What is Narrative?

Well, I thought I had a vague idea of what narrative was, and then I read Arseth's article...now I'm totally befuddled. I kept waiting for Aseth to specifically address narrative and discuss what that is--or at least what he thinks it is. He discusses text and what that is and what it's been thought to be. He also discusses cybertext--obviously--and provides a definition of what that encompasses, which was actually quite informative. I was one of the naive people who thought that cybertext necessarily implied computers. Surprisingly to me, Arseth explains that cybertext is any text/"system" that possesses some sort of information feedback loop. Ok. He also refers to ergotic literature as a machine. Interesting. I can't say that I understood ALL of what Arseth talks about, but my perspectives on text and literature and cybertext and ergotic text have been broadened assuredly.

But that still leaves me with the question "what is narrative?" to answer.

UGH.

Is narrative different from text? Is narrative different from literature?

Somehow I feel like narrative falls somewhere between the two. Narrative is more specific than text in that it tells some sort of a story. It is a text, but a text, I think, might not necessarily be a narrative. Similarly, literature seems a bit too narrow a term, since narratives can include non textual aspects. A picture can be a narrative. A song can be a narrative.

People question whether multiple user dungeons and text-based games and digital role playing games and other hypertexts are narratives. They seem to be up in arms about whether these texts can be considered linear or literary, etc. At least in terms of being narrative, I tend to think, well, yes, why not? Whether the author is totally the author and the reader totally the reader, or whether the author sets the groundwork and the reader takes on part of the authorship-creatorship, or is simply more of a participant, engaging in the illusion of authorship, a story is still, in the end being told. As a narrative, I think that's what counts. a narrative can be a story of past, present or future, made up or true, or parts of both. I think the end result--what comes out of every reading, even if each reading is totally unique, counts as narrative.