Understanding Storytelling

Writing is often perceived as a search for specific answers or a 'secret sauce' to create a compelling story. Engaging in workshops is common, but the goal should be to uncover your unique voice as an artist, rather than just following standard formulas.

Definitions of Story and Plot

Story:

Different experts provide various definitions of what constitutes a story:

• Mavis Gallant: A story is what you see when you look out of a window; it's a three-dimensional representation of reality that encompasses ongoing experiences and perceptions. This suggests that a story should provide a rich, immersive experience that mirrors real life, capturing the complexities and nuances of human emotions and interactions.

• Flannery O'Connor: A story is a dramatic event involving a specific person who shares a general human condition; it's essential to portray the distinct characteristics of the individual. This definition highlights the importance of character development and the interconnectedness of personal and universal themes within storytelling.

Plot:

The plot refers to the structure of the story that typically includes a beginning, middle, and end, held together by a sequence of actions.

• Aristotle's Definition: He emphasizes that a plot imitates a whole single action and involves causes and inevitable outcomes. Understanding plot as a causal chain is crucial; the beginning triggers the story, leading to complication and eventual resolution. This chain of events must feel organic and cohesive, allowing readers to engage with the narrative’s progression.

• The plot structure can be illustrated as an unraveling of a central ‘knot’ which is the main problem or conflict. The tension in the story lies in how this conflict is confronted and resolved, shaping the journey of the characters involved.

Narrative vs. Plot

Ian Forster's View: Forster differentiates between the narrative (the way the story is told) and the plot (the sequence of events). This distinction is critical because a singular plot can be told in multiple ways, and the perspective from which a story is narrated can profoundly affect its emotional weight and resonance. Understanding how to manipulate narrative techniques such as flashbacks, foreshadowing, and unreliable narrators can greatly enhance storytelling.