Which Key Factors Drive a Narrative?

What kinds of books do you find interesting? Don’t just give me “fiction,” that answer is the opposite of interesting, come on. Describe them to me! As writers, we have this thing called “Narrative Drive” which is what gives readers those page-turning stories we’re looking for. But how can we create narrative drive? Here’s my take.

Let’s start with the most important: characters. One thing you should know here is that there are two core emotions that drive a narrative: curiosity- wanting to know more- and concern- hoping for a positive outcome (Hilje, 2021). Typically, one is increased while the other decreases (e.g., mystery stories, which cause high curiosity and low concern), but well-written characters can be a powerful tool: they increase both so you wonder what’s going to happen to them next, but hope that it’s something good in the end.

In fact, a writer’s most direct link to a reader is the protagonist, the leading main character (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). The protagonist evokes curiosity and concern, as well as quite literally directing the story. Almost every decision they make affects the plot, as do those of main and side characters around them.

But there’s something that shapes these characters… where they come from.

The setting is where and when a story takes place, and it defines the writing style and language used, who the characters are, and the obstacles that they will face (Malewitz, 2021). If you need a clearer picture, have you ever read a book that simply went: “Tom and Amy existed. Nowhere. The End.”? I don’t know about you, but I get the feeling that would instantly kill any narrative drive you might have had. But there is also something else missing from that example above.

It’s missing a plot. Of course, we have the “No Plot, Just Vibes” genre, which I also enjoy, but that short line didn’t seem to be giving any “vibes” either; it was missing a story. Now, a plot and a story are not the same thing: a plot is what happens and why, a.k.a cause and effect. A story does usually contain a plot, but it also encompasses the character development, setting, and themes (MasterClass, 2022). I guess what I’m saying here is that in order to have a good narrative drive, you need a direction. Why? In my opinion, it’s because we do enough aimless wandering in real life to want a directional escape. When we get what we want, we are compelled to read more.

In conclusion, all this and more comes together to drive a narrative that leaves readers (and sometimes writers) wanting more until the story reaches its end. Speaking of which, a good ending for a well driven narrative ties up all loose ends and satisfies the reader. So here’s the wrap up: the key factors in driving a narrative are characters- the connection to the readers, setting- where everything happens, plot/direction, and ending.

Now, did you like my ending?

Footnotes/Bibliography/Sources:

Word count: 500 words.

Gilbo, Savannah. (2020) ‘Narrative Drive: How to Write a Page-Turning Novel’ (https://www.savannahgilbo.com/blog/narrative-drive)

Hilje, Lidija. (2021) ‘How To Create Narrative Drive’ (https://lidijahilje.com/blog/how-to-create-narrative-drive)

Malewitz, Raymond. (2021) "What is a Setting?" Oregon State Guide to English Literary Terms, Oregon State University, (https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/what-setting). Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

MasterClass, (https://www.masterclass.com/articles/plot-vs-story). Updated 16 Jun. 2022.

Merriam-Webster, (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/protagonist). Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.