Does Your Story Need a Framing Device?

A lot of the time when we start off telling a story, we don't actually tell the story proper. Instead, we start off telling a different story entirely, which acts as a kind of bookend to the tale we're actually here to tell. It might be extremely meta, where your story of a fantasy swashbuckler is framed as a story being read by a grandfather to a grandson, or it might be a recollection from an old woman telling a tale about her youth when she was on an ill-fated ship. In either case, those stories aren't what we're here for... rather, they're what we call a framing device.

And while they're a useful tool to have, not every story is going to need one.

After all, not every picture needs a frame.

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Framing Devices, and What They're For

Framing devices serve a lot of different purposes, depending on your story. For example, a framing device can set a tone for a particular series; consider Tales From The Crypt, where the show host reads us the intro and outro, showing that all of these tales are part of the same universe, and are collected in his tomes. These bookended stories can also be used to help introduce an audience to fantastical concepts, or even to cast doubt on the narrator, or the main story being told. This can be particularly useful if you have an unreliable narrator, as the framing device can be used to provide contrast, and to get your audience thinking about what they're being told.

Self Publishing and Screencraft actually go into even more examples, showing what makes this device work, and talking about its history for those who want to go even more in-depth on it.

Stories within stories are a long and proud tradition.

It should be noted that while the story of the framing device and the nestled story can touch one another (Titanic is a perfect example, as is The Neverending Story), that is not a requirement of this plot device. There are plenty of plot devices where the story is being read out of a notebook, or pieced together from an old family member's letters, or even reading a fairy tale to a sick relative (making it very clearly a piece of fiction within the world of the framing device). And while the story may teach a moral, or offer insight, it isn't required to be part of the same world that the framing device's tale takes place... and even if it is, it doesn't have to directly involve the characters in the framing device, and their story.

Now, a framing device is rarely a required part of a story. Even in stories that use this literary device perfectly, you can often still strip it out and tell the nestled story on its own. However, just like a picture frame, the question is whether this device makes the overall effect a more pleasing experience. Because a framing device can draw your attention to the important parts of the narrative, while also covering up ragged corners and small plot holes, guiding the audience's attention, and even getting out ahead of their questions and curiosities. On the other hand, a framing device also has the ability to just make everything feel busier, and to complicate an image to the point where the viewer just doesn't enjoy the experience as much as they would without that frame.

Like everything else, it's a tool. Whether it's the right tool for your story, that depends on what story you're trying to tell, and whether this structure does what you want it to do. And sadly, just like with finding the right frame for a picture, sometimes you need to see it both with and without that frame to decide for yourself if it really makes the whole experience better.

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