Most children love stories, especially at bedtime. They let their imagination run wild and discover places they have never been, people they have never seen and witness events they never experienced, thanks to the power of words.
These stories can be imaginary with mythological characters, dragons, spaceships, aliens, princesses, fairies, etc. But they can also be real events, all depending on the experiences of the person who narrates.
Those who usually have many stories to tell are the grandparents. Seniors keep in their memory many anecdotes from their childhood, the upbringing their parents gave them, their first romance and more. No matter how old they are, most of them remember dates, names, places, and other details that others may have missed. In addition, they tell their stories with a lot of emotion, as if they were living it all over again, and have the potential to transport their listeners back to that time.
This type of narrative is very similar to the chronicle, a very descriptive genre of narrative, which is based on the reconstruction of an event paying special attention to details related to the space and time in which the events occurred.
Are you one of those who like to tell stories? Do you like to narrate them orally or write them down? In case you like writing, the chronicle may be the narrative genre that best defines your style. But how can you write a chronicle? What are their characteristics? What do you need to achieve it? What are the steps you must follow?
This article will answer these questions. Therefore, if you are interested in being a great chronicler, you cannot stop reading it for anything in the world.
Instructions for writing a chronicle
When talking about a chronicle, we refer to a binary narrative genre, where a literary part and a journalistic part are combined. It does not have the liberties of imagination that literary fiction offers, but it does have a series of formal elements with which it addresses real and verifiable events and characters.
In other words, the chronicle is nothing more than a story that actually happened. In general, it is usually written by people who have been eyewitnesses to the events or by contemporaries who have taken it upon themselves to meticulously record every detail of what they have seen.
The language used for its preparation is simple, direct, with a personal touch and certain details of literary language, with a repetitive use of adjectives and paying special attention to descriptions.
In summary, we can say that a chronicle is the testimony of an author who takes as a reference the reality belonging to a certain social and historical context.
Now that you know what a chronicle is, the next step is to figure out the correct way to write one. Something that can help you is to guide you through the following steps:
The topic
First of all, you must be clear about the topic you want to write about. In order to generate a great impact among readers, it is best to select a topic that has some relationship with current events.
The story has to have a plot or conflict that arouses interest and can move readers so that they can be the judges and come to their own conclusions.
Strive for the narration to show a different angle of the story, surely with this you will get the attention of the public.
In order for you to stay motivated and enjoy the whole production process of the chronicle, the suggestion is that you write about a subject that you like, perhaps the death of a well-known character in the town, an environmental disaster that is very popular in the news or some relevant historical fact that has caused a great social impact.
The investigation
Do it as eagerly as if you were a professional investigator. At this point your ability to relate to other people comes into play.
The idea is that you can start conversations, investigate and make connections between the facts and characters that allow you to know what is the essence of the story that you are going to make known.
Sharpen your senses, because these are the ones that will allow you to enter the context and achieve the right narrative rhythm. Don’t settle for the interviews you manage to get. Accompany the characters, form part of their daily life so that you can be aware of each and every one of the facets in which they develop and thus have a broader and more realistic perspective.
When interviewing the characters, try to do it in a natural way, as if you were having an intimate conversation with a good friend, so that the chronicle acquires a personal and subjective character.
During your investigation, take note of everything you can record. For example, what you see, what you hear, what you smell or taste. All these details will be very useful when writing the chronicle.
Document the chronicle
To do this, you can use the photographs. Take photos of everything and, if possible, everyone. The more photos you manage to capture, the richer, truer and more credible your investigation will be.
Use a tape recorder to keep a record of the interviews. Identify each of the recordings with the names of those who star in them and the date and time you made them. This will help you keep track of the material you have and organize it chronologically.
Determine what type of chronicle you want to make
There are journalistic chronicles that narrate events in a specific and ordered way with their own style to capture the attention of as many people as possible.
In turn, within the journalistic chronicle it is possible to find the sports chronicle, the black or events, the political chronicle, the travel chronicle, etc. Depending on the focus that is given, they can also be classified as white or informative, with greater similarity to the news and interpretive, that is, those that are in charge of investigating, interpreting and explaining what is narrated.
There are also literary, historical, social and police chronicles. Choose the one that best suits your tastes and needs. Preferably one you are familiar with.
Now, what other things do you need to know in relation to writing a chronicle? Let’s see some aspects of interest.
What do you need to write a chronicle?
- In order to do good fieldwork, you need to be a very curious researcher. This quality will allow you to find a large number of relevant details about the story.
- Do not settle for the information that you could find with the naked eye, keep digging and, for sure, you will find details about the events and the characters involved that are unknown to most people and that will enrich your story.
- Among your work tools you need to have a camera that has a good resolution, which allows you to capture details about places and people.
- You should also have a recorder to record all the interviews you manage to do so you don’t miss a single word. However, when doing the interviews, do not depend on it, as it can take away your naturalness and you will sacrifice an important aspect of the chronicle.
- Use paper and pencil to record what you cannot capture with the camera or with the recorder, such as smells, flavors, textures, your impressions, etc.
- You need to cultivate the sense of commitment. Writing a chronicle requires being willing to walk great distances, to walk trails, to get close to people and be part of their lives. In other words, a chronicler must be willing to live unique situations and experiences never thought of.
- Resist the urge to invent things that didn’t happen or characters that never existed. Reality is enough for you to be able to create a rich, complex and magical story
- If you take the time to carry out a preliminary investigation, you will find many details that will allow you to enrich your chronicle and make it truthful and reliable, a true informative reference.
What other aspects should you take into account when writing a chronicle? Pay close attention to the following tips that we will be sharing with you.
Tips for writing a chronicle
The last step in creating a chronicle is writing it. In doing so, it is important that you answer the basic questions of journalism: What? When? How? Who? Where? And because?
Make sure that the beginning of your chronicle is strong enough. A forceful entry from the first paragraph is essential to define the tone that the chronicle will have. When you have found that good entry, the next thing is to maintain the same rhythm to maintain the interest of the reader.
When writing, do not abuse the use of the first person. Although some chroniclers consider that it should not even be used, the first person may have some participation, as long as it is justified.
It is not about you being the central focus of the narration, rather what is sought is that your presence enriches the story by providing details and new data that would not be credible if you were not in the scene.
When writing, be free, unleash your creativity and use simple language. Do not obscure the chronicle using fancy words as they add nothing to the story. Be concise and direct, without going into details that divert the reader’s attention elsewhere.
To avoid clichés, the recommendation is that you read more. The more you read, the more you will enrich your vocabulary and the more engaging the narrative will be.
Take into account that every chronicle must have a beginning, a plot or middle, and an outcome. Therefore, try to respect each and every one of these moments. Usually, both the beginning and the end of the chronicle are related, so they should end at the same point.
Distribute information well. Don’t tell everything in the first few paragraphs. You must arouse the interest of the reader, but leave him hungry so that he sees the need to continue reading.
Do not write very long paragraphs because they will tire the readers’ eyes and make reading very heavy and boring. Don’t forget to put photos, voice memos, and other items you have to use. Analyze and transcribe them as accurately as possible, giving enough room for personal interpretations.
Finally, review all the material. Check that there are no spelling errors, as this could discredit you as a writer. After you have corrected the errors of this type, locate the possible inconsistencies of the ideas addressed.
After a while, give it a second review. You may find errors and details that you previously overlooked. Of course, make any corrections before passing it on to your friends and family for feedback.
Since the chronicle is considered one of the most aesthetic and demanding journalistic genres, you must give your all, in terms of time, resources, efforts and commitment. Only then will you get good results, a narrative that captures the interest of people and that lasts over time.
If you take each and every one of these tips into account, you will surely be able to write a chronicle that will leave you with much success and satisfaction on a personal and professional level.