4 - The Art of Storytelling

Summary

‘The reading invents the narrative no more than it is invented by it.’ This statement points to the balance existing between narrative and its reader, an area to be explored in this chapter. A story is useless without a reading while, without the story, there can be no reading and, consequently, no reader. Yet, unless a story captures its reader, it is quite likely that the reading will be prematurely ended, with the reader becoming bored and unwilling to continue being involved. What are the key elements of a good story? That question has been the subject of much debate, since Aristotle's time at least. Another question that has engendered debate is why stories exist in the first place. Every civilisation, every tribe and every race of people has its narratives, many of which resemble each other, and many of which have taken on aspects of myth or legend. What may be said, without fear of contradiction, is that narrative is part of our humanity. What may also be stated is that, while lists of key elements may be made, there is an indefinable ingredient in stories that makes one more gripping than another, one more effective than another, one more memorable than another. An attempt to define the indefinable has led ultimately to formulaic stories: the love story where boy meets girl, obstacles are overcome and they all live happily ever after; the murder mystery where a body is found, a detective follows a trail of clues and, using great skills of deduction, unmasks the culprit, thus restoring order. The list of formulae is long but the curious element is why readers are willing to read such stories when there are no surprises. A casual look in any bookshop will prove that such stories sell; they are successful in attracting a wide readership, but, are they good stories? The value judgement required to differentiate between good and bad narrative is controversial, reflecting a growing uneasiness in western society when judging the worth of anything beyond the impact on the individual.