While the "story" is a linear chain of cause and effect, the "discourse" manipulates that chain to create meaning or tension: A story is chronological ( ). Discourse can be non-linear (

An event can happen once in the story but be narrated multiple times in the discourse from different perspectives (repetitive narrative).

To help you apply this to a specific project or study, :

The "how." This is the stylistic representation of the story. It involves the narrator’s voice, the order of events (flashbacks/flash-forwards), the pacing, and the point of view. 2. Key Elements of Discourse

A murder happens, a detective finds clues, and the killer is caught.