Stories can take many forms and serve many different purposes. All of us will be familiar with fairy tales or legends and myths from childhood, or perhaps poems or parables that contain an underlying message. In later life we may be more familiar with anecdotes from personal or others’ experiences, or with films and theatre that are all based on a story.
People take different messages away from the same stories depending on how they view the world. Stories can be a powerful learning tool and can involve all the senses. We refer to the seven E’s of storytelling to consider the purpose of stories.
Resources:
- Holloway I and Freshwater D 2007. Vulnerable story-telling: narrative research in Nursing. Journal of Research in Nursing 12,6 (703-11)
- TRACS: Available: https://tracscotland.org/
- Wacker M and Silverman L 2003. Stories Trainers Tell. Pfeiffer: San Francisco