narrativegimmick
nounUK /ˈnærətɪv ˈɡɪmɪk/
US /ˈnærətɪv ˈɡɪmɪk/
A narrative gimmick is a clever trick a storyteller uses to make a story more fun or interesting.
The talking dog was a narrative gimmick that kept the whole book exciting.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A marketing-style hook used to sell a story to audiences.
The film's narrative gimmick was that it was told entirely through phone calls.
3. A structural trick that shapes how a story is told rather than what happens.
Telling the tale backwards was a narrative gimmick that made readers pay close attention.
4. A device that feels clever but may distract from the story's real meaning.
Critics said the surprise narrator was just a narrative gimmick with no deeper purpose.