Last time we talked about what narrative summary--or "telling"--should not do. It should not be used for major plot points, it should not be used in paragraph after paragraph of description, and it should not be used to tell the reader what s/he already knows.
However, unless you're writing a short story, your work should not be all scenes and no narrative. Why? Because narrative summary works to achieve certain things that scenes cannot do well. These are:
Vary the pace of your book
Bridge long periods of time
Handle repetitive action
Convey less important information
Pace
Rennie and King write:
One of our clients was given to short scenes in which characters met, talked, and then parted. All of the dialogue was well written and advanced his story, but since the writer delivered only five minutes' worth of dialogue in each scene, it was if he'd written his entire novel in five-minute chunks. Reading it was like jogging on railroad ties.
Scene after scene without a break can exhaust a reader. Or a watcher. Whenever I think of a story that is too fast-paced, I remember the first Indiana Jones movie. The first five minutes were so intense, so packed with action and near-death experiences, that by the time things finally settled down, I was tired. Had Spielberg continued delivering surprise after surprise after surprise much longer, he'd have lost me. I needed things to slow down long enough to catch my breath and learn more about why this crazy man was on such a wild adventure.
The thing that provides a break for a reader is narration. Because telling doesn't happen in real time, it's slower. It is more relaxed, particularly following scenes that are intense. Narration also gives characters the opportunity to react to what has happened and plan future strategies that move the plot forward. Thus narration can include internal monologue and description of action as the character pauses to regroup.
Time
A novel usually covers a stretch of time. Not every day in that length of time will be crucial to your plot, just as there are several days in a normal life that might seem dull and uneventful. Narration will help you move between one scene that happens today and another that might happen three months down the line. As an example:
"Just as I thought the entire weekend might melt away without incident, along came Sunday breakfast."
While this piece of narrative summary is only a sentence long, it doesn't have to be. The transition might be a paragraph that touches on aspects of character or setting and moves the reader from one time period to a later one. Remember that your goal is to help the reader continue the mental picture of what is happening and lead into what will happen next, gain a better knowledge of the characters involved, or envision where the story is taking place. Narrative summary can accomplish these things as long as it is not too lengthy and the words used to deliver it are precise and sensory. We'll discuss writing good descriptions in another workshop.
Repetitive Action
If your character is engaged in an occupation or situation that plays into your story often, if you show the character every time s/he participates in this action, you run the risk of boring the reader. The scenes begin to read much the same. One way to handle this is to summarize the action when it is not crucial. For example in the book Finding Forester the lead character plays basketball. However, the reader doesn't "see" each and every game as a scene. Some are summarized. However, the game containing a crucial plot point is shown as scene, allowing that game to have the impact it needs to impress it upon the reader's mind.
Minor Information
You will have plot developments in your story that serve an overall purpose but in themselves are small or insignificant. If an event hinges on a minor character, it might be best to summarize it instead of over-developing the minor character. This could include background information that helps a reader to understand either the motivation of the characters or current events as they unfold.
When it comes to narrative summary the things to remember are:
Narrative summary is best used to convey information that the reader can use but does not need details about. Don't use it to convey major plot points.
Place it throughout your story to give your reader "landings" to rest on as they climb the stairs of your plot.
Keep it brief. It is better to deliver narrative summary in short bits amid scenes or dialog than to give your reader pages and pages of description.
Do not start the book with narrative summary. Some feel it's best to end chapters rather than begin them with narrative summary, but I've seen both done well.
Make sure it's relevant to moving the story forward.
Use precise nouns and verbs to convey the information.