Narrative Structure Time

Hello, Hello, Hello!

     It's this time again, whoever reads my blog. Yes, yes time to learn things. Today we talked about narrative....the classical narrative I mean, so I would say it's time for me to relay the information here. The flood gates are open, the information is spilling out.......now!

     Narrative Structure is basically a framework in which the narrative is presented to a reader, listener or viewer, which ever applies in the context. The narrative structures include plot and the setting. Generally speaking narrative of any possible kind of work contains three aspects. They are plot, theme and resolution. This can also be divided into three sections too which would turn into the three-act structure: Setup, Conflict, Resolution. 

     Act One, the setup. Here all the main characters are introduced. This includes their personality, surroundings, relationships and what not, just the basic situation. But this only contains a primary and very shallow level of characterization. During setup, a problem is also introduced in order to more the story forward by giving the characters a sudden drive to change things and stop being passive. 

     Act Two, the conflict. This is usually the biggest part of the story. It begins when a catalyst forces the main characters to act out of their ordinary set days and this sets the whole plot rolling down the hill. Act two is also the part of the story in which characters undergo major changes in reaction to what is happening in the plot. Because of this the Conflict is also sometimes called Character Development or Character Arc.

     Act Three, resolution. The problem of the story boils over - forcing the character to face it. Think the epic battle towards the end of every more action packed film. In act three all of the elements of the story come together which inevitably leads the story to it's end.

     Of course not every narrative based piece follow this structure. Especially not music videos. Another quite popular narrative concept is the Non-Linear Narrative. It is a narrative that does not follow the story in a step-by-step fashion. For example it is often broken up. We might get to see the ending before even reaching the middle of the story. Though Flashback Narratives are often confused with true Non-Linear Narratives. The following ones are broken up in multiple sections, but in Flashback narrative  the audience starts by briefly seeing the end, but the going back to the beginning, experiencing the story in a linear fashion AND surpassing the previously seen ending. Music videos usually operate a non-linear narrative, moving back and forth withing the story line and rarely ever showing everything step by step, beginning-middle-end.

-Greta owo