BOOKS | HOW TO TELL A STORY: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and
Readers (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers), Aristotle, Princeton University Press (2022) 264p
How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers is a refreshing reminder that Aristotle’s wisdom remains as true and vital today as it was in ancient Greece. This remarkable translation of Poetics serves not merely as an academic relic but as a living testament to the timeless nature of storytelling, resonating with readers and writers alike in our modern age.
The heart of this book lies in Aristotle’s understanding of the human condition. He recognized that our attraction to stories that grip, move, and compel us is universal—unchanged by centuries of technological and cultural shifts. Aristotle’s structure and discipline in storytelling are no mere historical curiosities; they are the foundations of what makes a story enduring. In an age of rapid consumption and fleeting narratives, Aristotle reminds us that the core principles of plot, character, and catharsis are essential to creating stories that resonate on a deeper level.
While some may scoff at the idea of a Netflix-binge audience turning to ancient wisdom for guidance, How to Tell a Story strikes a chord for those who seek more than formulaic entertainment. Aristotle believed storytelling to be an art that explores the highest forms of human drama, and this book invites modern readers to reconnect with the soul of narrative rather than simply focusing on market trends or the latest publishing fads.
It is in this philosophical depth that the book truly shines. Aristotle’s ideas about mimesis and anagnorisis go beyond technical advice—they address why stories matter. They speak to our shared humanity and innate desire to reflect, learn, and experience catharsis through storytelling. In a world often dominated by commercial expediency, this book is a reminder that stories have the power to touch the core of the human experience and elevate us beyond mere entertainment.
Though Aristotle’s guidance may seem lofty or abstract to the modern writer or reader, it’s precisely this loftiness that challenges us. He asks us to look beyond the superficial and consider storytelling an art form transcending time. Whether one is crafting a Hollywood blockbuster or a literary novel, the principles Aristotle lays down about structure and emotional impact remain profoundly relevant.
In How to Tell a Story, we find more than a historical treatise; we see a bridge between the ancient and the modern—a reminder that the stories that move us today are built on a foundation as old as humanity. Aristotle’s legacy, now freshly presented for contemporary readers, remains a powerful guide to understanding the art and soul of storytelling.
QUOTES
From the introduction:
“All storytelling is a kind of imitation.”
“Even the most imaginative stories reflect the world as we know it; otherwise, no one would be able to relate to them.”
“Stories must have a beginning, middle, and end.”
“Spectacle is second to storyline.”
“Plot is more important than characters.”
“The best conflict occurs between family and friends.”
“…for the most powerful and moving stories make the conflict between people who love one another.”
“The most satisfying tragic stories are about good people who make mistakes.”
Aaron Sorkin: “Rules are what make art beautiful...These rules also apply to writing. The rulebook is Poetics by Aristotle. All the rules are there.”
“Imitation. First, imitation comes naturally to people from childhood…This is how we learn…We all take great pleasure in imitation.” (p19)
“Serious authors imitated in their works serious people and their noble actions.” (p23)
“Homer was certainly the greatest of the serious poets since he not only wrote very well but also was able to dramatize his imitations.” (p23)
“…happiness and misfortune are found in action.” (p41)
“… beginning writers can often achieve excellence in speech and characterization before they can master the structure of a story.” (p45)
“Beauty must have size as well as order.” (p53)
“The historian tells us what has happened, the poet what could happen.” (p59)
“This is why poetry is more like philosophy and is more important than history. Poetry is about universals, while history is about particular.” (p61).
“Thus, the best writers are those who are either highly gifted or insane.” (p113)
“A metaphor is using one meaning for something else. There are four types: General in place of specific. Specific in place of general. Borrowing from a different class. And, Analogy.” (p145)
“The most important thing in the language of storytelling is to be clear but not too ordinary.” (p151)
“But the most important thing is to be good at using metaphors…It is quite simply a natural talent for those who have it - for the proper use of metaphors is perceiving similarities.” (p161)
“…Homer’s inspired excellence in respect to other poets is clear in this regard as well. Although he has a beginning and end, he doesn’t try to cover the whole Trojan War in the Iliad.” (p165)
“The Iliad is simple in plot and rich in suffering, while the Odyssey is complex, full of recognition scenes and based on character.” (p169)
“For the verse form used in epic, the appropriate os heroic hexameter has been proven by experience…The rhythms of iambic trimeter and trochaic tetrameter almost demand movement and excitement, for they are, respectively, the meters of action and dance.” (p171)
“Tragic drama should make people feel awe and wonder. As for epic…there is even more of an opportunity for the astonishing, which is the cause of awe and wonder.” (p175)
“To feel awe and wonder is a pleasant thing. Proof of this is that we delight in exaggerating when we tell a story to impress and delight our listeners.” (p175)
“A writer should save elaborate speech for the parts of a story where there is little action.” (p179)
On Story Characters:
“The people represented must be either good or bad in their character. Almost everyone is marked by either a good or bad character since it is by virtue or vice that the character of a person is known. People imitated by artists can be better than us, worse than us, or much the same as us.” (p9)
“The suffering that occurs between those who are in close relationships is best.” (p89)
“Goodness…will be revealed in their speech and actions when they make deliberate moral choices.” (p95)
“Good characters, those well written, have three qualities: Appropriateness, Relatability, and Consistency.” (p97)
“Since tragedy is an imitation of people better than us, writers should be like good portrait painters.” (p101)
“You should work out the gestures and emotions of your plot.” (p111)
“The writers who are most successful are those who, by nature, are able to identify with their characters and are gripped by their emotions. The truest anger or distress is conveyed by an author who actually feels anger or distress in their soul.” (p113)
On Plot
“Plot is the imitation of action - and by plot, I mean how the events and incidents in the tragedy are organized. Character is what makes an agent behave in a certain way. Reasoning is what actors say in a tragedy to argue a case or put forward their views.” (p39)
“The most important element in any tragedy is plot.” (p41)
“[P]lot is the first principle and, so to speak, the soul of tragedy.” (p45)
“Stories must have a beginning, middle, and end.” (p51)
“A beginning doesn’t necessarily follow from anything before, but other events naturally follow it and proceed from it. And ending, on the other hand, naturally or in general follows from something else that comes before it but but has nothing that comes after it. A middle follows from some other event and also has things that occur after it.” (p51)
“A simple definition of the proper length of a story would be that it is long enough to allow a change from good fortune to bad or bad fortune to good, in accord with what is probable or necessary.” (p55)
“A plot should be structured so that if any of its episodes were rearranged or removed, the whole story would be disturbed and dislocated. If this isn’t the case, then that episode is not an essential part of the whole.” (p59)
“A well-constructed plot in a tragedy ought to have a single storyline rather than two, as some people claim.” (p81)
“The solution to a plot problem should come from the story itself, not form some supernatural intervention. (No Deus Ex Machina)” (p99)
“There should be nothing irrational in the events of a story.” (p99)
“When you’re constructing a plot and putting it into words, you should visualize what is happening as much as possible in your mind’s eye.” (p111)
“The basic story outline of the Odyssey is not, in fact, long: A man is away from home for many years - he is alone and watched by Poseidon - at home, his goods are being consumed by suitors who conspire to kill his son - the man returns home after being shipwrecked - he allows some people to recognize him - he attacks and kills his enemies - then he is safe. That is the essential plot of the Odyssey. The rest is details.” (p117)
“Every tragic story has both a complication and a resolution. The complications consist of events outside the play and often include some events within it. The remainder is the resolution.” (p119)
On Tragedy
”Tragedy imitates a better sort of person than us.” (p13)
“Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is elevated, complete, and of sufficient length.” (p33)
“Each part of a tragic drama uses language that is embellished.” (p33)
“When I say the language of tragedy is embellished, I mean that it uses melody and rhythm.” (p33)
“Tragedy is acted, not narrated.” (p33)
“Tragedy evokes pity and fear. By doing so, it brings about a catharsis or purging of emotions.” (p33)
“Since tragedy is an imitation performed by actors, it follows that a part of telling the story is arranging and managing what the audience sees on the stage.” (p37)
“And so tragedy has six parts that determine its quality: plot, character, speech, reasoning, spectacle, and music. The six all fall under our previous categories of media (speech, music), manner (spectacle), or object (plot, character, reasoning).” (p39)
“Reason is the third element of tragedy. It is the ability to say what is apt and appropriate in a situation.” (p47)
“We shouldn’t try to seek every variety of pleasure from tragedy, only those that belong to it - pitty and fear- which the writer should bring about in the actions of the story by means of imitation.” (p87)
“There are four kinds of tragedy: Complex, Of Suffering, Character-based, and Simple.” (p121)
On Comedy
“Comedy imitates people worse than us.” (p13)
“Being laughable is a shortcoming or disgrace that doesn’t involve any serious pain or destruction.” (p31)
OUTLINE
Introduction
Contextualizing Aristotle’s Poetics:
Overview of Aristotle’s significance in the development of literary theory.
The role of Poetics in shaping Western notions of storytelling.
The modern translation aims to make ancient wisdom accessible to today’s writers and readers.
Why Ancient Wisdom Still Matters:
Relevance of Aristotle’s ideas in the age of modern storytelling.
The enduring nature of narrative principles like plot, character, and catharsis.
Part 1: The Foundations of Storytelling
Mimesis: The Art of Imitation
Definition and explanation of mimesis (imitation of art life).
The significance of mimesis in narrative art and why stories resonate with audiences.
Modern parallels in film, literature, and theatre.
Plot: The Soul of a Story
Importance of a coherent and structured plot.
Break down the plot into beginning, middle, and end.
Explanation of “unity of action” and why a story must have a central, cohesive theme.
Examples of classic and modern narratives that exemplify Aristotle’s ideal plot structure.
Part 2: Elements of Dramatic Storytelling
Character: Driving the Action
Exploration of Aristotle’s views on character development.
The distinction between protagonists and antagonists.
The role of ethics and character consistency in compelling storytelling.
How character arc and growth contribute to emotional impact.
Thought and Theme: The Underlying Message
Analysis of the role of thought or “theme” in storytelling.
The importance of having a central idea or message behind the plot.
Illustrating examples of stories with solid thematic elements across various genres.
Diction: The Power of Language
Importance of language in crafting compelling narratives.
Aristotle advises choosing words that suit a story’s tone, style, and subject.
The balance between poetic and plain language in modern storytelling.
Part 3: Building Tension and Evoking Emotion
Spectacle: The Visual and Sensory Elements
Aristotle’s understanding of spectacle in drama—how visuals support narrative.
The place of spectacle in ancient theatre and its modern parallels in cinema, stage, and video games.
How spectacle can enhance a story but should not replace substance.
Music and Rhythm: The Sound of Story
Examination of Aristotle’s reference to music as a storytelling tool.
How rhythm, pacing, and sound influence narrative progression and audience engagement.
Modern interpretation: how rhythm applies to writing style, scene transitions, and dialogue.
Catharsis: The Emotional Payoff
Definition and exploration of catharsis, Aristotle’s concept of emotional purification.
How tragedies and other narrative forms evoke pity, fear, or relief in audiences.
Examples of modern narratives (literature and film) that effectively achieve catharsis.
Part 4: The Types of Storytelling
Tragedy: The Fall from Grace
Aristotle’s definition of tragedy and its role in storytelling.
Examination of the tragic hero: noble, flawed, and doomed.
Critical elements of a successful tragedy (hamartia, peripeteia, anagnorisis, and catharsis).
Modern interpretations of tragedy in literature, film, and television.
Comedy: The Lighter Side of Storytelling
Aristotle’s thoughts on comedy and its contrast with tragedy.
The purpose of comedy is to reveal truth through humor and absurdity.
Examples of how comedic principles from antiquity persist in contemporary culture.
Appendices
Appendix 1: Key Terms from Poetics:
Definitions and explanations of key Greek terms from Aristotle’s text (e.g., mimesis, catharsis, anagnorisis, peripeteia).
Appendix 2: Annotated Bibliography of Influential Texts on Storytelling:
Further reading on Aristotle, classical storytelling, and modern narrative theory.