Each of the devices for writing narrative below has it's flaws and uses, so it is up to anyone writing for TV to decide which technique is most suitable for their new script.
Writing Narrative: The Omniscient Narrator
Within the story, this narrator knows what is going on more than the characters: rather than being kept in suspense as to the identity of the killer, the viewer is told immediately. The tension in the story instead comes from situations such as the viewer being aware that the police are arresting the wrong man for the crime, and that the real killer is on his way to find the cop's family.
A masterful example of this technique was used in ITV's Cracker, which managed to maintain high levels of tension despite the viewer usually being aware of the killer's identity within ten minutes of the show beginning.
Writing Narrative: The Character Narrator
In this technique, the narrator knows exactly the same as the main character knows. The viewer discovers the dead body at the same time as the cop does: they are kept in the dark regarding the killer's identity until it is revealed to everyone else in the show. This is very common within the crime genre: the most traditional narrative technique when it comes to the 'Whodunnit?'
Writing Narrative: The Manipulative Narrator
Once again, this is a common technique within crime, but also used in many other forms of drama including soaps and even sitcoms. Predominantly acting in the same vein as the character narrator, this technique will every so often reveal something the protagonist is unaware of.
In a crime drama, the cop leaves a weeping widow alone in her living room, only for her to break out into a smile after he has left. In a sitcom, a man with a fear of artificial limbs finds his perfect woman, only for her to roll back her trouser leg after he has left to reveal a wooden calf. This creates tension, whilst still leaving the main mysteries such as the killer's identity open, and the more tension generated when writing for TV, the better.
Writing Narrative: The Narrator In The Dark
Whilst this technique is a lot rarer in the modern day, at one point it was the dominant narrative form, especially in the area of crime/thriller writing. This is the technique wherein the protagonist knows more than the narrator: Hercule Poirot has solved the murder, and makes no bones walking around telling everyone so. However, for the moment, he chooses to keep everyone in the dark, instead stating that he will let everyone know the killer's identity in the drawing room at nine o clock...
A more modern example of this technique is the BBC's Jonathan Creek, who repeatedly solves the mystery at least half an hour before the show is due to finish, but insists on maintaining his silence until the last five minutes. With this technique comes the definite risk of infuriating the viewer, however: why doesn't Mr Creek simply tell everyone what he knows? Especially when there's a murderer on the loose...
Shaun Edwards - Shaun Edwards graduated from the University of Essex, UK with a BA in Creative Writing. SInce then he worked for a variety of different ...
Join the Conversation