What is a Story?

Alex Gigliotti · January 9, 2024

Story Fundamentals

The name of this website is The Story Explorer. What exactly are we exploring? The definition of story will answer that question.

I first heard the definition of story from Brian McDonald in his podcasts and story class [1, 2]. I have nothing to add to the definition, but it is worth a post. In the best blog-from adaptation I can do, I will retell the definition in the way Brian taught it in his story class. At the end, I will share a few implications of the definition.

First, why have a definition of story at all? Having common definitions and language helps us understand each other. Since this website is about storytelling, I want to make sure we all understand what “story” means. Second, if you’re trying to tell a story, a definition helps you understand what you need to do to accomplish your goal. When you know the definition of what you are trying to do, you can do it better. You know your role and objective [3].

Before reading on, try to write your own definition of story. Write it down on paper or in your notes, and take your time. Stories are to humans as water is to a fish. Since we are so immersed in stories, a satisfying definition might be hard to come up with.

Now that you’ve struggled with the definition and have written something down, scroll down past the giant Story Explorer logo to see Brian’s definition.

The Story Explorer logo

The definition of story as told by Brian McDonald:

A story is the telling or retelling of a series of events leading to a conclusion.

Let that sink in and write it down in your notes. Better yet, keep it somewhere to remind you frequently. And a note: Brian qualifies that by conclusion he means that stories have a point.

This definition has a lot of fascinating implications, but for now, here are three big ones:

  1. Stories have an armature (a conclusion or point)
  2. Stories are a structure (a sequence of events that make a point)
  3. Stories are metaphors for the armature (A Story Is Its Armature)

Key takeaways on the definition of story:

  • A story is the telling or retelling of a series of events leading to a conclusion.
  • We need definitions to help us understand our job as storytellers and to help us communicate with each other.
  • The Story Explorer is all about exploring storytelling — the craft of telling a story. The definition of story gives us a lot to explore! Soon, I will do some posts on armature. Eventually, I will do more on structure and metaphor.

What do you think about this? What questions do you have? Join the Discord, and let’s talk in the comments below!

Sources and Notes

  1. You Are A Storyteller, What Is a Story? ↩

  2. Brian’s Storytelling 101 class ↩

  3. Note: In the What Is a Story? podcast linked above, Brian tells a story he heard in an interview with a famous jazz bass player who talked about how he improved just by looking up the definition of bass. Bass comes from “base” — a foundation. The bass supports everything else. He understood how to do his job better. ↩

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