Narrative methods of novels

There are three common narrative methods: direct narrative, flashback and interpolation. In an article, we can freely match these three ways.

Sequential narration is the most common. If you want a novel to advance the story step by step according to the sequence of events, then use the method of sequential narration. If you want a novel to attract readers from the beginning, you might as well start from the middle of the story in flashback. Especially for novels of reasoning, adventure and suspense, it is also a very good way to start from the middle of the story, make readers in a curious state of mind, and then flashback the reasons why these things happen.

In a novel, direct narration and flashback can coexist. In the narrative of the whole central event, sequence can be used. In a series of scenes of this incident, we can use flashback to start from the middle of the scene and then retreat to the beginning of the scene to explain the reason of the incident. Coupled with some episodes, that is, some memories or plots of some branch events, the structure of the whole novel may be more diverse, rather than blindly narrative.