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Plot, structure and narrative voice

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Every story has a shape and a voice. Knowing how plots are built and who is telling the story helps you understand why a story affects you the way it does.

A classic story shape

Who is telling the story?

First person: the narrator is a character and uses 'I'. We see only what they see and know.
Third person: the narrator is outside the story and uses 'he', 'she' and 'they'.
A third-person narrator who knows everything, including every character's thoughts, is called omniscient.

Why it matters

First person can feel close and personal, but the narrator might not tell the whole truth.
Third person can show many places and characters.
Writers also play with order: a story might start at the end, or jump back in a flashback.
Worked example

'I knew, the moment I opened the letter, that nothing would ever be the same.' What narrative voice is this, and what is the effect?

  1. It uses 'I', so it is first person.
  2. The narrator hints that something big is coming.
  3. This creates suspense and makes us want to read on.

Answer: First person. Hinting at a life-changing event creates suspense and closeness to the narrator.

Key idea

Stories often follow exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. First person uses 'I'; third person uses 'he', 'she' and 'they'; an omniscient narrator knows everything.

The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.

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