Do stories have a beginning, a middle and an end? Can a story be told without words? Or in one word? Seriously, what makes something a story?
Some folks say everything is a story. That doesn’t quite get my vote, as I can think of a lot of things that I don’t consider stories. But I believe we can make a story out of just about anything because we are so good at meaning making and connecting the dots.
In this moment, I’d say a story is a sharing that takes the teller, listener, reader, viewer from here to there. For example, if I said, “I planted a tree.” I would see that as a statement of fact nothing more or less, but if I told you about how I came to plant that tree – that might well be a story. And, then if I included why planting that tree was important to me, then the story might really take shape. Emotion is important in telling a story and it helps people attend with a little more ease. The overuse of emotion though can put people off and confuse.
Then again if I said the word “magic” a whole story comes to my mind. Magic in and of itself is not a story to most others, but it has a special meaning to me which I’ll share tomorrow.
So for today think about the stories you hear and those you tell and then consider why you think they are stories. If you come up with your own definition I’d love to read it. You can contact me here or on Twitter, my handle is @MKClark150.
Enjoy the stories and have a playful day,
Mary
P.S. If stories were sticks would we burn them for fire, use them to build a fort, or use one as a wand and make something magic happen?
