'Stories create magic and a sense of wonder at the world. Stories teach us about life, about ourselves and about others. Storytelling is a unique way for kids to develop an understanding, respect and appreciation for other cultures, and can promote a positive attitude to people from different lands and religions.'
- A story or narrative is a connected series of events told through words (written or spoken), imagery (still and moving), body language, performance, music, or any other form of communication.
- You can tell a story about anything, and the events described can be real or imaginary; covering both fiction and nonfiction; and leaving no topic, genre, or style untouched. There are stories about all things and all times; past, present and future
- Whenever you’re telling somebody about a series of events, you are telling a story, no matter what the subject nor when they occurred. As such, stories are of great value to human culture, and are some of the oldest, most important parts of life.
- Aside from being a part of every single type of literature, stories are at the foundation of creativity and part of just about everything we do, particularly when it comes to entertainment, recording, and reporting of any form. So, they are shared in all different ways—from oral and written storytelling or journalism; to TV, film, and radio; to fine arts, stage performance and music; and so on.
- In one form or another, stories have been a part of human culture and society for thousands of years—likely since man has existed! They’re found in the past and present of people from every culture, religion, and ethnicity; in every region and language.
- So, all of that considered, the concept of a story is actually a bit difficult to fully cover or describe. Some would say that life is made up of a series of never-ending stories. From a simple commute to school or work, to all the events of our lives, everything has a story.
- Fiction stories
- Non-fiction stories
These are the basic elements of a story 1. Setting: Where and when is the story set? Setting represents both the physical location but also the time (i.e. past, present, future) and the social and cultural conditions in which the characters exist. 2. Character: A person or animal or really anything personified. There can be one main character or many, and often there are secondary characters, but not always. 3. Plot: The plot consists of the events that happen in the story. In a plot you typically find an introduction, rising action, a climax, the falling action, and a resolution. Plot is often represented as an arc. To learn about plot in detail, read the article: “What is a Plot.” 4. Conflict: Every story must have a conflict, i.e. a challenge or problem around which the plot is based. Without conflict, the story will have no purpose or trajectory. 5. Theme: Idea, belief, moral, lesson or insight. It’s the central argument that the author is trying to make the reader understand. The theme is the “why” of the story. 6. Point-of-view: “Who” is telling the story? First person (“I”) or third person (“he/she/it”). Limited (one character’s perspective), multiple (many characters’ perspectives) or omniscient (all knowing narrator). Second person (“you”) is not often used for writing stories. 7. Tone: The overall emotional “tone” or meaning of the story. Is it happy, funny, sad, depressed? Tone can be portrayed in multiple ways, through word and grammar choices, choice of theme, imagery and description, symbolism, and the sounds of the words in combination (i.e. rhyme, rhythm, musicality). 8. Style: This is how things are said. Word choices, sentence structure, dialogue, metaphor, simile, hyperbole. Style contributes significantly to tone. |
A Christmas Carol -Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol is a novella by Charles Dickens about Ebenezer Scrooge, an old man, who is well-known for his miserly ways.
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- A fairy tale is a children’s story in a magical setting about imaginary characters that include fairies, dwarfs, witches, angels, trolls, and talking animals. It is also known as a folklore genre written in the form of short stories.
- Writers skillfully blend elements of magic and reality in these stories to incite a feeling of surprise and wonder among the audiences. They are always different from traditional stories. Although these types of stories are written mostly from a child’s perspective, they unfold universal ideas. In this sense, it makes seriousness a bit light in intensity. Also, the use of powerful imagery grabs readers’ attention and connects them with the story.
- Etymologically, a phrase of two words ‘fairy and tale’ means it is a type of story which intends to excite the readers’ interest by presenting impossibilities as possibilities.
Basic Elements and Structure of Fairy Tale
Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve
“Beauty and the Beast” is beautiful fairy tale written by a French novelist, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and was later rewritten by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont. The story is about a merchant and his three daughters. It happens that the merchant goes on a journey and ask his daughters what he should bring for them. The elder two daughters ask for jewelry, but the youngest daughter, Belle, wishes to have a rose. On his way back home, he picks a rose from a beautiful garden, but a Beast appears and stops him. The Beast informs the merchant about death as the penalty for stealing the flower. However, Belle finds the merchant and agrees to be imprisoned to set her father free. Belle later falls in love with the Beast and breaks his curse. He transforms into a handsome prince, and they live happily ever after. The setting, characters, and situation make this story a classic example of a fairy tale. |
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