narrating

Narrating, in literary and narrative theory, is the act of presenting a sequence of events through a narrator who conveys information, interpretation, and perspective to an audience. A narrator may be internal to the story (first-person) or external (third-person). Narration can be omniscient, knowing all thoughts and events; or limited to a character's viewpoint; or multiple narrators alternating perspectives. Reliability ranges from fully dependable to unreliable, with narrative tricks shaping reader interpretation.

The narrative voice may be distinguished from the story by focalization: who sees and knows what is presented. Techniques include free indirect discourse, where a narrator's voice slips into a character's consciousness without explicit reporting, and stream of consciousness, which renders continuous inner experience. Direct address, metafiction, and voice modulation affect tone and engagement.

Purpose and effects: control over information, pacing, irony, and interpretation; creation of sympathy or distance; shaping of themes. Narration also operates in non-literary media, including film, radio, journalism, and oral storytelling, where a narrator or narrator-like perspective guides audience understanding.

Historically, narration evolved from oral storytelling and ritualized recounting to the strategic use of perspective in novels. In modern fiction, authors may experiment with unreliable narrators, multiple narrators, or non-linear timelines to investigate memory, truth, and subjectivity.

Key concepts: point of view, voice, focalization, reliability, and tempo. Effective narration balances clarity with stylistic choice, maintains consistency with the narrative world, and supports the intended reader experience.