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How to Frame a Story for English Class

A frame story is a story that is organized to present more than one story in a work. It is also known as a story within a story, and it is often used when characters in the main story have individual narratives. Some well-known literary works that are written as frame stories are Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" and Ovid's "Metamorphoses." Knowing how to write a frame story can help you organize individual stories within your work and add depth to the overall story.

Instructions

    • 1

      Place the main character in a setting that gives her the opportunity to tell a story and listen to individual stories. This setting can be any location that calls for a social gathering. Events like family get-togethers, meetings with friends or parties are all acceptable starting grounds for a frame story.

    • 2

      Outline the events in the story. Give each character that is telling a story a main purpose within the story and a conflict. Make the effect of the overall story stronger by giving the characters a reason to tell their stories and a reason to be invested in the stories they hear from other characters.

    • 3

      Connect the characters' individual stories to the setting where the main story takes place. A clear connection between a character's story and the setting of the story will have a more powerful effect on the overall story.

    • 4

      Write satisfying conclusions for the characters' stories and the overall story. A satisfactory conclusion should reveal a connection between the characters' stories and the overall story.

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