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WHAT’S YOUR
STORY?
C R A F T I N G E F F E C T I V E
N A R R AT I V E S
J O Y J E N K I N S & M A R I N A H E N D R I C K S
U N I V E R S I T Y O F M I S S O U R I S C H O O L O F J O U R N A L I S M

WHAT IS A NARRATIVE?
? “Narrative is the dirt path that leads us through the impenetrable forest, so we move
forward and don't feel lost.” — Wade Rawlins, Raleigh News and Observer
? ‘”Narrative’ means any technique that produces the visceral desire in a reader to want
to know what happened next.” — Bob Baker, Los Angeles Times
? “A narrative or story is a form of vicarious (or substitute) experience. The story
transports the reader to a place and a time not otherwise available to the reader.
… What's the purpose of such vicarious experience: maybe empathy, understanding,
catharsis.” — Roy Peter Clark, The Poynter Institute
? “Narrative is what I come up with when I put my niece to bed and she says, "Tell me a
story." I tell her a story, I don't tell her an article.” — Janet Rae Brooks, Salt Lake
Tribune

WHAT IS A NARRATIVE?
? “A true narrative, as I understand it, requires 1) core character, 2) facing core conflict,
and 3) resolving same through a forward-moving plot.” — Jacqui Banaszynski, Seattle
Times, University of Missouri
? “Narrative is a simple thing, at bottom: chronology with meaning.” — Jon Franklin,
Pulitzer Prize-winning feature writer
? “Narrative simply means storytelling, with a sense of character, time, and place.
Narrative journalism goes beyond the mere facts of traditional news writing to tell a
human story. The story line flows from the lives, thoughts, and emotions of the
people at the center of that story as they face changing circumstances. A narrative has
a thoughtfully arranged thematic development. The story continues to enlarge from
beginning to end, almost like a flower unfolding in the sun, until an epiphany or sense
of understanding is revealed at the end.”
— Matt Schudel, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

WHY USE NARRATIVES?
? Humans understand the world through stories.
? Stories tell us who we are and what we value.
? Stories can appear in multiple forms.

ELEMENTS OF NARRATIVE
? Character
? Scene
? Time
? Dialogue
? Description
? Action
? Tension
? Purpose

WHAT ELEMENTS ARE IN THIS AD?
? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPOVwKPMG8o

WHERE DO YOU FIND STORY IDEAS?
? Your beat
? Articles in other media, local and national
? Event listings
? Your own sources and contacts
? Observation
? Talking (and listening) to people around you
? Press releases

YOGA WITH CATS
? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdESvEXBfoc

WHAT’S THE BEST PLATFORM?
? Print or online feature?
? Photo essay?
? Video?
? Audio slideshow?
? Social media?

ROOTS N BLUES FESTIVAL
? http://www.voxmagazine.com/arts/art/wild
y-s-world-art-at-roots-n-blues-n-
bbq/article_dabdc0b8-890e-11e6-ad28-
d7ed63f1d6da.html
? https://www.instagram.com/p/BLAJkz7hA0
q/
? http://www.voxmagazine.com/news/roots-
n-blues-fans-reminisce-about-last-night-
and-get/article_16293550-8816-11e6-be5f-
e7822bbde924.html
? http://www.voxmagazine.com/music/misso
uri-icon-beatle-bob-returns-to-the-stage-
at-roots/article_76c67950-8851-11e6-a6bb-
8b8fe7c85e24.html

BUILDING THE NARRATIVE
? Create an outline of what
you plan to do.
? Create a storyboard.
? Key questions to ask:
– What is your time element?
– Who are your characters?
– What is your conflict?
– What is the resolution?
– What is the key takeaway?

MINDY MCADAMS
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
? The first question a reporter should ask when
creating a multimedia piece like an audio slide
show is “What do you intend to
communicate?”
? Once the reporter knows what she wants to
communicate with the story, find
the opening and closing of the story. A strong
and clear beginning is essential to hook the
audience.
? Then a piece should make a direct track
toward the conclusion with the ending clearly
in mind.

IRA GLASS, “THIS AMERICAN LIFE”
? Every great audio or video story has
two elements: an anecdote and
a moment of reflection.
? An anecdote is the sequence of
actions that builds the momentum
and raises questions to be answered.
Stringing together a series of actions
(this happens, and then this happens)
makes the audience feel that they are
moving toward a destination.
? A moment of reflection is the point
when someone clearly says, “Here is
the point of the story.”

A MAN AND HIS GOOSE
? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRA3LnBwzvo

YOUR TURN
? Story idea?
? What platform should you use?
– Text?
– Audio?
– Video?
– Photo slideshow?
– Social media?
? How will you structure it?

THANK YOU!
Joy Jenkins
Doctoral Candidate, University of Missouri School of Journalism
joyjenkins@mail.missouri.edu
@joyjenkins
Marina Hendricks
Doctoral Candidate, University of Missouri School of Journalism
marina.hendricks@mail.missouri.edu
@mhendwv

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What's Your Story? Creating Effective Narratives

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What's Your Story? Creating Effective Narratives