It's Just a Story

[Amber Zade]

Another writer and I were having a conversation. I suppose I got a bit agitated about a story.

Between you and me it was probably that tv show where the sylph like brain surgeon with manic depressive disorder dances in the rain in gauzy outfits.

BUT - she said it was JUST a story. In other words, "What are you getting all wound up about Amber?"

So then the conversation divurged and I discovered she does ... indeed.... consider stories... JUST stories.

I think she broke my heart. Sometimes I don't understand who people are and then they say something asinine like... Stories are just stories.

What I'm wondering is how many writers believe stories are just stories?

 

[Alistair Roberts]

Probably not many. There's so much more to it, but unless you've written them, or told them, perhaps you wouldn't know. Where does magic come from, but stories? Where do stories come from, but magic? To quote an unknown author, "I rest my case."

 

[Amber Zade]

LOL That's what I thought...interesting. Thanks!

 

[Emurelda]

For me stories are a complete adventure - written or read. An escape as well as an immersive experience.

I do however understand what she means that if you are going to choose between your emotional health - getting agitated and irate - over placing it into the context i.e. grand scheme of things, then don't..unless you want to of course . She worded at 'it's just a story' to summarise that way of thinking. Some stories are worth getting agitated over but as always if it ruins relationships - like it seems to here - no story is worth that. The human reality story is far more important.

 

[KG Christopher]

Stories are what define us as humanity. On one hand you have the whole richness of stories that tell us who we are, where we come from, where we are going massive epics.

Then, equally, we have something like Erik Carles 'The Very Hungary Catipillar'. It is just a story, but its a lovely story and tells me something new every time I read it, and in my mind, thats the beauty of a story.

 

[KG Christopher]

Another writer and I were having a conversation. I suppose I got a bit agitated about a story.

Between you and me it was probably that tv show where the sylph like brain surgeon with manic depressive disorder dances in the rain in gauzy outfits.

BUT - she said it was JUST a story. In other words, "What are you getting all wound up about Amber?"

So then the conversation divurged and I discovered she does ... indeed.... consider stories... JUST stories.

I think she broke my heart. Sometimes I don't understand who people are and then they say something asinine like... Stories are just stories.

What I'm wondering is how many writers believe stories are just stories?

I do sometimes think stories are 'just stories', for instance in the UK, watching Eastenders and all the soaps, they are just stories, you would never think of turning them into Novels or the written word. I don't suppose you can even by the screenplay, 'cos most of it is just filler.

When I think of The Very Hungary Caterpiller. To me, I see analagies with 'The Odessy' . Its a wonderful life journey story distilled into a few pages, beautifully ilustrated and targeted at not just children, but adults.

 

[Carol Rose]

Your writer friend obviously has no soul.

 

[Katie-Ellen]

'Asinine' seems a bit harsh, especially speaking of a 'friend.' Maybe that story 'spoke' more to you than it did to her. Or her response was simply social, in calming a conversation. Stories all contain truths; but also frequently ask us to suspend our disbelief, or reserve judgement. Or they wouldn't be stories, but treatises or essays or lectures. Someone said about a new novel, reviewing 'The Forgetting Time', that he enjoyed it. but railed at the premise...which was; does reincarnation actually happen, and this story suggests that it does.

But why get his knickers in a twist? It was a story. He could take it or leave it. At the same time, because stories deal in 'truths', self-evident and otherwise, 'The Forgetting Time' raised a biggie. Life is problem solving. The imponderables figure large, and loom huge every time a loved one is born or dies. These are the things we care about; they are soul considerations, and these are very often the fascination of a great story. But the stories that snag our souls, catch us for reasons to do with our own lives. We've been places our friends might not have gone, and vice versa.

 

[James Marinero]

Historically, stories carried culture, knowledge, experience, history and a whole lot more. We wouldn't be here today without stories.

Even those 'modern' stories such as Little Red Riding Hood have value and still work.

 

[Richard Sutton]

Stories are the only thing we create as a species, beyond our own genetics, that can withstand time. I wrote a post about it once...

 

[Paul Whybrow]

 

[Patricia D]

Stories are what define us as humanity. On one hand you have the whole richness of stories that tell us who we are, where we come from, where we are going massive epics.

Then, equally, we have something like Erik Carles 'The Very Hungary Catipillar'. It is just a story, but its a lovely story and tells me something new every time I read it, and in my mind, thats the beauty of a story.

I was going to say something like this, but you've already said it so well.

 

[Jason Byrne]