Narratives vs storytelling
Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE #174
Although the terms "story" and "narrative" are similar, there’s a small though subtle distinction between them and the ways they influence any given tale:
The term story:
Refers to the chronological sequence of events themselves—the raw material – the who, what, when, where, and why of the events. Think of story as the skeleton of the tale.
Narrative:
Is the way the story is told in terms of the style, structure, and presentation of the events. This includes things like:
Points of view: Who is telling the story?
Flow: The rate at which the story unfolds.
Tone: The overall mood and atmosphere.
Language: The prose, words, phrases, and descriptions used.
Here’s an analogy to describe what I mean:
Imagine a road trip.
The story is the list of places you visited, the people you met, and the things you did.
The narrative is the way you recount that trip—a funny anecdote, a travelogue, a heartfelt reflection. You might focus on different aspects, use humor or drama, and emphasize certain experiences over others.
In essence:
Story is the substance of the tale.
Narrative is the form of the tale.
While a story can exist independently (as a bare outline of events), a narrative can’t exist without a story. And yet, the more you control the narrative, the more influence you have over the story—while, the more multi-layered the story, the more narratives you can use.
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P.S. Next time on Shaking the Tree … The power of focus
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the U.K., Gary Bloomer is a writer, branding advocate, marketing specialist, and an award-winning graphic designer.
His design work has been included in Creative Review (one of the UK’s largest design magazines). Since 2009, he has answered over 5,000 marketing and business questions in the Know-How Exchange of MarketingProfs.com, placing him among the top 3% of contributors. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.