Don’t want to say it yourself? Put a frame around it!

Don’t want to say it yourself? Put a frame around it!

From Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach by Ann Kroeker

March 22, 2026 · 8 min

About this episode

This episode explores the concept of frame narratives in storytelling and how they can be used to convey difficult messages indirectly.

Don’t want to say it yourself? Put a frame around it!Release Date: March 22, 2026 In novels, memoir, nonfiction, and poetry, a narrator can set up the main story so that we have a frame effect. This is, in fact, called the “frame narrative.” The main story, then, becomes “the story within the story.” Learn all about it and study examples in this episode. The frame narrative sets up the “main” narrative, and provides context and lends plausibility to the story within the story. The nested story likely has a completely different narrator from the frame’s narrator (and the frame might also offer insight into that nested-story’s narrator). The frame creates distance and reduces criticism of the first storyteller who sets things up. If you dislike or don’t agree with the story told, well, don’t blame the messenger. The main narrator is simply telling someone else’s the story (”Hey, this is what I heard a guy say”). The frame narrative’s speaker says the bold thing by letting someone else say the bold thing. In other words, the frame narrative delegates to someone else the task of saying the hard or controversial thing. You can see how you can try the frame narrative yourself to add…

Topics covered

  • writing
  • narrative structure
  • storytelling
  • literature
  • self improvement

Keywords

  • frame narrative
  • nested story
  • main story
  • distance
  • bold thing

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