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I like to go back to basics whenever I start a new novel, which typically involves taking up a handful of my favorite writing books. Even after eighteen novels, I’m still not sure what I’m doing. Not so much why I write; I’m quite sure why I do what I do in my thoughts. No, I think it’s more useful to return to a different question: what is a story?
“A tale is about how events affect someone who is pursuing a tough goal, and how that person changes inwardly as a result of those events.”
INTRODUCTION:
Cron goes on to describe the plot as “the things that happen,” your protagonist as “someone,” and the “tough aim” as the “storey challenge.” Finally, she claims that the novel is really about the protagonist’s “interior metamorphosis.”
Genius. I know it’s in the book’s title, but this is the most concise and accurate description of a novel I’ve ever seen. It can help you write a novel, a short storey, a memoir, an essay, or anything else you’re working on. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got.
What happens and how it happens
Every tale requires a storyline, but many new writers make the mistake of believing that the plot is the most important aspect of the storey. If your storey is just a succession of events — this happened, then this happened, then this happened — but those events have no bearing on your story’s characters, you don’t have a plot. You don’t have an engaging storey, at the very least. Your readers won’t care about your happenings, no matter how spectacular or explosive they are, unless they have an impact on someone.
Have an effect on someone
These are the two most crucial words in Cron’s definition for me. It’s not simply about what happens in a storey. The plot of a storey is determined by how such events, or plot elements,
affect the person to whom they occur. Specifically, your protagonist, but also your adversary and other significant characters.
Compare and contrast these two major news stories. A big earthquake has struck a country on the opposite side of the planet in tale A. Hundreds of people have died, and tens of thousands more have been forced to flee their homes. Flattened houses, overturned cars, warehouses without roofs, and buildings reduced to rubble are depicted in the photos.
Michael, a young guy who lived his life to the fullest, is the subject of Story B. Michael can be seen skiing with pals, trekking with his younger brother, and standing next to an aeroplane with a helmet and a big smile. It details his eighteen-month battle with a rare kind of cancer, the physical toll it took on his body, and his family’s anguish as they watched him deteriorate.
Finally, the storey depicts Michael’s family’s ultimate sorrow as he took the decision to end his life – and had to videotape it so that his already bereaved parents wouldn’t be blamed.
Which of the stories makes you feel the most connected? Which one irritates you the most? Story B is, without a doubt, my favourite. I’m saddened by the earthquake, but it’ll be forgotten before the next commercial break. Michael’s storey, on the other hand, stays with me for hours, if not days. Why? Why does the death of one person have a greater impact on me than the death of hundreds of people? Do those deaths have less significance than Michael’s?
They aren’t, no. If I heard the storey of one of those killed in the earthquake — perhaps Dawn, a mother of three who was busy preparing afternoon tea for her children when the quake struck, or James and Jackie, a couple celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary at their favourite restaurant — I’m sure I’d be more moved by their loss.
What grabbed me was seeing images of Michael in his prime and hearing the awful facts of his illness and death, as well as how they affected his family. A tale is defined by how events affect someone.
In pursuit of a challenging object
You’ve probably come across the concept of the hero’s journey if you’ve read any writing books. Every tale revolves around someone chasing a goal, usually one that is pushed upon them rather than one that they choose. The plot consists of the events that occur as a result of this purpose.
The aim can be anything from rescuing the planet to surviving a day caring for a stranger’s child, and everything in between. It’s a storey because it’s a challenging aim for your character to achieve. Because it is a difficult task, your character will face challenges along the road.
The way these difficulties, these problems influence your character is what makes it a narrative. This gets us to the definition’s final section:
How that person’s internal state alter as a result
This is the crux of the situation. This is why we are concerned. What has happened to the character as a result of the journey? How have they evolved over time? Did they make it out alive? Have they matured as a person? Did they save the world and themselves in the process? Did they successfully care for the youngster, recognising that they are, after all, a vital part of society?
Your storey is about how the events of your storey affect your character. The reader is there to do just that. “We don’t turn to tale to escape reality,” Cron argues. To manage reality, we resort to the tale.” In other words, stories allow us to see into the lives of others. The story allows us to sympathise with and understand individuals. Readers will care enough about your characters to accompany them on their trip if you build compelling characters. Your reader will empathise with your character, share in their pleasures and sorrows, and, most importantly, follow them to the finish.
What does it mean for the plot of your novel?
Keep in mind that your storey is just the beginning. Always, always, always comprehend how every narrative element you write, every twist and turn you come up with, affects your character.
What about nonfiction? Exactly the same situation. Real people may still be characters, and if you illustrate their emotions and how the events of their tale affected them, you’ll be able to connect with readers even more.
When you understand how what happened impacts your character, you can use your character’s following actions to express that emotion, that depth, to your reader. That leads to the next narrative point, the next twist, and how it impacts them. And so forth. If you do this correctly, your reader will be glued to the page till the wee hours of the morning.
That, in my opinion, is the genuine mark of a great storey.
A storey, often known as a narrative, is a connected set of events communicated by words (written or spoken), pictures (still and moving), body language, performance, music, or any other form of communication. You can tell a tale about anything, and the events portrayed can be real or imagined; you can write fiction or nonfiction; and you can write in any genre or style. There are tales to be told about everything and everything at all times; past, present, and future. You’re telling a narrative whenever you tell someone about a set of events, no matter what the subject or when they happened. As a result, stories are extremely significant to human society and are among the oldest and most fundamental aspects of life.
Aside from being a component of every sort of literature, stories are at the heart of creativity and are present in almost everything we do, especially when it comes to entertaining, recording, and reporting. As a result, they are disseminated in a variety of methods, including oral and written storytelling, journalism, television, film, and radio, visual arts, stage performance, music, and so on.
Storytelling examples
Here are some examples of the same narrative told in a variety of ways.
Sometimes a narrative can be told in only one line:
The young lady met the love of her life and lived happily ever after till her death.
It could also be more specific:
The girl met the love of her life when she was 22 years old. It was her last day of college, and the moment she saw him, she knew he was the one she’d be with for the rest of her life—and the boy knew the same thing. The boy and the girl fled away together after graduation to elope. They spent the remainder of their lives together blissfully.
Even the second example is, in reality, a very short storey.
We can communicate it in a variety of methods and durations, ranging from a single line to a series of volumes. After example, if the pair were to spend their entire lives together, there would be many incidents that would make up their life storey.
Various story types
There are virtually no limits to the types of stories that can be told. As a result, the stories in this article will be divided into two major categories: fiction and nonfiction. Within each, there are a plethora of options in terms of the topic matter, genre, delivery method (oral, written, or performance), narrative style, and so forth.
Fictional tales
Fiction is based on made-up or fictitious occurrences. There are a slew of different types of fiction stories and genres to choose from, including but not limited to:
- Imaginary worlds
- Folklore
- Mythology
- Legends \sEpics \sDramas
- Tales of adventure
- Fiction set in the past
- Fantasy \sScience-fiction
- Stories about love
- Tales of horror
- Stories about ghosts
- Stories for bedtime
Stories that are not fictions
Any type of real-life incident or experience can be the subject of a nonfiction storey. However, they frequently fall into the following categories:
- Historical occurrences
- Current events and news
- Biographies and autobiographies are two types of biographies and autobiographies.
- Memories and encounters
- History of crime and punishment
- Stories about Science, Family, and Travel
- Survivor accounts
- Wartime tales
Importance of stories:
Stories are, have been, and will continue to be an integral element of human culture. We learn about one another, our pasts, and our cultures via stories. New stories are literally being lived, recounted, and created every second of every day, whether for amusement or to chronicle a real-life incident.
FAQ’s
Q. What is a simple definition of a story?
Ans: It is defined as,
- an account of incidents or events.
- a statement regarding the facts pertinent to a situation in question.
- anecdote especially: an amusing one.
- a fictional narrative shorter than a novel specifically a short story.
- the intrigue or plot of a narrative or dramatic work.
What is in a story?
A tale is made up of five basic but essential aspects. Characters, setting, storyline, conflict, and resolution are the five elements that make up a storey. These vital features keep the storey moves along smoothly and allows the action to unfold in a logical and understandable manner for the reader.
What are the goals of the story?
Stories help people appreciate the significance and applicability of concepts by bringing facts to life, making the abstract concrete, and walking the audience through the mind of a scientist or mathematician (Ellis, 2005). Storytelling, according to Wells (1986), is a fundamental means of meaning creation.
