You might be wondering what this is and its purpose.
A narrative question stems from the premise of your story and, simply put, keeps readers turning the pages to discover the answer. It might also be referred to as the “dramatic question”.
You’ll often find it either hinted at or overtly expressed within the blurb of a novel. For example, in the fairytale retelling, Beastly by Alex Flinn:
“I am a beast.
A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I’m talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It’s no deformity, no disease. And I’ll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.”
The narrative question is: “Will Kyle Kingsbury break the spell that turned him into a beast, or remain in his current form forever?”
Further Examples
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - “Will Katniss survive the Hunger Games?”
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - “What happened to Nick’s missing wife, Amy?”
Tips to Consider
The narrative question needs to be answered by the close of the novel. Therefore, it must be strong enough to keep readers engaged until the very end.
Try using the words “will” or “can” to help you identify the fundamental question of the story. The phrasing doesn’t have to begin with these words, but it can get you thinking about the plot and what readers most want to know.
Make it specific and tangible so that there’s no doubt that it’s been answered.
Ensure the question becomes apparent within the first act of your novel, it will often emerge during the inciting incident or by the first plot point / key event.
Use the narrative question to keep your plot on track. The main character's choices and actions should contribute to answering this question. Are there scenes or story threads that have gone off on a tangent and aren’t adding to the overall question? If that is the case, examine if there’s a reason they need to be in the novel.
Avoid changing the narrative question mid story and generating a new one. Pick one question to carry the novel. Smaller questions may surface for the reader, but there should be one main one that ties into the conflict.
Once the narrative question is answered, the tension is resolved, and your book should wrap up. Try not to drag out the novel’s ending too far beyond this point.
As the author, the narrative question should be clear in your mind and intentional, rather than something a reader is left to interpret.
If you’re writing a series, there will ideally be an overarching question for the series and one for each individual book.
Final Notes
Study the novels you know well to identify the narrative question. Is it clear and has it been answered by the end? From a reader's perspective, does this leave you satisfied?
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