The author responds to comments by Barone (2009), Clandinin and Murphy (2009), and M. W. Smith (2009) on "The Construction Zone: Literary Elements in Narrative Research" (Coulter & M. L. Smith, 2009). She clarifies issues regarding point of view, authorial surplus, narrative coherence, and the relational qualities of narrative research. She maintains that the relational, the ethical, and the aesthetic are not mutually exclusive. Literary elements can function to support collaborative processes while attending to the aesthetic qualities that invite the reader into the storied account.