Newspaper stories can go something like this: Quote followed by exposition. Quote/Exposition. Quote/Exposition. Quote/Exposition.

            Not exactly the stuff of eloquence, or for that matter, emotional depth.

            Then, there is the occasional newspaper story as tense as a fight between lovers or as gorgeous as two swans meeting on a still lake.

Whatever it is, that story arrests readers' spirits. And most often, that story is narrative nonfiction.

It's precisely this kind of story George Getschow, an associate professor at the University of North Texas and the head of UNT's Mayborne Narrative Writers Conference of the Southwest, spoke of on Friday at the American Association of Sunday & Feature Editors conference in Fort Worth, Texas.

            "Storytelling devices employed best by fiction and nonfiction narratives are largely the same," Getschow said. "Foreshadowing, echoing, creation of tension, setting scenes, having a climax. All of these constructs of fiction, when applied to nonfiction, they transform the story, they turn it into the beautiful."

To turn your and your reporters' stories "into the beautiful," follow these tips from Getschow on narrative writing:           

Narrative moves forward by dramatic or chronological sequence.

Sometimes a narrative moves forward all the time, Getchow says. Sometimes, it moves back and forth. There's always conflict.

Characters in narratives have to make choices.

Often, these choices are filled with tension and drama. These choices change them. And if a character is flawed, it makes him or her all the better.

Great writers and editors employ a narrative stance right from the start.

Editors must be fierce advocates of narrative nonfiction. Take time to chart out a story, to discuss narrative arc. There should be a beginning, middle and end.

The best editors are open-minded and allow writers to follow their voice and their instincts.

Editors need to stay open-minded. Those who are, consider their reporters the best resources they have. Trust reporters. Narratives have the power to be emotional for those inside and outside the newsroom.

Hold workshops at your newspaper.

Have writers and editors get together regularly to discuss narrative and critique each other's work. If the editors don't have time, the writers should do it themselves.

Make sure your story is a journey.

            There should be a fundamental movement from a starting point. It could be about the man who yearns to lose 150 pounds or the daughter who has never met her mother. Be curious, ask questions and you'll find stories that make natural narratives.