Project Director

Balázs, Thomas P.

Department Examiner

Coons, Jayda

Department

Dept. of Biological and Environmental Sciences

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

Narrative is a lens through which we understand ourselves, our histories, our futures, and our ties to those around us. Narrative form has undergone vast transformations over time, and in the case of “postmodern” literature, pushes the boundaries of form into the experimental, questioning the truth of knowledge itself. While these experimental works can give rise to uniquely powerful emotional experiences, some components of narrative, when abandoned, may only hinder the immersion of the reader. This thesis evaluates several experimental, dialogue-driven narrative works against these components: linguistic, literal, emotional, and intellectual significance, in a hierarchy of importance as proposed by Writing with Andrew in his YouTube video: “Solve Your Writing Problems with the Hierarchy of Reader Needs.” Additionally, two versions of my short story “The Oncoming Light” are included, one written prior to exposure to Andrew’s criteria, and the other rewritten with them in mind. I also explore where the stories on my reading list succeed despite not directly fulfilling some criteria, and how my own stories differ in their emotional reach, as it relates to these same criteria.

Acknowledgments

Thank you Dr. Balázs for supporting and guiding me through this process. Thank you Jayda for your valuable input and validation. Thank you Chris for listening to my struggles and encouraging me to persevere.

Degree

B. S.; An honors thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Science.

Date

5-2026

Subject

Fiction--Technique; Dialogue in literature; Postmodern fiction--History and criticism

Keyword

creative writing; narrative; short story; experimental fiction; dialogue

Discipline

Fiction

Document Type

Theses

Extent

iii, 69 leaves

DCMI Type

Text

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Included in

Fiction Commons

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