The Narrative Voice

Narrative Voice is the perspective and style through which a story is told. It’s essentially who is telling the story and how they’re telling it. It shapes how readers perceive the events, characters, and tone of the narrative.

There are two main components to narrative voice:

The Point of View (POV): Who is speaking?

This determines the narrator’s position in the story and what they know. Common types of POV are:

• First-person:
  The narrator is the main character in the story.
  Example: “I walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down.”
• Second-person:
  Rare in fiction, it addresses the reader directly.
  Example: “You walk to the edge of the cliff and look down.”
• Third-person limited:
  The narrator is outside the story but closely follows one character’s thoughts and experiences.
  Example: “She walked to the edge of the cliff, heart pounding.”
• Third-person omniscient:
  The narrator knows everything about all characters and events.
  Example: “She walked to the edge of the cliff, unaware that far below, someone else was waiting.”

The Narrative Style or Tone: How is the story being told?

This refers to the narrator’s personality, attitude, language and presence in the text. Examples include:

• Formal or informal: Is the voice elegant and structured or casual and conversational?
• Detached or emotional: Is the narrator objective and distant, or deeply personal and expressive?
• Reliable or unreliable: Can you trust what the narrator is telling you?

Example Comparison:

• First-person, unreliable voice:
  Example: “I’m not saying I did anything wrong. But if I did, she deserved it.”
• Third-person, omniscient, formal voice:
  Example: “He considered his actions justified, but the world, governed by impartial laws, would soon prove otherwise.”

Narrative voice is a powerful tool in storytelling. It shapes the reader’s emotional engagement, guides the flow of information, and influences how characters and events are perceived. Through narrative voice, readers connect with characters, receive key details, and experience the tone and pacing of the story.