The Advantages of Narrative Writing

Narrative writing is a vehicle through which you can describe a personal experience, retell a story you've heard before or tell a tall tale. The rules of narrative writing are few and far between, giving the author a chance to let his unique writing style shine. Enjoy the advantages of narrative writing by using your creativity at every turn, creating a piece that is uniquely yours.

Point of View

Narratives are typically written in first person, using the pronoun "I" to describe the events. However, the advantage to narrative writing is that you can also choose to write it in third person, using "he" or "she" or even second person with "you." Using your creative license is a distinct advantage of narrative writing that you can't always employ when writing more formal pieces. Create a good narrative piece by drawing in your reader with vivid language and logical sequences. Add significance to your story by including tension or conflict in the plot that becomes resolved by the end.

Gain Perspective

Narrative writing can provide a therapeutic outlet for the author, allowing you to relive an event and gain clarity or peace about it. Narrative writing forces you to delve into the specific emotions tied to a particular event, giving you a chance to revisit strong feelings. Writing about an important event also helps you recall even the minute details, ensuring that you will remember it for years to come.

Little Research

Narrative writing offers a freedom from research that other types of writing do not. Depending on your topic, your narrative may require little to no research. When you tell a story, fiction or nonfiction, you can tell it how your mind sees it without having to cite sources or verify facts. If you do choose to research the setting or other particular events, you can decide which direction to take the research and how deep to delve.

Fiction or Nonfiction

Narrative writing offers the advantage of catering to both fiction and nonfiction pieces. You can tell a true story, word-for-word, or if you prefer, you can base your story on an event that really happened and spice it up a bit with contrived events. You can also compile a narrative that is solely born from your imagination. Narrative writing allows you to employ your creativity at every turn, creating an original work that can only be attributed to you.