Alternative narrative

Alternative narrative construction is a form of journaling in which you create two or more accounts of the same event, each one deliberately focusing attention on different aspects of the event.

There are a whole range of possible narrative alternatives.

Different narrator

Describe the action from the physical, personal and cultural perspective of different possible narrators who could be other participants or observers (real or fictional). (See Perspective shifting and self-distancing)

Different narrative form

Recast your account using different narrative structures (See Archetypes) 

Locus of control

Write two accounts of the event:

1. Explaining events only as direct results of choices and actions made by yourself (or others)

2. Explaining events only as a result of external circumstances, situational factors and chance

Optimistic vs pessimistic

Write two accounts of the event:

1. Focusing on the best interpretation of events and the motivations of participants — assume an eventual happy ending (comedy)

2. Focusing on the worst interpretation of events and motivations — assume an eventual unhappy ending (tragedy)