meeting. Make sure you have at least one hour for the interview.

2. Rehearse a bit

If you will conduct your first-ever interview, you want to practice with your friends/significant other/ family in the first place. This approach will help you identify what stage of your upcoming interview may challenge you the most.

3. Record Your Interview

You will forget about 50% of the information within an hour once you finish the interview. So don’t rely on your memory − bring a recorder instead. Why not take notes? You wouldn’t want to go red while asking your interviewee to repeat what they have just said or wait until you write down their answers.

4. Talk to Your Interviewee for a While Before You Begin

Speaking to someone you don’t know might be uncomfortable. You don’t have to attack them with your interview questions straightaway. Instead, you can exchange some casual phrases or discuss the weather. This will help you relieve stress and get comfortable with each other.

5. Explain Your Interview Protocol

It’s better to explain to your interviewee how you will conduct your interview. Tell them that you will use a recorder and introduce the discussion topic.

Interview Papers Format

In academic writing, you have to explain the purpose of your interview and introduce your interviewee in a specific “scholarly” format. The APA format interview paper has the following requirements:

Use 12-point Times New Roman.
Write a title page.
Use double spacing.
Introduce your interviewee and provide the background information – explain why this person is suitable for the interview. Mention their name and qualifications.
Use direct quotes if you cite some facts provided by the interviewee.
Use block quotes for citations longer than 40 words.

How to Write a Title Page?

The title of your paper must include your name, your institution, department, the course name and number, the teacher’s name, and the assignment date. The rules of writing the title page are the following:

The title page must be numbered.
Capitalize all major words in your title and make it bold.
Place the title of the essay three or four lines down the top of the page.
There must be one empty line before the student’s name.

Interview Papers Examples

If you’re searching for an interview essay example – check several samples below:

A narrative interview essay .
A Q&A interview format paper.
An interview with a scientist.

Interview Papers Writing Tips

The following writing tips will help you deliver the first-class interview paper:

Write the introduction at the end. Once you finish your essay, you will likely reconsider some ideas you had before you began. They will help you frame your interview essay with a captivating introduction and conclusion.
Give yourself a break after finishing your final draft. This will help you look at your paper with a fresh pair of eyes once you start editing.
Edit one type of error at a time. For example, you can reduce logical errors first and switch to grammatical mistakes afterward.
Use an active voice. If active voice makes your sentence shorter, use it without hesitation.
Check for any sample interview paper to decide on the interview questions. Perhaps, some pieces will spark your interest.

Writing Help by Handmadewriting

An interview paper doesn’t seem that intimidating once you learn how to write it step by step. First, you have to choose the subject that allows you to interview ordinary people rather than hard-to-reach ones. Then, you need to research your topic, conduct an interview, and write a paper.

You can get an A+ for this assignment with enough effort and dedication. But a doable task doesn’t necessarily mean that you must do it by yourself. If you have plenty of other assignments to do, you can ask our essay writers to craft an exemplary interview paper for you. For this, you can place an order on our website, and we will do all the dirty work.

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What is a “narrative interview?”

Travis Dixon March 9, 2018 Qualitative Research Methods , Research Methodology

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This material is the for the “old syllabus.” Students in the new IB Psychology syllabus (first exams May, 2019), do not need to know about narrative interviews (but they do need to know about unstructured interviews).

What is a narrative interview?

Find heaps of teaching resources for qualitative methods in our teacher support pack.

A “narrative” is a spoken or written summary of connected events. So a narrative interview asks questions that require participants to summarize their experiences of one or more phenomena (events) and tell this story to the researcher.

A narrative interview’s aim is to gather data on an individual’s particular experiences by asking them questions designed to have the participant respond in a narrative – a summary of events that are bound together by a common theme or meaning.

They might ask questions like:

Can you tell me about your experiences of…?
Can you tell me about ….? Who was involved? What happened? How did you feel?

How is a narrative interview conducted?

This summary from Feher, 2011 (European Journal of Homelessness) gives a good summary of how the narrative interview process works (in this case when interviewing homeless people). ( Link to full article )

“The narrative interview consists of three sub-sessions. In the first one the interviewer poses a single, carefully constructed, introductory, narrative question and then remains silent for a long period of time. In this question the interviewer orientates the interviewee by telling them what the focus of the interview is. The initial question could be something like: “Please tell me the story of your life… how you have become homeless?” The interviewee is given complete freedom in their response, and in remembering and constructing the story that they feel best responds to the question. The interviewer is fully present, but does not influence the story-telling by asking questions. If the interviewee needs help or does not know how to continue, the interviewer can ask them to expand on the last event (“Do you remember anything else about this?”), or simply help them to move on by asking: “And what happened after that?” When the story is finished (usually marked by a closing sentence such as “This was the story of my life”), the interviewer might ask the interviewee to speak more about certain events that have been mentioned and then wait for the story to be developed without asking further questions. This subsession is called the narrative follow-up. Questions in this sub-session remain strictly narrative in nature…. The third sub-session is optional. If the interviewer feels that more, non-narrative material is needed, they can conduct a second interview – this time a semi-structured, in-depth interview. This could be the case, for example, if the research requires the birth date of the respondent or more information about their family, or even if the interviewee has not spoken about certain areas of their lives that could be important, such as their childhood.” (Feher, 2011)

In summary, there are three phases to a typical narrative interview:

Narrative phase: A single, carefully constructive narrative question is asked and the participant is given freedom to respond without intrusion from the research.
Narrative follow-up: Additional question are asked to gather more information if necessary.
Optional second interview: More structured questions are asked to reveal specific data.

You can see this original study about Doctor training in the UK for a summary of questions asked in a narrative interview.

It is believed that people build their schema of the world by the stories they tell, listen to and read. It’s through these stories that people make sense of what is happening around them. Therefore, people will naturally communicate their experiences of the world (it is believed) through their own narratives, so questions should be asked that enable them to do this. The purpose is to see how people order the events and experiences of their life to give them meaning. By interpreting the meaning applied to participants’ events, we can attempt to understand their subjective experiences.

Other strengths

It can be used to investigate how people interpret their own individual experiences in relation to the broader social and cultural context. This is because their experiences would have been shaped to fit schema which have been accumulated through their social and cultural experiences.
They can be used with all people because they can talk freely.

Limitations

It results in an enormous amount of data and it can be time consuming to collect and analyse it.
The amount and quality of data will vary depending on the verbal qualities of the participant.
On the other hand, it might not offer much data if the person is unwilling to speak. This may happen if they’re not comfortable with the researcher or being tape recorded.

How to answer Paper 3 questions on narrative interviews…(D.E.A.L)

Define: 2 – 3 sentence summary of what a narrative interview is.
Explain: how and why they’re used in qualitative research
Apply: use details from the stimulus to support your explanation
Limitations: explain limitations of using a narrative interview (also use details to support your points)

Updated Aug 2020

Travis Dixon is an IB Psychology teacher, author, workshop leader, examiner and IA moderator.

Narrative interviewing

Published: 27 November 2015
Volume 38 , pages 631–634, ( 2016 )

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Claire Anderson 1 &
Susan Kirkpatrick 2

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Introduction Narrative interviews place the people being interviewed at the heart of a research study. They are a means of collecting people’s own stories about their experiences of health and illness. Narrative interviews can help researchers to better understand people’s experiences and behaviours. Narratives may come closer to representing the context and integrity of people’s lives than more quantitative means of research. Methodology Researchers using narrative interview techniques do not set out with a fixed agenda, rather they tend to let the interviewee control the direction, content and pace of the interview. The paper describes the interview process and the suggested approach to analysis of narrative interviews, We draw on the example from a study that used series of narrative interviews about people’s experiences of taking antidepressants. Limitations Some people may find it particularly challenging to tell their story to a researcher in this way rather than be asked a series of questions like in a television or radio interview. Narrative research like all qualitative research does not set out to be generalisable and may only involve a small set of interviews.

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School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK

Claire Anderson

Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Health Experiences Research Group, University of Oxford, Gibson Building, 1st Floor, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK

Susan Kirkpatrick

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Anderson, C., Kirkpatrick, S. Narrative interviewing. Int J Clin Pharm 38 , 631–634 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-015-0222-0

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How to write a narrative essay | Example & tips

How to Write a Narrative Essay | Example & Tips

Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A narrative essay tells a story. In most cases, this is a story about a personal experience you had. This type of essay , along with the descriptive essay , allows you to get personal and creative, unlike most academic writing .

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What is a narrative essay for, choosing a topic, interactive example of a narrative essay, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about narrative essays.

When assigned a narrative essay, you might find yourself wondering: Why does my teacher want to hear this story? Topics for narrative essays can range from the important to the trivial. Usually the point is not so much the story itself, but the way you tell it.

A narrative essay is a way of testing your ability to tell a story in a clear and interesting way. You’re expected to think about where your story begins and ends, and how to convey it with eye-catching language and a satisfying pace.

These skills are quite different from those needed for formal academic writing. For instance, in a narrative essay the use of the first person (“I”) is encouraged, as is the use of figurative language, dialogue, and suspense.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Narrative essay assignments vary widely in the amount of direction you’re given about your topic. You may be assigned quite a specific topic or choice of topics to work with.

Write a story about your first day of school.
Write a story about your favorite holiday destination.

You may also be given prompts that leave you a much wider choice of topic.

Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself.
Write about an achievement you are proud of. What did you accomplish, and how?

In these cases, you might have to think harder to decide what story you want to tell. The best kind of story for a narrative essay is one you can use to talk about a particular theme or lesson, or that takes a surprising turn somewhere along the way.

For example, a trip where everything went according to plan makes for a less interesting story than one where something unexpected happened that you then had to respond to. Choose an experience that might surprise the reader or teach them something.

Narrative essays in college applications

When applying for college , you might be asked to write a narrative essay that expresses something about your personal qualities.

For example, this application prompt from Common App requires you to respond with a narrative essay.

In this context, choose a story that is not only interesting but also expresses the qualities the prompt is looking for—here, resilience and the ability to learn from failure—and frame the story in a way that emphasizes these qualities.

An example of a short narrative essay, responding to the prompt “Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself,” is shown below.

Hover over different parts of the text to see how the structure works.

Since elementary school, I have always favored subjects like science and math over the humanities. My instinct was always to think of these subjects as more solid and serious than classes like English. If there was no right answer, I thought, why bother? But recently I had an experience that taught me my academic interests are more flexible than I had thought: I took my first philosophy class.

Before I entered the classroom, I was skeptical. I waited outside with the other students and wondered what exactly philosophy would involve—I really had no idea. I imagined something pretty abstract: long, stilted conversations pondering the meaning of life. But what I got was something quite different.

A young man in jeans, Mr. Jones—“but you can call me Rob”—was far from the white-haired, buttoned-up old man I had half-expected. And rather than pulling us into pedantic arguments about obscure philosophical points, Rob engaged us on our level. To talk free will, we looked at our own choices. To talk ethics, we looked at dilemmas we had faced ourselves. By the end of class, I’d discovered that questions with no right answer can turn out to be the most interesting ones.

The experience has taught me to look at things a little more “philosophically”—and not just because it was a philosophy class! I learned that if I let go of my preconceptions, I can actually get a lot out of subjects I was previously dismissive of. The class taught me—in more ways than one—to look at things with an open mind.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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If you’re not given much guidance on what your narrative essay should be about, consider the context and scope of the assignment. What kind of story is relevant, interesting, and possible to tell within the word count?

The best kind of story for a narrative essay is one you can use to reflect on a particular theme or lesson, or that takes a surprising turn somewhere along the way.

Don’t worry too much if your topic seems unoriginal. The point of a narrative essay is how you tell the story and the point you make with it, not the subject of the story itself.

Narrative essays are usually assigned as writing exercises at high school or in university composition classes. They may also form part of a university application.

When you are prompted to tell a story about your own life or experiences, a narrative essay is usually the right response.

The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.

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Caulfield, J. (2023, July 23). How to Write a Narrative Essay | Example & Tips. Scribbr. Retrieved September 4, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/narrative-essay/

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Instructional videos

Step 1. Inviting interviewees

There are two types of Narrative Assessment stories. Some stories can be told by a single advocate, while other stories recount a collective effort or a longer history, involving different people over time. In that case, several interviews will need to be integrated into a larger story or stories (see Step 4). Potential interviewees need to be approached in a way that makes the relevance and nature of the exercise clear. Narrative Assessment is a special experience for many advocates for whom it may be the first time to talk about their work from a deeply personal perspective. Generally, people will be pleased to share their stories, but it will be helpful to explain this special nature, the purpose of the Narrative Assessment and what is expected of them, also in terms of time investment (up to 1.5 hours of their time plus the checking of the story draft). How interviewees are invited to interviews has two important effects. First, done right, those invited become interested in participating. Second, how you introduce yourselves and your purpose will immediately begin to shape their expectations, which will affect what they share. Participants must agree to what they are getting into, what will be expected of them, how their identity can be protected, and what will be done with the stories they share. This informed consent must be secured before the interview takes place.

Step 2. Preparing narrative interviews

Interviews for Narrative Assessments are not like other interviews. A narrative interview is an interview that does not revolve around questions by the interviewer but helps someone tell their story. For Narrative Assessment, the facilitator helps set up the story, does very little but listen while the story is being told, and then asks questions after that enrich, clarify and build plausibility. Narratives have a beginning, a middle, and an end. The role of the facilitator is, thus, very different from that of a normal interviewer. Right before the interview, four actions must be taken to prepare the interviewee. Together, the four actions may take about 20 minutes.

Preparing the interviewee The facilitator starts by explaining Narrative Assessment and the question or interest that motivates the interview. Many interviewees will be used to reporting and reports are not stories. Therefore, Narrative Assessment requires a mental shift. The stories Narrative Assessment seeks are personal: they encourage advocates to open up and share personal knowledge of developments in their work, in the form of stories from their perspective. While many people share stories frequently outside of work, a preparatory conversation and supportive interview can help bring about and sustain this mental shift. One strategy here is to lead by example. The facilitator, for example, could share with the interviewee how this interview came about.

Getting a sense for the story While the purpose of the story will be defined already (in Step 1), the interviewee and facilitator should agree the story is to be that of the interviewee. Together, the interviewee and facilitator go through the following steps to prepare the telling of the story. It is crucially important to have at least some sense of the story before the interview starts. All stories have plots. They are an account of interconnected developments over time, with actors taking action, leading to some result. Stories are rich accounts of things that happened over time. For a good story, the interviewee must know what happened first-hand. Often there is a main message, something meaningful to the interviewee regarding these events, and the reason to tell the story – defining how it is built up. This main message defines the plot.

For example: something was learned, something worked out, or failed for reasons the interviewee understands. The NA facilitator needs to keep this in mind as, in some cases, the interviewee may not have the message of the story all figured out before the interview and the account can be messy with various back and forths. However, having some sense of what the message is about, and keeping what it is about in mind, is important for helping the interviewee to tell a story. It will be clear to them what is to go into the story. The exact nature of the message will develop through the telling of and through the facilitator’s probing questions about the story, helping to release memory and make sense of events and actions. This interaction may be the first time the interviewee reflects deeply on what happened and its meaning. This reflection will help the interviewee learn from the interview themselves.

The interviewee and the facilitator explore the question of the message until the interviewee finds they have defined it enough to tell the story, and the facilitator helps to make sure the story is rich and serves the purpose of the Narrative Assessment. A simple way to do this is to establish with the interviewee what the story is going to be about. There are two elements to this that both need to be discussed:

What is the theme of the story : the set of things that happened that will be talked about. For example: how we changed our strategy from trying to have conversations with the government agency to organizing protest.
What is the message of the story abou t: For example: what we learned along the way that made us realize we had to change our strategy in this way.

While the theme will always be identified in advance, there are times where the facilitator and interviewee will discover important messages during their interaction. These unexpected findings, messages that become visible during coached reflection, are a key contribution of Narrative Assessment. When these occur, it may be wise for the interviewee to name these new points and to explore these new messages further. One of these newfound messages may become the theme of the story.

Once the theme and message are adequately clear, it is possible and necessary to delimit the time and scope. If the timeline is too long and the number and types of actions too many and complex, there will be little chance to create a story with sufficient detail and context to be insightful and convincing. A clear idea of where and when the story starts and some discussion of how to pick which details to include (and often more importantly, exclude) along the way is necessary. The scope should be set so there is enough time to go into important details, clarifying things like crucial turning points at events, explanations of strategy, and reflections on reasoning at the time.

A way to set an appropriate scope is for the facilitator to discuss with the interviewee beforehand what developments the story will discuss, also going into the kinds of details that are important to show and make understandable how things happened. This can help the interviewee decide what story could be told within an hour. In addition, a facilitator can decide to adjust the scope if the story becomes so large (e.g., covering a multi-organization campaign over three years) that it is impossible to include the details necessary for an insightful and plausible story on how or why things happened as they did. In such situations, a facilitator can ask the interviewee to focus on a subset of events or actors or consider returning for a second or third interview.

Setting the timeline Together with the interviewee, the facilitator decides upon the starting point of the story (time and place) and invites the interviewee to start from that moment. To help make this happen, the facilitator can ask questions such as: What was for you an important starting point in time for this story? When do you think this story should start? How did this begin? The facilitator will then locate the interviewee at that starting point by asking them detailed questions about that situation.

Safety Stories contain many rich details. These same details may make it possible to identify people which at times may put people and/or programs at risk. Being safe means deciding in advance, during and also afterward what sorts of details may be dangerous to include and how to mitigate those risks. The first step in managing safety takes place once the scope and starting point are set but before the interviewee shares their story. At this point, the facilitator must ask ‘might this story contain any details that put anybody or anything you care about at risk?’ With that answer in mind, the facilitator and interviewee will collaboratively decide what to do.

Step 3. Conducting narrative interviews

Once the story is roughly framed, the interviewee will know what goes into his/her story, and the narrative interview can get started. Asking many further questions during the storytelling will not be necessary after that and can even be counterproductive, as it can shift attention towards what the facilitator is asking and distract the interviewee from building their story from their perspective as it happened.

There are five further tasks for the facilitator:

Helping to build the story The main task of the facilitator is to encourage the interviewee to tell the story step-by-step, to stay in the moment, and to speak from their position, as it unfolds over time.

A story is an account of events over time in specific places, brought together into a coherent whole, conveying certain messages from the standpoint of the interviewee. A Narrative Assessment story is built from the following elements:

It contains an element of transformation (something important changed).
It presents this transformation as a movement over time.
It contains actions by which this transformation happens.
Characters (one of whom is the interviewee) carry it out.
These actions take place in specific well-described settings.

These five elements are brought together in a plot (possibly involving crises and turning points). This plot has a point: a key message to take away from the story.

It is important not to treat these elements as sequential steps. They are interlocking elements that combine like the ingredients to bake a cake. With the preparation done, once the normal reporting mode is left behind, telling the story will often come naturally to the interviewee.

The facilitator can help, when necessary, to bring out the specific elements more sharply, by asking questions like: So, what happened next? Who did that, can you tell me a bit more? What kind of event was that, where that happened? So why does this matter for your story? The facilitator may also help the interviewee to explore what should go into the story, during the telling. An interviewee may very well move in different directions for some time, exploring different developments to see if they fit into the story. While supporting such explorations, the facilitator may help the interviewee to assess what should go into the story by asking questions such as: So how does this (actor, event, etc.) matter for the story for you? Or: Why do you think this is actually part of this story? Or is this another important story? It may happen that the story the interviewee tells consists, in the end, of a set of smaller interlinked stories that, when woven together, make the bigger story. That is not a problem for Narrative Assessment, but the facilitator and interviewee should develop a shared understanding of what the different smaller stories are and how they are related.

Helping to make the story plausible An important task of the Narrative Assessment facilitator is to help make the story plausible. The facilitator needs to pay attention to the following three aspects of the story and ask questions where necessary to strengthen the story :

Detail Detail makes stories insightful and plausible. Narrative Assessments ask for detail beyond conventional reporting. An important role for the facilitators is to ask for detail along the way, asking questions such as: Can you be a bit more precise about how that happened? How did you manage to get that invitation? What makes you think the minister took you more seriously at the meeting than before? Asking questions on this will often be necessary since interviewees will otherwise keep their stories at a general level.
Context Stories that clearly place practice in context are easier to interpret and they are more plausible as they are embedded in a reality. This helps to understand why things unfolded as they did and if and how those circumstances match those of the reader. Facilitators need to encourage interviewees to put their story in its context, asking questions such as: ‘So why was it evident to you that the government would respond in this way?’ or ‘Why did the strategy you chose fit the situation in that province?’ Interviewees often take their context for granted so asking questions will often be necessary. How much and what parts of that context matter change depending on the audience (e.g., sharing with peers in other countries or donors). Key elements of that context will have to be included.
Consistency Stories are more plausible when they are internally consistent and when they are also consistent with what we know about the context from other sources. Facilitators will be more effective if they can tell if the story fits the context as they are hearing it. This will give facilitators grounds to ask detailed questions. Facilitators must test consistency so they should prepare for the Narrative Assessment interview by reading up or having informal conversations with informed people on the theme and its context before the interview(s) start. It may be helpful to ask critical questions to explore consistency gaps and questionable silences or claims and so tease out details to strengthen the plausibility of the story. These gaps and silences may cover events that are in some way challenging and/or difficult, which makes them particularly important to capture. Examples of questions are: ‘What do you think made this work there, at that moment?’, ‘What happened that made you think it was your organization that made the key difference since we know other CSOs also tried to influence this ministry?’.

Reflecting and refining It is likely that after the interviewee has completed the first telling of their story, the facilitator still has questions about inconsistencies, context, silences, or missing detail (gaps in the story). The facilitator needs to reflect constantly during the unfolding of the story and see if any such questions arise and ask them at a time when they will not overly steer the interviewee, possibly after the first telling thereby strengthening the story where necessary by asking things like: ‘Can we go back to the moment when...’. Asking questions about a story will likely trigger further memories. At this stage, there is a good opportunity to delve into those as well. It will be clearer what the important elements of the story are and what aspects of these might need further attention. Also, the interviewee may not have shared something considered not of importance and may rethink that, triggered by the questions. At this stage, looking back or reflecting, it is also appropriate to ask the interviewee to identify which parts of the story or stories they have shared link to the main message and how they do so. This exercise provides the chance to ask: ‘Are there other things you have not mentioned that matter?’. It also ensures that the facilitator and the interviewee have a shared understanding of the message and how it is rooted in the plot (the interconnected developments the story tells about). The facilitator may ask the interviewee, giving the interviewee space to reflect. The facilitator can also help construct it (finding the right language, looking back together). There may be different elements to this main message (for example: how we learned to work with Twitter; how we did this working with a social movement; how this helped to get the minister to finally address our issue). This main message and its different elements can be used to give the story tags, for later retrieval.

Completing and closing After completing the above, the facilitator must also ask the interview if anything came up during their discussion that they think is sensitive. If they do identify something as sensitive, the facilitator and the interviewee must decide on how this information should be handled. For more information, see Chapter 5 on safety.

Finally, the facilitator should share with the interviewee what will happen next. This may, for example, be returning the cleaned-up transcript to the interviewee and scheduling a meeting or planning to interact over email to make sure the story reflects the telling and perspective of the interviewee.

Recording To capture stories in all their richness, it is important to record and transcribe the interview in the original language. Given that the quality of a Narrative Assessment depends on details, and that the relevance of these details may not be apparent until later, it is not possible to trust the memory of an interviewer unless they are very well trained in note-taking.

Step 4. Distilling stories from the narrative interviews

Interview transcriptions or notes easily run into 10 to 20 pages. Those writing up a story will need to transform the interview transcripts or notes into a story that is meaningful and to-the-point for busy staff and other audiences to read. While the stories need to be easy enough to understand and engaging, they must do justice to the story as told by the interviewee. This requires condensing the story while retaining key developments and important aspects of the context. It also involves putting the interviewee at the heart of the story as the protagonist whose knowledge and experience are presented throughout the story. At the same time, the story also needs to bring out critical detail and consistency.

Stories can develop from a single interview, to share one advocates’ experience. It is also possible to develop stories about programs, implemented by several organizations or individuals, or larger events incorporating and connecting stories told by different advocates. These are different types of stories, requiring different forms of reworking.]

The single-interview story During a narrative interview, an interviewee is not telling a ready-made story; they are constructing the story, reflecting, remembering, and adding on the spot. There may be main points and minor points, repetitions, and side stories. These things are what often make for a long transcript telling much more than the main story. However, based on the preparatory exploration beforehand and the way the story is told and concluded, the facilitator will be able to distil at least the main story from the interview, identifying and bringing out:

the main set of interconnected events forming a plot ;
and how the telling of the events conveys a main message ;
connecting characters with action ;
over time ;
in settings that are described so they can be clearly recognized and are demonstrably relevant to the message.

A single interview can usually be boiled down to a 2-3-page story. Sometimes, one interview ends up containing more than one story; and from one transcript, more than one can be distilled. To stay as close as possible to the interviewee’s form of the story, it is advisable to maintain the wordings, the style of narrating, and the first-person perspective of the interviewees as much as possible. Stories are written from the perspective of the interviewee. To get the feel right and stay in the perspective of the interviewee, it is helpful to listen to key bits of the interview before and while writing the story. Cleaning up grammar, hesitations and the like is advisable though, as it will raise the clarity and quality of the story, making it a more compelling read.

To make a story interpretable for different intended audiences, the facilitator may add information. This may be necessary since the original audience (the facilitator) is not the intended audience. The interviewee may have told their story rightfully assuming that the facilitator has insider knowledge on, for example, the setting, actors, or events. The facilitator needs to consider what information, for example, about the setting of the story, should be added to the story for an intended audience and then ask the interviewee to check the draft to see whether the adjusted rendering still does justice to their perspective.

Sensitive information may need to be adapted, in particular when the story is meant for external audiences.

After drafting the story, the facilitator must send it to the interviewee for checking, giving them the opportunity to correct the draft. In this exchange, the facilitator must tell what they have added or changed in the story and why those decisions were made.

Sometimes, a story that an interview tells consists of a few interconnected smaller stories. For example: ‘How I built a relation at a ministry’; ‘How an opportunity to influence a policy developed at that ministry because of a political development’. In such cases, we speak of a ‘composite story’. Those will be more common still with stories built from more than one interview. At times, these smaller stories can be separated, while for other purposes, they are better kept as one story.

The multiple-interview story Many advocacy trajectories involve several organizations working in alliances, multiple events over a longer period, and more than one advocate. Stories from different interviewees can be put together in a single story. As this is more complicated, the multiple-interview story is more challenging for facilitators than the single-interview story and may require some additional support from the trainers.

When advocates have worked together very closely, there may be a single composite story to tell by combining different interviews into one, with one plot that the interviewees all agree on. In that case, the process of building the story may be similar to that of a single-interview story, be it that you include different advocates’ voices into it. In that case, the facilitator may need not write the story in the first (I) person but, rather, to take up the role of a narrator, telling the story but ‘existing outside of it’ (telling what happened and what advocates did, etc. in the third person, (he/she/they). In some cases, the narrator will also have to at least partly formulate the plot and main message (and thus also the rest of the story), bringing together different voices into one story (which may shed a different light on the same sequence of events).

For example, a facilitator has conducted a set of narrative interviews with advocates from four different organizations, about a campaign over several years in which each played a role. This set of interviews will have to be reconstructed into one single story that ties these together. The question is how to do this without imposing an interpretation that does injustice to the interviewees. Based on the different interviews, the facilitator can decide that the interviews each show a different part of the campaign (from a similar perspective or a different view on it). A challenge is how to define the main message. It can still be possible to do this while drawing on the interviews, as they together may provide input for this based on their similarity. For they all engage the same difficult context and all contribute to the same result, offering part of a sequence of events that contributed to a certain outcome.

The facilitator can introduce that starting point at the beginning of the story and then proceed including the different voices of the interviews in a single story. Within these parts, the principle remains the same of maintaining the voice of the interviewee as much as possible, with main elements (events forming a plot with a message, characters, action, and setting) distilled from the interview as with the single-interview story. The narrative will have to create text elements connecting those voices, and also a concluding part confirming the main message, and reflecting on the different elements.

A multi-interview story will be longer than the single-interview story. It’s important to decide upon an acceptable length for your audience and adjust the story accordingly. If the case under study is complex, with many story strands, facilitator(s) may also decide to create several stories from the same set of interviews.

An example applying this approach for a Cordaid program can be found here , also in French , in which the authors of this manual worked with this approach.

Here too, to make the story understandable for different intended audiences, the facilitator may add an introduction, some information, for example on the setting, to help these audiences understand the story. This may be necessary since the original audience (the facilitator) is not the intended audience. Again, sensitive information may need to be adapted, in particular when the story is meant for external audiences (more on that in the section on safety).

After drafting the story, the facilitator sends it to the interviewees for checking, giving them the opportunity to correct the draft. In case of variety in perspective, the facilitator might want to address this in a meeting with all interviewees where possible. If no agreement is found, it can be decided to resolve this by focusing the stories on agreed elements, with further reflection on plausibility as a key factor deciding what should go in. If different accounts continue to be plausible also after this reflection, stories can highlight the different experiences as partial and/or reflecting different angles.

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Narrative Essays

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What is a narrative essay?

When writing a narrative essay, one might think of it as telling a story. These essays are often anecdotal, experiential, and personal—allowing students to express themselves in a creative and, quite often, moving ways.

Here are some guidelines for writing a narrative essay.

If written as a story, the essay should include all the parts of a story.

This means that you must include an introduction, plot, characters, setting, climax, and conclusion.

When would a narrative essay not be written as a story?

A good example of this is when an instructor asks a student to write a book report. Obviously, this would not necessarily follow the pattern of a story and would focus on providing an informative narrative for the reader.

The essay should have a purpose.

Make a point! Think of this as the thesis of your story. If there is no point to what you are narrating, why narrate it at all?

The essay should be written from a clear point of view.

It is quite common for narrative essays to be written from the standpoint of the author; however, this is not the sole perspective to be considered. Creativity in narrative essays oftentimes manifests itself in the form of authorial perspective.

Use clear and concise language throughout the essay.

Much like the descriptive essay, narrative essays are effective when the language is carefully, particularly, and artfully chosen. Use specific language to evoke specific emotions and senses in the reader.

The use of the first person pronoun ‘I’ is welcomed.

Do not abuse this guideline! Though it is welcomed it is not necessary—nor should it be overused for lack of clearer diction.

As always, be organized!

Have a clear introduction that sets the tone for the remainder of the essay. Do not leave the reader guessing about the purpose of your narrative. Remember, you are in control of the essay, so guide it where you desire (just make sure your audience can follow your lead).

Common Narrative Interview Questions

1. how do you approach constructing a multi-layered narrative.

Delving into the complexities of crafting a multi-layered narrative, one must balance intricate plot lines, develop complex characters, and maintain a coherent theme. This sophisticated storytelling technique allows for depth and richness, giving audiences a more immersive and thought-provoking experience. It demonstrates an author’s or screenwriter’s skill in handling multiple story arcs that interconnect and influence each other, revealing the interconnectedness of events and characters’ lives, often reflecting the multifaceted nature of reality.

When responding to this question, it’s essential to highlight your methodical planning process, such as using outlines or character maps to keep track of the various elements. Discuss how you ensure each layer serves a purpose and contributes to the overall narrative, whether it be to build tension, deepen character development, or enhance thematic resonance. Provide examples from your past work where you successfully managed to intertwine different storylines, and explain how you kept the narrative clear and engaging for the audience.

Example: “ In constructing a multi-layered narrative, my approach begins with an extensive outline that serves as a blueprint for the entire story. This outline meticulously details the primary plot and subplots, ensuring that each layer intersects with and enriches the others. I focus on how these layers can reveal character depth, thematic nuances, and contribute to the overall narrative arc. For instance, I might use a secondary character’s backstory as a mirror to the protagonist’s journey, providing contrast and highlighting the central themes of the narrative.

In practice, I have woven together different storylines by assigning specific narrative functions to each layer. One layer may drive the plot forward, while another adds emotional depth or foreshadows future events. To maintain clarity, I ensure that each storyline has a distinct voice and purpose, and I carefully control the pacing at which these layers unfold. By doing so, I’ve successfully delivered complex narratives that are both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant, keeping the audience engaged from beginning to end.”

2. What techniques do you use to ensure character development aligns with plot progression?

Understanding the balance between character development and plot progression is crucial for driving a narrative forward. The interplay between who characters are and what happens to them is essential for creating a compelling story. If characters remain static while the plot moves, or vice versa, the narrative can feel disjointed or unsatisfying. This balance ensures that the evolution of the characters feels authentic and is tightly interwoven with the unfolding of the plot.

When responding to this question, candidates should discuss specific strategies they employ, such as outlining character backstories, motivations, and internal conflicts in tandem with key plot points. They might also mention using character-driven decision-making to fuel plot twists, ensuring that pivotal events are consistent with the characters’ growth, or employing foreshadowing and callbacks to earlier character moments that resonate with later developments. By providing concrete examples from their work, candidates can demonstrate their proficiency in crafting narratives where character growth and story trajectory enhance and inform each other.

Example: “ In ensuring character development aligns with plot progression, I employ a dual-focused approach that intertwines character arcs with the structural bones of the story. Initially, I meticulously outline each character’s backstory, motivations, and internal conflicts, ensuring these elements are poised to catalyze the forthcoming plot points. This process involves a deep understanding of how a character’s desires and fears will organically lead to decisions that propel the story forward, allowing for a seamless integration of character and plot.

As the narrative unfolds, I utilize character-driven decision-making to introduce plot twists and turning points, ensuring that these moments are not just surprising but also a direct result of the characters’ evolving aspirations and challenges. Foreshadowing and callbacks serve as narrative tools to create a cohesive arc, where early character moments are revisited and recontextualized in light of new developments. This technique not only provides a satisfying sense of progression but also reinforces the thematic depth of the story, as characters’ journeys are mirrored by the plot’s trajectory.”

3. In what ways have you incorporated symbolism into your narratives?

When it comes to symbolism in narrative, it’s about creating layers of meaning that add depth and complexity to the story. It’s not just about the surface plot; it’s about resonating with the reader on an emotional and intellectual level. The use of symbolism can also indicate a writer’s skill in theme development and their capability to enrich a narrative without being overt or didactic.

When responding, a writer should discuss specific examples from their work, explaining the symbolic elements they chose and why. They should articulate how these symbols contribute to the overall themes of their narrative and enhance the reader’s engagement with the text. Sharing the process of developing these symbols—from inception to integration—can also demonstrate a thoughtful and intentional approach to their craft.

Example: “ In crafting narratives, I’ve often harnessed symbolism to add depth and resonance to the themes I explore. For instance, in one narrative centered on the theme of time’s relentless march, I employed the recurring motif of a decaying clock. This clock, once grand and ornate, progressively withered in each mention, mirroring the protagonist’s own journey towards acceptance of life’s impermanence. The symbolism here was twofold: it not only represented the passage of time but also the erosion of illusions that comes with personal growth.

Another example is the use of water as a symbol in a story about transformation. Water, in its various forms—rain, river, ocean—served as a metaphor for the protagonist’s emotional states: turbulent during conflict, placid with acceptance, and vast with newfound understanding. By weaving this symbol throughout the narrative, I was able to subtly underscore the character’s internal evolution, allowing readers to experience the shifts more viscerally. The choice of water as a symbol was deliberate, drawing from its universal associations with cleansing and change, thus enriching the narrative’s impact on the reader.”

4. Describe your method for creating compelling conflict and resolution.

Conflict and resolution are central to narrative work, as they drive the plot and deeply influence character development. A well-crafted conflict engages readers by challenging characters and pushing them toward growth, while the resolution provides a satisfying conclusion that echoes real-life complexities. Storytellers who understand how to weave tension in a way that feels organic and inevitable ensure that the audience remains invested in the characters and the outcome of their struggles.

When responding to this question, emphasize your understanding of the human condition and your ability to craft relatable and dynamic characters whose conflicts arise naturally from their desires, fears, and interactions with others. Outline your approach to escalating tension, perhaps by layering multiple obstacles or by deepening the emotional stakes, and then explain how you design resolutions that are both unexpected and fulfilling, leaving readers with a sense of catharsis or a new perspective. It’s important to convey that your method is both intentional and flexible, capable of adapting to the needs of the story and its audience.

Example: “ In crafting compelling conflict, I anchor the narrative tension in the authentic desires and fears of well-developed characters. Conflict arises organically from these characters’ interactions with each other and their environment, ensuring that their struggles resonate with universal human experiences. By establishing clear character motivations, I set the stage for conflicts that are inherently relatable, which is critical for audience investment.

To escalate tension, I employ a strategy of layering obstacles and deepening emotional stakes, which compels the narrative forward and heightens the audience’s anticipation for resolution. This method involves intertwining the external plot with the characters’ internal arcs, creating a multifaceted conflict that challenges them to evolve. When approaching resolution, I aim for an outcome that subverts expectations yet feels earned, providing a sense of catharsis. The resolution must stem from the characters’ growth and actions, offering a satisfying closure that aligns with the story’s thematic core and leaves a lasting impact on the audience.”

5. How do you balance pacing and structure in storytelling?

The rhythm of the narrative and the framework that supports it are critical to effective storytelling. Pacing dictates the speed and flow with which a story unfolds, engaging the audience and creating suspense or allowing moments of reflection. Structure, on the other hand, forms the skeleton of the story, organizing content into a coherent sequence that makes sense to the audience. Balancing the two is key to crafting a narrative that is both compelling and comprehensible, ensuring that the audience remains hooked while the plot progresses logically.

When responding, discuss your understanding of the elements of story structure—such as exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution—and how you weave these elements together to maintain a steady pace. Give examples of how you’ve adjusted the pacing in your previous work to enhance tension or deepen character development. Explain your approach to structuring a story to ensure that each scene and chapter contributes to the overall narrative, and how you evaluate the effectiveness of your pacing and structure through feedback or self-assessment.

Example: “ Balancing pacing and structure in storytelling requires a meticulous approach to crafting the narrative arc. I adhere to the classical structure while remaining flexible to the story’s needs, ensuring that each component—exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution—serves a purpose and propels the story forward. For instance, I might linger in the rising action if it means enriching character development, thereby creating a more profound connection with the audience. Conversely, I’ll accelerate the pace during the climax to heighten tension and keep readers engaged.

To ensure that pacing and structure work harmoniously, I employ various narrative techniques such as varying sentence length, using cliffhangers, and strategically placing revelations. I evaluate the effectiveness of my pacing through beta reader feedback and by analyzing reader engagement metrics, which can reveal where the narrative may lag or rush. This feedback loop allows me to refine the rhythm of the story, ensuring that it resonates with the audience and maintains their interest from beginning to end.”

6. What’s your strategy for maintaining consistency in narrative voice?

A consistent narrative voice is foundational to crafting a compelling and believable story. It requires a conscious effort to ensure that the voice, tone, and style remain uniform throughout the narrative, which directly impacts the reader’s immersion and connection to the material. A fluctuating narrative voice can confuse readers and undermine the credibility of the story.

When responding, outline a clear strategy that includes regular reviews of the work, possibly by reading aloud to catch inconsistencies in the voice. Discuss the importance of deeply understanding the characters and setting to maintain an authentic voice. Mention any tools or techniques used, such as style guides or feedback from editors, to keep the narrative on track. Illustrate your answer with examples from past work where maintaining a consistent voice was challenging, and how you overcame those challenges.

Example: “ Maintaining consistency in narrative voice is crucial for the integrity and immersion of a story. My strategy centers on a deep understanding of the characters and setting, which serves as the foundation for a consistent voice. I begin by crafting detailed character profiles and setting descriptions, which act as reference points throughout the writing process. This ensures that each character’s dialogue and actions remain true to their established personality and backstory, and that the setting influences the narrative in a coherent manner.

During the writing process, I employ a combination of regular reviews and reading the work aloud. This practice helps in catching inconsistencies in tone, diction, and style that might otherwise be overlooked. Additionally, I utilize style guides tailored to the project to enforce a uniform voice, and I actively seek feedback from editors or peer reviews to gain an external perspective on the voice’s consistency. In past projects, I’ve encountered challenges when a character’s voice started to drift, particularly in longer narratives. By returning to the character profiles and grounding myself in their motivations and experiences, I was able to realign the voice with the established narrative. This iterative process of self-review and external feedback ensures that the narrative voice remains consistent and authentic throughout the story.”

7. Could you provide an example of how you’ve handled non-linear timelines in your work?

For those in narrative-based roles, such as writing, editing, or game design, mastery over the structure of storytelling is essential. Non-linear timelines can be a powerful technique to engage audiences, reveal information gradually, or depict complex scenarios where cause and effect are intricately intertwined. Handling non-linear timelines demands a sophisticated grasp of pacing, foreshadowing, and the ability to maintain coherence despite a fragmented chronology, ensuring the audience remains captivated and comprehending.

When responding to this question, provide a concrete example from your past work that illustrates your competency with non-linear narratives. Describe the project’s goals, how you approached the non-linear elements, and the techniques you used to ensure clarity and engagement. Discuss the challenges you faced and how you overcame them, showing your problem-solving skills and creativity. Be specific about the feedback or outcomes that demonstrated the success of your approach.

Example: “ In one project, I was tasked with crafting a narrative that explored the protagonist’s memories, which were fragmented and revealed out of chronological order. To maintain clarity, I utilized thematic anchors and leitmotifs that resonated with specific time periods within the story. This allowed the audience to immediately recognize and orient themselves within the timeline whenever a particular theme or motif surfaced. I also employed consistent visual cues and transitional elements to signal shifts in time, ensuring a smooth narrative flow despite the temporal jumps.

The challenge was to keep the audience emotionally invested while navigating these temporal shifts. To address this, I focused on the emotional continuity of the character’s journey, ensuring that each non-linear segment was thematically linked to the character’s development. The success of this approach was reflected in audience feedback, which highlighted the emotional resonance of the story and an appreciation for the innovative structure. The narrative was praised for its coherence and the way it mirrored the complexity of human memory, ultimately enhancing the storytelling experience.”

8. How do you integrate themes without making them overly explicit?

Weaving themes into the fabric of a story enhances the reader’s experience without becoming a distracting lecture. The subtlety of theme integration is essential; it allows readers to engage with the material on a deeper level, making their own connections and discoveries, which can lead to a more profound and personal understanding of the narrative. Striking the balance between clarity and nuance ensures that themes contribute to the story’s richness without overpowering the narrative flow.

When responding, outline your approach to theme integration by discussing techniques such as using character development, setting, and dialogue to naturally embody the themes. Provide examples from your work where you have successfully embedded themes in a subtle manner. Explain how you monitor the balance between theme and narrative, perhaps by seeking feedback from beta readers or editors to ensure that the themes enhance rather than detract from the story.

Example: “ Integrating themes subtly into a narrative is akin to weaving a delicate thread through the fabric of the story; it should be present but not overtly visible. One technique I employ is to infuse the theme into the characters’ development arcs. For instance, if exploring the theme of redemption, I craft characters whose actions and growth naturally embody this concept without directly stating it. Their choices and consequences become a reflection of the theme itself, allowing readers to draw connections organically.

The setting and dialogue also serve as conduits for theme integration. By creating environments that echo the thematic elements, such as a dilapidated house symbolizing decay in a story about the decline of a family’s legacy, the theme is anchored in the narrative world. Dialogue, too, is a subtle tool; characters may grapple with thematic issues through their conversations without ever explicitly naming the theme. This approach maintains the narrative’s fluidity and allows the theme to resonate more profoundly with the audience.

Monitoring the balance between theme and narrative is critical. I rely on feedback from beta readers and editors, who can pinpoint where the theme may overshadow the story or, conversely, where it could be fortified. Their insights are invaluable in achieving the equilibrium where the theme enhances the narrative, enriching the reader’s experience without compromising the story’s natural progression.”

9. What is your process for developing authentic dialogue that advances the story?

Dialogue is the lifeblood of narrative; it breathes personality into characters and propels the story forward by revealing plot points, background information, and emotional undertones without resorting to blatant exposition. Crafting dialogue involves a deep understanding of character psychology, social dynamics, and the subtleties of human communication. The question seeks to uncover the candidate’s ability to create conversations that sound natural, serve the narrative purpose, and maintain the reader’s engagement.

When responding, outline a clear and methodical approach, starting with understanding each character’s background, desires, and speech patterns. Explain how you ensure that each line of dialogue serves a purpose, whether it’s to reveal character, build tension, or move the plot forward. Give examples of how you read dialogue out loud to test its authenticity and how you revise it to maintain the story’s pace and rhythm. By demonstrating this level of attention to detail, you’ll show your commitment to creating dialogue that not only sounds genuine but also enriches the narrative.

Example: “ Developing authentic dialogue begins with a deep dive into character study. I immerse myself in each character’s psyche, understanding their history, motivations, and the unique way they perceive the world. This foundation ensures that every line they utter is infused with their distinct voice and worldview. I then meticulously craft each dialogue exchange with a clear intention, ensuring it either reveals character nuances, heightens conflict, or propels the narrative forward.

Once the dialogue is on the page, I engage in a rigorous revision process. Reading the dialogue out loud is a critical step; it allows me to hear the rhythm and flow, and to catch any unnatural phrasing or stilted conversation that could pull a reader or viewer out of the story. I fine-tune each line, trimming the excess and sharpening the impact, always with an ear for maintaining the narrative’s pace. This iterative process results in dialogue that not only rings true but also contributes meaningfully to the unfolding story.”

10. Which methods do you employ to foreshadow events without revealing too much?

The art of foreshadowing requires a balance between giving hints and maintaining suspense. It’s an essential technique that teases readers or audiences with shadows of what is to come, which can create anticipation and deepen engagement. A storyteller’s command of this skill suggests a sophisticated understanding of narrative structure and pacing, and their answer can reveal much about their storytelling style and their ability to manage an audience’s expectations without compromising the story’s integrity or surprises.

When responding to this question, focus on specific techniques you use for foreshadowing, such as planting subtle clues, using symbolic imagery, establishing motifs, or employing dialogue that can have a double meaning. Explain how you decide on the placement of these elements and how they contribute to the overall narrative. It’s also effective to give examples from your past work where foreshadowing has enhanced the story’s impact and discuss how you gauge the effectiveness of your foreshadowing in keeping your audience engaged without spoiling the unfolding events.

Example: “ In crafting a narrative, I utilize a layered approach to foreshadowing that hinges on subtlety and misdirection. Symbolic imagery is one of my go-to techniques, where objects or settings are imbued with significance that may only become apparent upon reflection or as the story progresses. For instance, a wilting flower in an early chapter might prefigure a character’s decline, a detail that is easily overlooked yet resonates with thematic depth upon the narrative’s culmination.

Another method I employ is the strategic use of dialogue with double meanings. This allows characters to discuss events in a manner that seems innocuous or relevant to the immediate context, yet hints at future developments. The placement of these dialogues is critical; they’re often nestled in moments of calm before a storm, serving as quiet harbingers of what’s to come. The effectiveness of these techniques is gauged through beta readers and iterative revisions, ensuring that the foreshadowing is neither too opaque nor too transparent, maintaining an optimal level of audience engagement and narrative intrigue.”

11. How do you determine the appropriate point of view for a narrative?

Selecting the right point of view in a narrative is pivotal as it shapes the reader’s experience and connection with the story. It’s a strategic decision that affects how much information is revealed, the depth of characters’ insights, and the reader’s level of engagement. The interviewer is assessing your understanding of the various narrative perspectives available—first-person, second-person, third-person limited, or omniscient—and how these choices serve the narrative’s purpose, influence the story’s reliability, and affect the reader’s emotional journey.

When responding, emphasize your thought process in choosing a narrative perspective by considering factors like the story’s theme, the intimacy you wish to create between the characters and the reader, and the amount of information you want to disclose throughout the narrative. Discuss how you weigh the merits of different perspectives in relation to the unique demands of the story at hand, perhaps giving examples from your past work. Explain that your decision is also influenced by the genre, audience, and your own stylistic preferences, demonstrating an adaptable and deliberate approach to storytelling.

Example: “ Determining the appropriate point of view for a narrative hinges on the intimacy and connection desired between the characters and the audience, as well as the scope of knowledge that needs to be conveyed. For instance, a first-person perspective can provide a deep dive into a character’s psyche, creating a visceral, personal experience. This is particularly effective in character-driven stories where internal conflict is a central theme. Conversely, a third-person limited perspective might be employed to maintain a degree of mystery around other characters’ thoughts, fostering intrigue and allowing for a broader view of the story’s world without sacrificing the closeness to a particular character’s experiences.

In addition, the choice is often dictated by the genre conventions and audience expectations. For example, in a detective mystery, a first-person narrative might be used to align readers closely with the detective’s thought process, whereas a third-person omniscient perspective could be more suitable for epic fantasy, offering a panoramic view of the world and its multitude of characters. My approach is always to consider these elements in tandem, ensuring that the chosen point of view serves the narrative’s purpose, enhances thematic expression, and provides the most compelling and coherent experience for the reader.”

12. What challenges have you faced writing from an unreliable narrator’s perspective?

Working with an unreliable narrator in a narrative requires a sophisticated understanding of character development, pacing, and reader engagement. The unreliable narrator device challenges readers to question the truth and consider multiple layers of the story, which can be a powerful tool in storytelling. However, it also demands a delicate balance; too much unreliability and the reader may feel cheated, too little and the story loses its intrigue.

When responding, it’s crucial to discuss specific instances that illustrate the difficulties of maintaining this balance, such as ensuring the narrator’s unreliability is evident without being overly confusing or frustrating for the reader. Highlight strategies for leaving subtle clues and creating a narrative that invites readers to piece together the actual events, thus engaging them more deeply in the story. Mention any feedback received from readers or editors and how it shaped the revision process to fine-tune the narrator’s voice for the right level of ambiguity and complexity.

Example: “ Crafting a narrative from the perspective of an unreliable narrator presents a unique set of challenges, primarily in striking the right balance between ambiguity and clarity. In one instance, I endeavored to weave a tale where the narrator’s subjectivity was central to the plot, but early feedback indicated that readers were more confused than intrigued. The complexity lay in leaving enough breadcrumbs for the reader to question the narrator’s credibility without making them feel misled or cheated.

To address this, I refined the narrator’s voice to include more nuanced inconsistencies, which served as subtle indicators of their unreliability. I also employed the use of selective omission and skewed interpretations of events, encouraging readers to read between the lines and engage with the text on a deeper level. This approach required a meticulous revision process, where each piece of the narrative was carefully calibrated to contribute to a cohesive yet enigmatic whole. The result was a narrative that rewarded attentive readers with a richer, more satisfying experience as they unraveled the truth behind the narrator’s tale.”

13. How do you weave subplots seamlessly into the main storyline?

Subplots are essential for enriching the main narrative, offering depth and complexity to the story, and providing a more immersive experience for the audience. They serve as a vehicle to develop characters further, explore themes, and maintain reader engagement by adding layers of interest. A well-integrated subplot can echo the main plot, providing contrast, or even act as a foil to the primary narrative arc.

When responding, it’s crucial to highlight your understanding of the balance between the main plot and subplots. Demonstrate your skill in ensuring that each subplot is relevant to the overall story and contributes to character development or theme exploration. Explain your method for ensuring that subplots intertwine with the main plot at strategic points, enhancing the narrative without overwhelming it. Give examples of your past work where subplots served to illuminate aspects of the main story or provided necessary relief to maintain pacing. Show that you are adept at crafting subplots that are compelling in their own right, yet when they converge with the main plot, they elevate the entire narrative to a richer and more satisfying conclusion.

Example: “ Weaving subplots into the main storyline requires a delicate balance where each subplot complements and enhances the central narrative. I approach this by first ensuring that every subplot has a clear connection to the main plot, whether it’s through thematic resonance, character development, or contributing to the story’s climax. For instance, in a narrative I crafted, a subplot involving a secondary character’s personal struggle mirrored the protagonist’s internal conflict, thereby reinforcing the story’s overarching theme of self-discovery.

To integrate subplots seamlessly, I employ foreshadowing and mirroring techniques, allowing subplots to unfold in tandem with the main plot. I strategically place subplot elements to intersect with the main storyline at moments where they can provide new insights or add layers of complexity. For example, I once utilized a romantic subplot to highlight the protagonist’s vulnerabilities, which in turn, shed light on their motivations within the main plot. This subplot culminated in a pivotal moment that served as a catalyst for the protagonist’s ultimate decision, thus ensuring that the subplot was not only engaging but also instrumental to the narrative’s progression. Through careful planning and structuring, I ensure that each subplot enriches the narrative, maintaining cohesion and narrative momentum.”

14. In what way do you handle exposition to avoid information dumping?

Seamlessly weaving exposition into the narrative is critical for providing background information that readers need to understand the story. An adept storyteller must reveal details organically through dialogue, action, and description rather than halting the story’s momentum with blunt exposition. This question assesses a candidate’s skill in maintaining narrative flow and engaging the reader while still delivering necessary context.

To respond, you might discuss techniques like the “show, don’t tell” philosophy, embedding exposition in conversations, or using a character’s internal thoughts to reveal background details. You could also mention pacing the release of information throughout the story to maintain interest, or employing devices such as unreliable narrators or flashbacks to provide exposition in a more dynamic way. Illustrate your approach with examples from your past work where you successfully integrated exposition without disrupting the reader’s immersion.

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15. What steps do you take to create diverse characters that contribute uniquely to the narrative?

Meticulous research and empathy are key to creating characters with depth and diversity, essential for crafting a compelling narrative that resonates with a broad audience. The process ensures that characters are not just tokens or stereotypes, but fully realized individuals whose backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives drive the story forward and enrich the plot. This question seeks to understand the author’s commitment to inclusivity and their skill in portraying an array of human experiences that reflect the real world.

When responding, it’s crucial to emphasize the methods used for character development, such as engaging with communities, seeking out firsthand experiences, and consulting sensitivity readers. Discuss the importance of each character’s role in the story, ensuring they have their own voice, agency, and purpose. It’s also beneficial to talk about how maintaining a diverse cast can challenge and subvert reader expectations, thereby enhancing the overall narrative.

Example: “ To create diverse characters that contribute uniquely to the narrative, I begin by conducting thorough research to understand the backgrounds and experiences that shape different identities. This involves engaging with communities, analyzing first-hand accounts, and sometimes collaborating with experts who can provide deeper insights into the nuances of various cultures and lifestyles. By grounding each character in authentic experiences, I ensure they reflect realistic perspectives and contribute to the narrative with their distinct voices.

Once the foundational research is complete, I craft each character with a clear sense of agency and purpose within the story. This means developing their individual goals, conflicts, and growth arcs that resonate with their backgrounds but aren’t defined solely by them. I often utilize sensitivity readers to ensure that the portrayal of diverse characters is respectful and accurate. By doing so, these characters not only enrich the narrative with their unique viewpoints but also allow for a more complex and interconnected story structure that can challenge and subvert reader expectations, leading to a more engaging and thought-provoking experience.”

16. How do you ensure that your setting enriches rather than distracts from the story?

A dynamic setting in narrative interacts with characters and plot, influencing the mood and steering the audience’s emotional journey. When a setting is crafted skillfully, it complements the story’s themes and characters’ development, offering a sense of place that can enhance the narrative’s impact. Conversely, an ill-conceived setting can pull attention away from the story, causing confusion and disengagement.

When responding to this question, emphasize your strategic use of setting to augment the narrative. Discuss how you consider the setting’s role in advancing the plot or revealing character depth. Give examples of how you’ve integrated the setting seamlessly, perhaps by using it to mirror characters’ emotions or to foreshadow events. Mention techniques you use to maintain the balance, such as avoiding overly descriptive passages that might overshadow the action or dialogue, and tailoring the level of detail to the pace and tone of the story. Show that you understand the subtleties of setting as an active element of storytelling, not just a static stage on which the drama unfolds.

Example: “ To ensure that the setting enriches the narrative, I approach it as a dynamic character that interacts with and influences the plot and character development. For instance, I might use a stormy seascape to echo a protagonist’s inner turmoil, or an opulent, decaying mansion to symbolize the decline of a once-great family. This technique not only adds depth to the story but also creates an immersive atmosphere without detracting from the central narrative.

I maintain balance by weaving setting details into action and dialogue, ensuring they serve a purpose beyond mere decoration. For example, I might describe the oppressive heat of a room in which a tense argument unfolds, using the setting to amplify the characters’ discomfort and raise the stakes of the conflict. By integrating setting in this manner, it becomes a subtle yet powerful tool that enhances the story’s impact without overwhelming it.”

17. Detail your experience with adapting narratives across different media or platforms.

Adapting narratives across various media or platforms showcases creativity, versatility, and audience awareness. It requires an understanding of the unique strengths and limitations of each medium—whether it’s print, digital, social media, video, or live presentations—and how these channels can affect the story’s delivery and reception. The ability to tailor a story appropriately shows that you grasp not only the content but also the context in which it will be consumed.

When responding, highlight specific examples where you’ve successfully modified a narrative for different platforms. Discuss the strategies you employed to maintain the core message while making the necessary adjustments to fit the medium’s constraints and opportunities. This can include altering the tone, adjusting the length, or using different visual or interactive elements. Describe the outcomes and how you measured the effectiveness of your adaptations in engaging the intended audience.

Example: “ In adapting narratives for different media, I’ve found that the essence of the story must remain intact while its expression is tailored to the platform’s unique strengths. For instance, when translating a print narrative to a digital format, I condensed the story for brevity and added interactive elements to leverage user engagement inherent to online platforms. The interactive components were designed to immerse the user in the narrative, allowing them to explore the story in a non-linear fashion, which print does not permit.

Another example is adapting a narrative for social media, where the attention span is shorter, and the content is more visual. I created a series of succinct, compelling posts that distilled the narrative’s key points, accompanied by striking visuals and calls to action. The effectiveness of these adaptations was measured through engagement metrics, such as click-through rates, shares, and comments, which outperformed the platform’s benchmarks. This demonstrated that the core message resonated with the audience while the format capitalized on the medium’s strengths.”

18. How do you measure the effectiveness of a narrative’s emotional impact on the audience?

Evaluating the emotional impact of narratives is a nuanced process that benchmarks a story’s success and resonance with its audience. Employers are looking for storytellers who are not just creators but also skilled analysts, capable of evaluating the emotive pull of their narratives. They seek someone who can ensure that stories forge a meaningful connection, leaving a lasting impression that aligns with the intended message and purpose of the narrative.

When responding, consider discussing specific methods you use to gauge emotional engagement, such as soliciting direct feedback from a sample audience through surveys or focus groups, monitoring social media reactions, or analyzing reviews and ratings. Mentioning any data-driven approaches, like sentiment analysis tools, can also demonstrate a contemporary understanding of audience measurement. Additionally, reflecting on personal observations and adjustments made in response to audience reactions showcases your adaptability and commitment to crafting compelling stories.

Example: “ To measure a narrative’s emotional impact, I employ a multi-faceted approach that combines quantitative and qualitative data. For instance, I utilize sentiment analysis tools to parse through social media reactions, reviews, and ratings, which provide a broad view of the audience’s emotional responses. These tools, powered by natural language processing algorithms, can detect nuances in mood and sentiment, offering a data-driven snapshot of how the narrative resonates.

In addition to leveraging technology, I value direct audience engagement through surveys and focus groups. These methods allow for in-depth understanding of the audience’s emotional journey, as participants can articulate their feelings and the moments that triggered them. By correlating this qualitative feedback with the sentiment analysis data, I can pinpoint the narrative elements that are most effective or those that may require refinement. This dual approach ensures that my assessment of a narrative’s emotional impact is both comprehensive and precise, enabling me to continuously enhance the storytelling craft.”

19. What practices do you follow to maintain originality while adhering to genre conventions?

Innovation and familiarity must be balanced to achieve originality in narrative. Authors must navigate the expectations of their genre to satisfy their audience while simultaneously offering a fresh perspective that distinguishes their work from others. This question assesses a writer’s creative integrity and their understanding of the genre they are working within, revealing how deeply a candidate has considered the tension between genre norms and the creative impulse.

When responding, a candidate should outline their approach to research and immersion in the genre to ensure they understand the foundational elements that fans appreciate. They should then describe the strategies they use to infuse their work with unique elements, such as drawing on personal experiences, cross-pollinating ideas from other genres, or experimenting with narrative structure and character development. The response should convey a respect for genre conventions while also showcasing the candidate’s commitment to pushing boundaries and introducing new ideas.

Example: “ To maintain originality within genre conventions, I first immerse myself in the genre to understand the core elements that resonate with its audience. This involves a deep dive into seminal works, not just to mimic their successes but to understand the underlying principles that make them timeless. With this foundation, I then bring in fresh perspectives by integrating personal experiences and observations from the world around me, ensuring that each narrative feels both authentic and relatable.

I also employ a strategy of cross-genre fertilization, where I draw upon themes, tropes, and narrative techniques from other genres to inject novelty into familiar structures. This might mean taking a character archetype from one genre and placing it in an entirely different setting, or using a narrative device typically found in another genre to create unexpected twists within the story. By doing so, I respect the genre’s boundaries enough to satisfy its enthusiasts while also pushing the envelope to keep the narrative engaging and original.”

20. Can you cite an instance where reader feedback significantly influenced your narrative direction?

Engaging with reader feedback is a dynamic process that can dramatically shape the evolution of a narrative. For writers, understanding how an audience reacts to their work can be as enlightening as it is challenging. It offers a unique opportunity to refine storytelling techniques, enhance character development, and ensure the plot resonates with readers. This question surfaces whether you view your narrative as a static creation or a living dialogue with your audience, revealing how adaptable you are as a creator.

When responding, reflect on a specific moment where feedback sparked a significant change in your story. Explain how the input was received—whether through beta readers, editor comments, or audience reviews—and the specific alterations it prompted in your narrative. Detail how this feedback led to improvements in plot coherence, character relatability, or thematic clarity, ultimately enhancing the overall impact of your story. This response should illustrate your receptivity to constructive criticism, your flexibility in the creative process, and your commitment to crafting a compelling narrative that engages your audience.

Example: “ Yes, there was a moment during the development of a serialized fiction piece when reader feedback played a pivotal role in shaping the narrative. After releasing the initial chapters, I noticed a recurring comment from readers expressing confusion about the motivations of the protagonist. Their engagement with the character was hindered by a lack of clear, relatable goals, which was something I hadn’t fully realized during the writing process.

Taking this feedback into account, I revisited the character’s arc, infusing the narrative with more explicit scenes that showcased the protagonist’s internal struggles and aspirations. This not only clarified the protagonist’s motivations for the readers but also added depth to their personality, making them more three-dimensional. The result was a significant increase in reader investment and a more resonant emotional payoff in the story’s climax. This experience underscored the importance of audience perception in narrative development and reinforced my approach to actively seek and incorporate reader insights to enrich the storytelling experience.”