Whether you’re interested in writing essays, becoming a journalist, or studying literature, learning about narrative writing can help you in many different ways. Here’s why!
1. You’ll gain more writing skills
Narrative writing will help hone your writing skills for many different genres! Learning how to structure a story will help you artfully craft essays. Gaining an attention to detail will aid you in researching argumentative papers. Studying style and clarity will help in all of your work, even genres outside of narrative.
2. It will teach you more about other people
Understanding character development is a large part of narrative writing. By learning how to either create fictional or depict nonfictional characters, you’ll learn how to think through experiences that you never would have encountered otherwise.
3. You’ll be able to better analyze books, plays, and movies
By learning more about how to craft an artful narrative, you’ll be able to better analyze literature. Since you’ll be able to identity the narrative’s structure, motifs, and character development, you can identify what message the author is trying to convey through the narrative.
4. You can learn more about Scripture
Several books of the Bible – including Esther, Jonah, the Gospels, and Job – are in a narrative format. There are characters, plot developments, conflict, and resolution. Understanding how narrative works will help you better appreciate instances of narrative in Scripture. The stories become a lot more meaningful when you recognize how God gives us His word in terms of stories.
5. You’ll learn more about yourself and your faith
Just as God’s Word comes in the form of stories, God, as the master story-teller, has written your life story. You might see how He's woven motifs, conflicts, and resolutions into your life. Understanding storytelling helps you better appreciate their role in your own life—and that can help you better appreciate God.
Interested in learning about narrative writing and other storytelling methods? Consider coming to our Multi-Media Journalism camp! For more information, check out our teen leadership camp description and sign up today!
Multi-Media Journalism camp is taught by author and PHC journalism professor, Dr. Les Sillars. The camp is held July 1 to 7.
