Narration is closely connected to Point of View. You choose your narration and how close you will be in the character's head. For the purposes of this post I will talk a bit about Omniscient narration and Non-Participating narrator.
Omniscient narration is when the story is told from the perspective of someone all-seeing. Someone who knows everything going on in everyone's head and what has happened, is happening, and will happen. You as the writer know this, of course, and if you're an advanced writer you may be able to pull this off, but for beginners it's all too easy to slip into author intrusion -- where you, the author, insert your viewpoint and attitudes on events rather than let them unfold.
An Example of Author Intrusion: "I want a divorce," Julio said to Maria. In the next paragraph it might read: In Mexico, during the 1820s such things just weren't done.
You can see the information provided takes the reader out of the scene. It's an intrusion. This takes a lot of skill to pull off and my professional advice is to stay clear of such statements.
Another style of narration is the Non-participating Narrator. While this used to be rather stylish, it has lost popularity. This type of narrator is a bystander who watches and reports the events without being involved in the story. The problem with this type of narration is the narrator gets in the way of the story sometimes because you can't see the story itself without him/her telling you what's happening.
The current trend is either first person point of view narration or the more popular third person point of view narration. I'll be talking about this under P is for Point of View.
Questions or comments? I'd love to hear from you. Comment here or email me at [email protected].
Remember writing is a process. Keep writing, keep learning, and celebrate wherever you are on your journey.