Use narrative structure to tell a story

A narrative is a story that describes and connects a series of things – such as people, events, actions, experiences and concepts. Narratives place these things in a specific order within a time and place.

Narrative structure includes the arrangement of elements like plot, character, setting, themes and how the story is told. In government writing, these elements are the main message, people, background and supporting evidence.

Narrative structure also refers to the structural elements that support and organise the story. For digital narratives, this includes content design, interface design and regular reviews of the narrative’s structure and presentation to maintain its relevance and interest.

Adapt the narrative

Narratives have been around for as long as people have told and listened to stories.

Because most people are familiar with story format, narratives appear in many genres. Narrative structure is common in books, and in newspaper and magazine articles.

Writers can follow the familiar pattern of stories to help their ideas flow logically. This means narrative structure is an effective way to organise content that is written collaboratively.

This can include:

• reports
• academic articles
• scientific and technical documents
• scripts for films, theatre and TV series.

It's also useful for digital content that is creative and informational, rather than transactional. For example, narrative is a common feature of interactive video games. And storytelling can be a powerful tool for user experience (UX) designers working on government content.

Content creators will adapt their narrative to the:

• genre
• users
• format – for example, text, video, audio, games, presentations
• complexity and scope of the content.

Be aware of narrative bias when writing government content

A strong narrative builds belief in the truth of the content. This happens whether or not there is strong evidence for the points you make. People tend to be influenced by:

• believable details
• past events they identify with
• characters they relate to
• statements about cause and effect.

This can create a ‘narrative bias’, which is a form of cognitive bias. Many people dismiss or downplay evidence that runs counter to a strong narrative. So, it’s important to ensure your narrative is based on evidence from authoritative sources or actual events.

Government content must be evidence-based and created transparently. Don’t include details that might work with the story but aren’t factual. And never include any information based on an assumption that something happened because of something else. Without supporting evidence, any assertions you make about cause and effect will result in a biased narrative.

Choose an appropriate type of narrative structure

There are many different narrative structures. Some support non-fiction and descriptive writing, while others support works of fiction.

Simple structures are best for government writing.

A linear structure follows a sequence, such as a chronology or a hierarchy of importance. This can work well when reporting on projects.

A parallel structure is useful when comparing evidence because arguments can be balanced against each other.

A combination of narrative structures can work, depending on the content’s purpose and its format. An example is a new policy proposal that has 2 structural elements. It may have costings, project points, dependencies and implications (parallel) laid out against an agreed timeline (linear).

Write a beginning, middle and end

All types of narrative structure, including linear, follow a consistent pattern: they have a beginning, middle and end. In other words, the story is a 3-part sequence of events. Most users are familiar with this sequence and will expect your narrative to follow it.

You can apply the beginning–middle–end sequence to content published in a variety of formats. While the order of the sequence usually remains the same, elements of the 3 parts will vary depending on the type of content. For example, the beginnings of a novel, a blog post and an academic article introduce their content in very different ways.

The following descriptions of a beginning, middle and end are broad enough to apply to a range of government material.

Beginning

Narrative structure starts with an introduction (‘exposition’ or ‘set-up’).

Use it to:

• introduce characters and set the scene
• grab attention and hook users
• give the background
• make general statements about the topic
• introduce the problem to overcome
• describe the thing that needs to change
• list what users need to do
• briefly summarise the most important information or main findings
• provide an abstract that establishes the context and summarises the main findings.

A good introduction helps users decide if they need to read more. Users shouldn’t need to read from beginning to end to understand the context. An effective introduction also ensures that users don’t miss the main points in longer narratives.

Middle

The middle (‘rising action’ or ‘plot progression’) gives users more detail.

Use it to:

• describe action, introduce tension or reach a climax
• present characters with a problem or challenge
• explain what happened
• discuss new ideas
• outline the consequences of action or inaction
• give examples, tell anecdotes or present case studies
• anticipate, raise and answer questions
• compare evidence
• discuss pros and cons
• lay out the argument for change
• set expectations
• suggest what needs to be done
• present research materials, methods, results and a discussion.

A good middle supports your position and continues to engage users. Omit anything that isn’t related to your primary message.

End

Narrative structure has a conclusion (‘resolution’ or ‘falling action’).

Use it to:

• resolve tension and events
• describe the change to characters or circumstances
• summarise information given in the middle
• recap results
• present findings
• make recommendations
• achieve an outcome flagged earlier
• flag unresolved questions
• outline next steps in the process
• issue a call to action.

Some users will read the conclusion before choosing to read the rest. A good conclusion helps users decide if they need to read more.

A good end to a story reinforces why users found the narrative so relatable. It leaves an impression, gives users a clear takeaway and encourages them to act.

To keep users engaged, you can also flag any future content that will continue the narrative.

Write effective narratives

An effective narrative tells a coherent story. Writing a content outline helps you to achieve this. Use it to plot the story and the elements of narrative structure against the beginning, middle and end.There must be a logical connection between the 3 parts. Within them, use headings as signposts and paragraphs that flow smoothly from one to the next.

Users must be able to understand the relationship between any people and events you describe and the design elements you include.

An effective narrative will:

• ensure that users identify with the story
• keep users’ attention
• explain things using the right amount of detail
• convince users to act when required.