innarrative

Innarrative is a term used to describe the internal narrative or inner storyline that a person constructs to interpret experiences, memories, and identity. It can refer to the private stream of self-talk and imagined futures that accompany daily life, as well as to the inner perspective within a fictional work that reveals a character’s thoughts. The concept is often contrasted with external or public narratives—the plots and voices presented to others or mediated by media.

In literary and narratological contexts, innarrative may denote the way a character’s inner thoughts are presented or implied within a narrative, including techniques such as free indirect discourse or interior monologue. It is distinct from the narrator’s external voice, even when a story is told from a character's point of view.

In psychology and therapy, innarratives are central to theories of self-identity and meaning-making. People rely on inner stories to organize experiences, regulate emotions, and guide actions. Narrative therapy explicitly targets innarratives, encouraging clients to examine, externalize, and re-author their personal stories to promote resilience and change. Critics caution that the term can blur with broader concepts of self-talk or self-narratives, and that the boundaries between inner and external storytelling are sometimes fluid.

See also: self-narrative, narrative identity, interior monologue.