Thursday, October 9, 2014

Comparing Narratives in Different Media

There are a lot of different types of narratives we come across every day. Some of the most interesting narratives I have found are printed in Reader’s Digest magazines. Another fascinating form is just from a friend telling me in passing.
Even the same story told these two ways—one printed and one spoken—could end up vastly different. When spoken, a narrative can take wild turns according to the whims of the teller. Each time it is told, it comes out differently. Many factors can change the course of the story, such as who is listening and how recent it was. Personal emotions and the importance of the narrative also create variation.
A narrative written to be printed in a magazine is different in that it is very thought out. An author thinks carefully about which facts to present and personal anecdotes to use. They might focus simply on which adjectives and verbs to use to convey the right meaning and feeling. A narrative here is most likely revised several times before being considered ready.

Each medium has its own purposes and pleasures. Sometimes the straight forward, solid reading of a story is more preferable, but a friend’s random interjections and emotional outbursts can also be all the fun of hearing a narrative. 

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