narrated story or read a story?

[SirGeneralSir]

So I am working on a little project of making a independent story.

does anyone have any thoughts on reading a story that is narrated where the character tells you their story vs just reading a story?

I have a mage that is telling how he came to be a Grand mage, a sort of journal if you will.

[JayDee]

For me it really depends on the writer. For example the Dresden Files books are all ‘narrated’ from Harry’s POV and it really works. Othertimes it is less great. I keep thinking doing one of those Dracula style epistolary stories would be cool, with all the diary entries and letters and newspaper clippings.

“Witnesseses report a woman turning into a wolf. The relevent authorities have been informed.” etc Only much less shit than that sounds.

[SirGeneralSir]

I see, maybe if I did both?

little bits here and there when the “writer” of the journal pipes in at times like the passage of time and so on?

( “it wasnt till years later that I would find love, for the first time and in an elf of all women, I will love her and the others till the end of time, regardless of what happened between any of us.” )

then regular story writing.

[JayDee]

Sure, why not? Alternate it in different chapters if you want it really clear. There’s a few writers who do it!

[Anesor]

I’ve done it purely a few times, but I find it awkward.  I think it’s been done well most often with detective stories, though one of my favorites is the epistolary Sorcery and Cecilia. I rarely write it up as a log or diary, so my last may be a Captain’s log from Isabella(DA)

Tho, thinking about it, I actually lean in that direction as most of my writing is rotating 1^st person… sort of a perfect personal mental story/log, loaded with “I’s.” My readers get only the interpretation of the POV which is unreliable and may not consciously notice some things.  They are telling their story to someone without any real need to censor. I really like when you see the same scene from different views- but not interspersed or omniscient.

A lot of older stories, esp romances open up with diary/journal entries before new stuff. I think this is very useful for serial writing since it will be days to months between chapters. The original Trek used that to regain story momentum after a commercial break.