Narrative Design: Working with Imagination, Craft, and Form

by Madison Smartt Bell

With clarity, verve, and the sure instincts of a good teacher, Madison Smartt Bell offers a roll-up-your-sleeves approach to writing in this much-needed book. Focusing on the big picture as well as the crucial details, Bell examines twelve stories by both established writers (including Peter Taylor, Mary Gaitskill, and Carolyn Chute) and his own former students. A story's use of time, plot, character, and other elements of fiction are analyzed, and readers are challenged to see each story's flaws and strengths. Careful endnotes bring attention to the ways in which various writers use language. Bell urges writers to develop the habit of thinking about form and finding the form that best suits their subject matter and style. His direct and practical advice allows writers to find their own voice and imagination.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Crafts, Short Stories, Academic, Reference, Research

377 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Madison Smartt Bell is a critically acclaimed writer of more than a dozen novels and story collections, as well as numerous essays and reviews for publications such as Harper’s and the New York Times Book Review. His books have been finalists for both the National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award, among other honors. Bell has also taught at distinguished creative writing programs including the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, Johns Hopkins, and Goucher College. His work is notable for its sweeping historical and philosophical scope matched with a remarkable sensitivity to the individual voices of characters on the margins of society.

Reviews

[Spencer Orey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the idea that you can strengthen your understanding of craft, language, and writing tools in order to make use of that knowledge intuitively and creatively when writing.

I was expecting more discussion of story shapes, but after a 20 page introduction, the book pivots. Then the vast majority of the texts becomes analysis of short stories, to better illustrate designs going on within, whether or not the authors were consciously doing them. Followed by an odd but illustrative dunk on Edgar Allen Poe for a conclusion.

On a re-read, I think I'll have to pay more attention to each example.

[Luke Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The true intention of Narrative Design was a craft book for my Fiction Workshop class, and despite learning some new terminology, discovering some great short stories, and developing a reader appreciation for the genre and what the unconscious mind can do in tandem with the conscious, I didn't get much out of this.

Linear Design:

"Depth Charge" by Craig Bernardini-1 out of 5 stars: So I still don't know what exactly this story was about? A white college student that's newly 21 and a black bartender talk about life, and then the student attempts to kill himself by driving his car into the river and drowning. That's it. There was also the bartender kissing a random drunk girl, and I'll just remain swimming in a sea of confusion.

"A Wife of Nashville" by Peter Taylor-2 out of 5 stars: This story definitely got better as it continued, because it was rather slow at the start and chock-full of exposition. The writing felt overly detailed and specific, and I wasn't sure exactly what Taylor was trying to accomplish painting a portrait of the nannies of the Lovell family, all women of color, contrasted against the matriarch of the family, a white woman. But I feel like the story was trying to show that no matter who we are, we are all human. Even though the maids faced nasty discrimination from the family itself, Helen Ruth, Mrs. Lovell, recognized how steadfast the maids were, how one stuck through her brief separation with her husband. They're stronger than she thought, and she believes they deserve better, even if her husband and sons will never understand it.

"Daisy's Valentine" by Mary Gaitskill-4 out of 5 stars: This was an odd short story, but it was one that was morbidly fascinating. Joey, a bookstore employee, cheats on his girlfriend with a woman named Daisy, who is also cheating on her boyfriend, and it all starts with a delayed Valentine's Day card ripped from a picture book. The story begins with the unsettling realization that this is going to ruin Joey's life, and he couldn't care less. From there, we learn about the bookstore, Joey's drug addiction with his girlfriend, and his hero syndrome born out of his unhappy childhood. All of it is told in the kind of detached third person limited narration that unsettles but thrills. Some of the terminology is incredibly outdated in modern times, and the bookstore slice-of-life moments didn't feel completely necessary to me, but "Daisy's Valentine" struck a malicious chord that I feel could translate into a harrowing film, either short or long.

Also, I'll be curious to hear if my classmates interpreted Joey as neurodivergent. His behavior and dialogue hint at possible rep lens exploration, but nothing was set in stone within the text.

"Hear That Long Train Moan" by Percival Everett-2 out of 5 stars: Although intriguing, this short story about two old men smoking and fretting over model trains didn't really go anywhere for me.

"Oh, Man Alive" by Holden Brooks-1 out of 5 stars: This was a weird story that felt overwritten, with a lot of narrative being told to a reader instead of showing it. A frantic father doesn't have a therapy session and meets his crying son at a train station, hyper-aware of his role in destroying his marriage and his depression. It's not pleasant, and I wish Brooks hadn't written half of the sentences he did because they were too far out there for me. I don't want to see a section about a rabbit's teats, thank you.

"The Sky Is Gray" by Ernest J. Gaines-3.5 out of 5 stars: A story focused on a young black boy and his mother visiting the dentist amidst a sleet-filled day in the small town of Bayonne during the time of segregation in the South, Gaines's short story may take a while to get going with its nonlinear flashback jumps at the beginning, but it captures a strong voice in James, the protagonist, and it's a compelling narrative that is so much more than just about a toothache.

Modular Design:

"Signs of Life" by Miriam Kuznets-4 out of 5 stars: This was a really compelling story that left more questions than answers, but in this case, it was a good thing. A woman and a man run into each other at the movies, where they screen the same old stories. The woman, Nadine, was struck by lightning as a teenager and seems to be a slippery teacher. The man, Michael, has lingered in her mind ever since their affair. There's some confusion as to whether a homeless man and Nadine have a connection, not to mention where this all takes place in a timeline, but that was Kuznets' point, and she delivered. Truly a spot-on story about the signs of life you expect to find of a person until you realize you were merely a blip in the continuum, a secret kept under wraps.

"Lizzie, Annie, and Rosie's Rescue of Me with Blue Cake" by Carolyn Chute-1 out of 5 stars: This is an excerpt from a novel (The Beans of Egypt, Maine), but I have no interest in checking out the source book. This story made me uncomfortable from start to finish, from a father and a daughter's pseudo-incestual relationship to children interacting with an almost dead body to soap being shoved in a mouth to a ghastly blue birthday cake with sand on the icing. No thanks.

"The Child Downstairs" by Marcia Golub-5 out of 5 stars: Okay, this was really great. This story followed a woman named Renie involved in a double narrative, one present and one past. The former focuses on her noting on the noisiness of a child living downstairs with his family, crying without an audible prompt. The latter is a hypothetical musing that turns out to be the truth: Renie is happily married but wants to get pregnant yet feels like she's going to have an affair. Neither ends up happening despite a pregnancy and a younger suitor. It's funny yet bleak, sad but enjoyable.

"Red Hands" by William T. Vollmann-3 out of 5 stars: This story was a little confusing, but I liked its writing despite how much of a ramble it was at times. An unnamed narrator relays two different stories of men they interviewed. One is Seamus (not his real name, the narrator wryly notes), a soldier who was treated horribly as a kid for being Catholic and escaped war-torn England for the US. The other man is Oliver (again, not his real name), an experimenter on mice. The narrator isn't entirely sure if they connect 100%, but the lives of Oliver and Seamus have left them with red hands, Seamus due to bombing a department store while he was working in some field (I thought it was military, but turns out he's a terrorist) and Oliver for all his killing of mice.

"Comic Strip" by George Garrett-4 out of 5 stars: This was definitely an intriguing short story. Despite having protagonists that didn't seem interconnected, the rich writing and circumstances made up for it. Miss A., Professor B., and Captain G. all live their own lives, the first as a hospital worker, the second as a teacher of history, and the third as an army captain post the ending of a war, at least on paper. However, circumstances are about to change, all because of witnessing men interact on a train, discovering secrets about ancestors, and becoming a prisoner of war despite the fact that everything's supposed to be done.

"Little Red" by Gilmore Tamny-3 out of 5 stars: This was an intriguing metafictional retelling of the classic fairytale, the author inserting her own commentary within a bleak and desolate narrative that is rewritten several times to comment on the pervertedness of the wolf, the horror movie music playing as soon as Little Red Riding Hood walks up the steps to her grandmother's front door, the deliciousness of green pepper, and a fleeting idea of Little Red saving herself only to have it scrapped at the last minute in favor of a Mary Kay representative performing the Heimlich. It's a very wacky and scattered story, but it does have its charm to it.

[Nelson Zagalo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew exactly what this book was about when I bought it, however it felt a bit short for me. Bell knows how difficult it is to teach expression through any art form, so he tried a different approach. He gathered short stories from students and others, presented them in full, and then deconstructed them completely in the categories he defined to be the core of Narrative Design.

I really loved the first chapters, where Bell introduces his concepts and ideas about narrative design, which I would put more clearly as story building, and I'm really thankful for the the new concept he presents to define non-linear stories, as modular. I'm a formalist, I really enjoyed his approach through form and structure, but then I wanted more. Bell deconstructs all these stories in the categories he previously defined, but I, as an academic, was expecting some kind of pattern analysis, kind of technical extractions from the overall stories, some more in depth perspective on all that deconstruction.

My goal in reading this book was not to learn how to write better stories, but how to define better the creative process behind narrative building. And so I understand that I'm probably not the target Bell had in his mind.

[Renée · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this book in an upper-level undergraduate fiction workshop, and it worked very well to help show students how to respond to stories as writers. My students quickly found Bell's analysis of the short stories to be the most interesting and helpful aspect of their reading for class. I noticed that they were more confident in their responses to readings and to each other in workshop, as they modeled their critiques after Bell. This led to interesting discussions of narrative forms, points of view, etc. I felt it set a good foundation for these students as they continue to respond to fiction, both within workshop settings and beyond.

[Cynthia Rosi · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to understand how to dissect your work so that you can improve it, or you're wondering how to contribute to a writer's workshop in a meaningful way that helps the writer to move forward in their work, then this is the book for you. At the half-way point I stopped the book and applied Smartt Bell's technique to a short story I thought was finished. Through this magnifying glass I analyzed the story, found its flaws, and revised it into a stronger and deeper piece. I would recommend this as a craft book for any writer who wants to improve.

[Alan Gerstle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narrative Design is possibly one of 3 or 4 books whose author manages to 'deconstruct' short stories in order to understand what makes them work's using almost a line by line analysis. Additionally, he uses a variety of case studies from the experimental to the standard. To complement these analyses, he includes a section on how he developed his own writing skill and style and art. It is maybe the best explication of the creative act of writing. I like the book, in part, because I agreed with much he says. I had a job deconstructing literature and essays and that experience helped my own writing development better than anything else. It was also nice because I got paid. If you're curious about this job, just ask. M S Bell is a novelist, and has written about 15 or 20 novels. I read his first 'The Washington Square Ensemble' decades ago.

[Francesca Penchant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish Bell had analyzed more diverse stories—from different times, countries, genres. They felt sooooo similar—all late 20th-century American literary fiction. It made me crave something grotesque and bizarre and old, like Rabelais.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is split into a few sections--some short chapters analyzing the thought process behind writing, as well as a selection of short stories that are broken down and analyzed. The thought process bits offer some interesting insight into how the brain works for a writer, and I learned a fair bit (including some theories about my recent writer's block).

For better or worse, it's hard to tell which short stories are professional and which were by students unless you recognize the names of the writers. The short stories are in turn divided into linear and modular short stories. Linear short stories tend to be straightforward, chronological stories (with a few flashbacks adding context) while the modular stories tend to have 2-3 different "vectors" as Madison Smartt Bell calls them within the story (as opposed to the 1 linear one).

I'm honestly not sure if Bell is a genius or vastly overestimating his ability to analyze stories. While I can't deny that some of my analysis has gotten better while I was reading this, there were times where I felt Bell was missing some obvious conclusions about the text or couldn't (wouldn't?) draw conclusions about some of the harder to understand choices by stories he chose.

For example, in Note 17 from "The Sky Is Gray" he mentions reasons a middle class kid might not want to go to the dentist in spite of 1) already pointing out that the main character is living in severe poverty and 2) it seemed kind of obvious the main character is worried about using too much of the family's money for his toothache.

I also caught a couple of errors missed by the editor. The first footnote in "Little Red" is missing for example, and in that same section a page heading is mixed up.

[Billie Pritchett · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Narrative Design, writer Madison Smartt Bell takes short stories and shows you how the characterizations, dialogue, and backstory and present action, among other elements of fiction, all contribute to the overall design of each short story he analyzes. Great idea! And thanks to this book, I discovered Mary Gaitskill's and Ernest Gaines' writings. But frankly I think most of the story selections are bad. For instance, Bell uses at least two stories from his students' work. He also once uses one of a great writer's (Peter Taylor's) lesser stories ("A Wife of Nashville"). The positive side of the book, however, is that Bell did get me thinking about the way a story is put together. On the downside, in addition to the poor story choices, it's hard for me to shake the critical voice in my head, now Bell's voice, to make sure every word and sentence in the story you write count. This book will not make writing enjoyable, but it may make you a bit more obsessive about writing.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I finally finished this book. I started reading it and then only spent my commutes reading it, so it's taken me some time to get through it. I thought the book would be helpful for my writing, but it's more geared to plain fiction writing instead of mystery writing. I liked the first part of the book, but the most of the short stories that the author or maybe their editor, publisher put in the book left much to be desired. There were a couple of good reads of the few that I found enjoyable. The last short story, Little Red was horrible, or maybe just unappealing to me. It seemed loosely based on the kid's story, Little Red Riding Hood, but had a more violent and disturbing bent to it. I'm probably exaggerating about the violence, but that was the vibe I felt reading it. I ended up finishing reading it, but skipped over the story analysis, because I just wasn't interested in reading the author's analysis of such a disturbing book.

[Harry Collier IV]

A couple of gems, a whole ton of shit, and an editor that doesn't understand half the stories he selected but still tries to convince us he is the be-all-end-all of their meaning.
I had to read this for a creative writing degree and I am sorry that I did.
There are so many other great books out there that encourage the reader to write and participate in the findings.
Madison Smartt Bell is akin to one of those university professors who refuse to believe their students have anything worthwhile to add to the discussion and thus operate on the sit-down-and-shut-up style of education.
In the end, not my cup of tea but perhaps I was never the target audience...

[Al Kratz · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my more favorite craft books, it makes up a very long self-Instructing class. I say that because this more than a typical craft book will depend on what you put into it to determinate what you get out of it. It requires slow reading of the short story examples and deep critical thinking in order to get the maximum out of it. Some of the stories will be easier for a reader than others depending on preference and ability to do that kind of slow dive. I think it will be a good one to return to and try again on each story occasionally. The books probably enforcing more concepts in a reader than they are even aware of.

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need to sing the praises of this book for anyone who is trying to become a better writer. I have always admired Madison Smartt Bell for book "All Souls Rising," which is beautiful and lacerating, but it turns out he is just as gifted a teacher. He understands that to become a better writer, one must first become a better reader. In narrative design he lovingly dissects one short story after the next, showing you things you would never have seen on your own, that you weren't even aware existed.

[Kasturi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gem of a collection. The short stories differ in style, design, and break several "rules" of writing and yet, they manage to awe and inspire readers with their freshness and brilliance. We studied this as a part of our Narrative Design class but even if you aren't a student of writing, read it for the sheer beauty of the stories. If you're a writer, then this is one of the most important books that you'll ever read. Bell's end notes are a treasure trove that will definitely help you improve your craft in a significant way. I will surely reread the stories and notes again and again.

[R B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bell’s introductory matter is sometimes insightful, but often simply fills space with tenuous and unnecessary connections between writing and other pursuits, like his hobby of playing the guitar. The format of this book—stories, followed by Bell’s craft-focused analysis—is cool, but fails to meet its potential, as the stories themselves make up a lackluster collection. This formal conceit is done great justice in George Saunders’ “A Swim in a Pond in the Rain,” with better stories and better analysis.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential

This collection of stories and the technique for understanding their craft is essential for any writer. The author takes care to dissect each story with an organized approach that works well for students. The book is divided into section on linear stories and modular stories and the two are well defined in analysis. An excellent read.

[Brit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notes, examples, in depth discussions of elements of narrative design fill the pages of this book. My favorite part of the book was the analysis section after some readings. For instance, an introductory course for creative writing read "Red Hands" and "Comic Strip," where we annotated and analyzed various elements of each piece.

[Peejay(Pamela) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. An interesting and informative group of stories that explore different styles, forms, and choices writers can make. Bells analysis and line-by-line close reading is at times insightful, other times seems unnecessary. This reader/writer is not used to analyzing others’ works at this depth!

[Lenny Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for any aspiring writers or anyone who wants to know how to analyze stories. Bell does a fantastic job keeping readers engaged and thoroughly explains each aspect of writing short stories. I felt I have learned a lot when reading. I personally Recommend “Daisy’s Valentine” and “A Wife of Nashville.”

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I was looking for but still enjoyed the first couple chapters.

[Ann Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really helpful guide to analyzing short fiction. The footnotes accompanying each short story are invaluable. It's the closest thing to a short fiction class you're likely to find in book form.

[J.G. Gatewood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting and very beneficial. I picked up a lot from this book.

[Karen Eastland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book to teach how to critically analyse a text, or story for literature reviews. Definitely a book I will refer to often.

[Amy Weintraub · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best books on story analysis I've read. If you want to study the craft of story-telling, start here. I don't know what took me so long to read this excellent book.

[Paithan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it quite helpful when it discussed the unconscious mind and it’s relationship to consciousness.

But I felt forced to dig through mediocre stories to get some good stuff.

[Kristen Gandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my textbook for my fiction class and I found it very helpful.

[Eric Sutton · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Jonah Bornstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book. Bell's book has helped numerous students find a path to writing and revising with heightened awareness. Highly recommend for writers in every genre, including poetry.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just a brilliant book, teaching more than anything, how to read like a writer. Bell takes twelve stories and subjects them to a close reading and analysis. His basic technique is to present the story, followed by an analysis section that examines the story from the perspective of plot, character, tone, point of view, time management, dialogue, imagery and description, suspense, and design. Although, depending on the story, not all of those topics are addressed. He follows the analysis with endnotes where he provides commentary on specific points in the story (for Gaines’ “The Sky is Grey” there are 202 notes!). So you get to read twelve great stories and then read a detailed analysis of how they are put together and how they work. This gives me a great technique for studying my favorite stories, the ones I most want to learn from. Bell also prefaces the analysis with two chapters, “Unconscious Mind,” where he addresses writing in general, and “Linear Design,” where he addresses form and structure. He concludes with a closing chapter that pulls back from the microscopic textual analysis to return to the themes he discussed in the first chapter. There is also a brief glossary of terms. The stories analyzed are also quite varied, so this is a great book to read to get out of a rut.

[Jennifer]

"Bell uses form and structure—what he calls narrative design—to guide his book, analyzing stories that are linear and stories that are nonlinear, or “modular” as he calls it. Having some sense of the different ways stories can work and unfold, he believes, gives the writer just a steady enough footing to free him- or herself up to focus on the exciting aspects of writing—“the unconscious mind,” imagination, creativity—which are much harder to teach but too often devalued in the craft-based study of fiction. I really like this, not only as a unique strategy for a writing book, but also because I’m kind of a structure/form enthusiast. I find it to be one of the most exciting aspects to reading and writing, so it’s nice to see a whole book devoted to it. I should also add that one of the pleasures of Narrative Design is seeing Madison Smartt Bell relentlessly breakdown a story. There are myriad DFW-style endnotes to each professional piece, which illustrate beautifully to students how to read like a writer, and that, as I see it, is one of the most important things we can teach aspiring writers."
–Andrew Malan Milward is an assistant professor of English at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Center for Writers, where he is also the editor-in-chief of Mississippi Review. He is the author of story collections The Agriculture Hall of Fame and I Was a Revolutionary.