Narratiivia

Narratiivia is a term used in some strands of narrative theory to analyze how stories are produced and experienced through the act of narrating. It is a neologism that emphasizes narrativity as an active, constructivist process rather than a fixed property of a text. The word is a portmanteau built from narrative-related roots and is not tied to a single school or language tradition; its usage varies among scholars who study literature, film, and interactive media.

Core concerns include the narrator’s voice and reliability, focalization, and the temporal organization of events. Narratiivia also investigates how pacing, framing, and commentary shape meaning, and how audiences participate in co-creating the story through choices, interpretation, and media affordances. In digital and multimedia contexts, narratiivia extends to interactivity, branching paths, multiple media tracks, and meta-commentary that draws attention to the act of storytelling itself.

Given its ambiguous status in scholarly discourse, narratiivia is used as a heuristic rather than an established theory. Proponents argue that it provides a common frame for analyzing narrative practice across novels, films, games, and online narratives; critics warn that it overlaps with conventional narratology or the broader concept of narrativity. Regardless of its acceptance, narratiivia highlights how the form and function of narration can influence audience engagement and interpretation across media.