Narration is the use of a written commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration encompasses a set of techniques through which the creator of the story presents their story. This is through a point of view perspective. It is a way that shows us the opinion or feelings of the individuals involved in a situation.
There are three types:
The first person:
It is when “I” am telling the story. The character in the story is telling the reader what happened through his/her/their experiences directly.
Books that are written in this perspective:
- To Kill A Mockingbird (told by the six-year-old Jean Louise Finch)
- The Lightning Thief (told by Percy Jackson)
- Moby Dick (told by Ishmael)
The second person:
The story is told to “you.” This POV is not common in fiction, but it’s still good to know (it is common in nonfiction).
Books that are written in this perspective:
- ‘Bright Lights, Big City
- Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography
- Steve Jackson’s Fighting Fantasy D&D adventure books
The Third person:
There are two way to write this…
- The limited approach: The story is about “he,” “she,” or “They.” This is the most common point of view in commercial fiction. The narrator is outside of the story and relating the experiences of a character.
- *The omniscient approach: The story is still about “he,” “she,” or “They,” but the narrator has full access to the thoughts and experiences of all characters in the story.
Books that are written in this perspective:
- Harry Potter (written in limited)
- Lord of the Flies (written in omniscient)
- Little Women (written in omniscient)