NESTED NARRATIVE is a story contained within another story. This can be a character telling a tale, a found manuscript etc.
A shorter story contained inside a longer story or novel is called a NESTED STORY. The outside story which introduces or surrounds the shorter story is called a FRAME STORY.
Nested narrative adds layers of meaning to the story; it can reflect or contrast the main narrative. You can use it for foreshadowing, misleading the reader or other purposes. Nested narratives often highlight central themes: loss, redemption, fate or other.
Types of Nested Narratives
→ character in the main narrative narrates a separate tale
→ journals, letters, or manuscripts discovered by characters or readers start a tale
→ ancient myths or cultural legends are embedded into the story world
→ stories told through surreal or symbolic sequences like dreams or visions
→ a secondary narrative unfolds alongside the main plot, eventually converging or contrasting with it
Practical Tips for Writers
• the inner story should connect to the main narrative emotionally, thematically, or symbolically. Avoid adding a story that feels like a detour
• consider differentiating the nested story through font, tense, or voice. This signals to the reader that they are in a different narrative layer
• weave the inner story in strategically - too much can overwhelm, too little can feel inconsequential
Writing Exercise
1. Choose a short story or scene that could reflect your main narrative
2. Decide which character “discovers” or “tells” this inner story
3. Write the nested story in a different style or voice
4. Integrate it back into the main narrative and see how it adds depth or perspective
Examples in literature
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: Robert Walton's letters introduce Dr. Frankenstein's story, which in turn contains the monster's narrative
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer: a collection of stories told by pilgrims on a journey
Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov: a comic portrait of Russian professor, but from the very first page a puppetmaster lurks between the lines
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