Narrative Techniques

Question 1

Indicating or hinting to readers that something will happen later in a story.

Answer 1

Foreshadow

Question 2

Used to reveal to the reader’s past event which might have happened before the prevailing narration.

Answer 2

Flashback

Question 3

When a story is left open-ended and unresolved.

Answer 3

Cliffhanger

Question 4

Writers divert the attention of the reader onto another character or element of the story in order to distract them from the truth.

Answer 4

Red Herring

Question 5

A sudden realization by a character can have a dramatic impact on a story.

Answer 5

Epiphany

Question 6

A character will take on the personal views, morals, and even personality traits of their author.

Answer 6

Author Surrogate

Question 7

Technique that repeats references to either a character or object. At first, this reference appears unimportant, but is later proven to be a crucial part of the narrative.

Answer 7

Repetitive Designation

Question 8

Characters make predictions about the future, which then come true as a result of them thinking about that event.

Answer 8

Self-fulfilling Prophecy

Question 9

Used to mock or convey humor through exaggerated and over-the-top imitation.

Answer 9

Parody

Question 10

The mood of a character is reflected in non-human objects surrounding them.

Answer 10

Pathetic Fallacy

Question 11

A symbolic story, often religious or spiritual in nature, that reflects on elements of what it’s like to be human.

Answer 11

Allegory

Question 12

Help readers create mental images of a scene, using descriptive language that touches specifically on the five senses.

Answer 12

Sensory Detail

Question 13

A narrative through a series of journal entries or other written documents.

Answer 13

Epistolic

Question 14

Tells the events in a story in order of how they happened.

Answer 14

Chronological

Question 15

The telling of a story from the ending backward.

Answer 15

Reverse Chronological

Question 16

The plot unfolds exactly during the length of the story.

Answer 16

Real-time

Question 17

A character in the narrative directly addresses the audience or reader.

Answer 17

Breaking the Fourth Wall

Question 18

Transcribes what a character is thinking. This can include descriptions of what they see, immediate reactions or how they feel.

Answer 18

Stream of Consciousness

Question 19

A story within a story.

Answer 19

Framing Story

Question 20

Records or transcribes the events of someone’s life or situation.

Answer 20

Documentary