ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. This book is about narrative: how it works, and the kinds of questions one ask to try to figure that out. The concept of 'narrative' has a few different components at work, besides just whether or not something is a good story. Some people narrative readers do not really care whether the story is good story or not; all they care is how it works. This book is organized around engaging with all of these concepts and purposes, also attempting to provide an overview of important theories of narratives. One can look at how stories engage with the reader in the world as well as with the world of the reader's mind. One can also look at stories beyond the page, stories that can be told in multiple different kinds of media like film, graphic narratives, and digital.
