Comments on: What’s a Story?

By: Jim C. Hines

Jim C. Hines — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:22:10 +0000

Way to make this difficult for me, folks. After reading through the comments, I’m struggling a bit. From a writing standpoint, I read a lot of your ideas and think, “Yes! This is what I think a GOOD story should have/do.” So I went through them again trying to figure out what best encompassed STORY as a whole. A unified theory of story, if you will.

I was tempted to go with Steve’s pornography definition. “I know it when I see it” isn’t the most useful definition, but it matches my gut response to some of the things I read. (Not to mention opening up the possibility of all sorts of obnoxious jokes.)

I think I’ve got to go with Erik’s suggestion, though. A story is a snapshot, a sequence of changes (or refusal to change), and the effects of those choices and changes. It’s broad, but also hits some of the elements I think are important.

In the end, of course, what matters is the definition that works for you as a reader or writer. Don’t let me tell you you’re wrong about what makes a story. The only reason my opinion matters here is because I’m the one giving away the prize

So congrats, Erik! I’ll get in touch with you about your prize. And thanks to everyone who commented. You all gave me a lot to think about.

By: Trey Palmer

Trey Palmer — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:31:25 +0000

A story is a bit like an adventure, but with a few modifications.

An adventure is being in deep shit, far from home with little or no help.

A story is characters you give a flip about, far from their home, typically in trouble (or trying to resolve it) with only what they have as their resources. Add in opposition to compound the trouble and you have a story.

By: Joe Iriarte

Joe Iriarte — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:04:14 +0000

Character has a problem. Character takes action to solve his or her problem. Character reaps the consequences of that action.

By: mrchrstn

mrchrstn — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:48:33 +0000

I’m going to weigh in with Steve on this one.

“This is what happened…” = story

Although I’m 3-act structure OCD boy when trying to write, the above is the heart of it.

By: Anakin Michele

Anakin Michele — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:06:29 +0000

A story is a series of events driven by a character or characters.

Every plot line has been done before. Every created world will overlap with other created worlds and our own. It is the characters that give the story depth, flavor and uniqueness. If you can’t connect with your characters–more importantly, if your audience can’t connect with your characters–then it isn’t a story.

By: Toni Smathers

Toni Smathers — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:15:07 +0000

For me a story is more than just the telling or narration of events happening to a character.
The key is feeling compelled to know more about the character. Whether the character is actively resolving the plot or being swept away by the tide of events happening around them it becomes a story when I can relate to or become invested in the well being of the character.

By: Jonathan Rock

Jonathan Rock — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:48:30 +0000

A story-
Someone you care about struggles with a problem that matters.

By: Paula Richey

Paula Richey — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:53:13 +0000

A story is an epiphany between a person, event, and a world that happens in the mind of the reader (or listener).

A person changes as a result of the events and the world, and the events change as a result of the people and the world, and at last the world changes as a result of the people driving the events. At the end everything clicks together like a sort of combination lock and is complete in the reader’s mind– that’s the story in action.

(This also handily explains why different people can read a book and have completely different ideas about what the book was about – and how I can read a story several times and come away with a different experience every time.)

In the Hemingway example, it’s a story, because there is just enough there to make a story happen in the mind of the reader.

By: Adele

Adele — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:53:25 +0000

For me a story should be like witnessing part of someone else’s life, but it’s fictional rather than genuinely anecdotal. It can be a complete episode or period, even a complete life, or it can be part of one incident (as is often the case in short story form). It doesn’t have to have a begining, middle and end, nothing even has to happen but I should feel that I am witnessing something in someone else’s reality.

By: Jim C. Hines

Jim C. Hines — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:30:13 +0000

Steve – that sounds like the first draft of some of mine!