#narrative-structure

#narrative-structure

In recent years, some of the most talked-about literary novels have not given their readers much to talk about, at least when it comes to plot. In the late 2010s, authors such as Rachel Cusk, Ben Lerner, and Sheila Heti wrote books that are heavy on interiority and light on events; they have few of the markers of a traditional rise-and-fall story structure, and instead prioritize voice and close description.

Kinga, the protagonist in "A New New Me," is a forty-year-old corporate employee who struggles with the grind of everyday life, facing exhaustion and self-optimizing pressures.

In this atmospheric horror title, you'll spend your time as a character stuck in a loop within their home, trying desperately to figure out, well, why.

The Last of Us Part 2's narrative presents moral ambiguity through the intertwined fates of Ellie and Abby, challenging players to engage with complex themes of revenge and consequence.

In its most recent episode, And Just Like That shrugged off its tired old premise to become something new, focusing on the miracle of human reanimation.

Erskine's stories display a capaciousness, a willingness to wander beyond the single epiphanic moment that is the traditional preserve of the short story.

Does the character with a plate in her skull and an erotic obsession with automobiles also have to be a serial killer?

In Nine Perfect Strangers, characters are reduced to types due to their backstory focus, unlike The White Lotus which presents present-day obstacles for development.

It's a shame because all the mandate-tinged filler doesn't do justice to the stuff in "Innocent People" that still rips.