Crossword Dictionary
narrative, narration, story, tale - n
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program; "his narrative was interesting"; "Disney's stories entertain adults as well as children"
A tale is a story, especially one that's full of creative embellishments. You can read a tale from a book, or tell a bedtime tale to the kids you're babysitting.
Tales can be true or fictional, but they generally consist of a narrative, with a beginning and an end, made more interesting and exciting with vivid details. Some tales are meant to teach specific lessons (like your family's history or your community's values), while others simply relay a funny story. Tale can also mean "lie," like when your mom asks, "You're not telling a tale, are you?"
yarn
noun
A tale, especially a long story of adventure or incredible happenings.
SYNONYMS
anecdote, tale, twist, adventure, alibi, fable, fabrication, lie, line, narrative, potboiler, prose, song, fairy tale, song and dance, tall tale
EXAMPLES:
‘Marikar’s is a good yarn about a company that is doing well by trying to do good.’
‘Christopher Plummer hopes audiences will enjoy watching a “good yarn†when his new series Departure debuts on Peacock Thursday.’
‘Many of us strike a happy medium, leaving enough wiggle room with reality to spin a good yarn.’
'But at least according to its creator, it's also a meta-page-turning crime yarn—a story about storytelling.'
story
noun
An account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment.
synonyms
tale, narrative
examples:
‘Charlotte loved stories of romance and adventure, there had been so little romance or adventure in her life.’
‘Henry James is not a name that springs to mind when we think of adventure stories, prose epics or historical fiction.’
‘Story telling and shadows have been around since the time of the cave people, when their fires flickered as they told stories in to the night.’
‘She didn't just dutifully put pen to paper, she told stories, painted pictures and opened a window into the frustrations and rare joys of her own life.’