Stories as viewpoints

The author wishes to express personal ideas, and uses characters in a story to do it. This form often uses two main characters, one to put forward an argument and the other to disagree with it. It was a common form used by George Bernard Shaw.

Stories as therapy

An author unloads his or her thoughts more for their own personal relief than for the viewer or reader. This form is used in 'Diary' or 'Letters' type of story. It often appears as the writer thinking aloud or sharing his or her thoughts with the audience.

Stories as questions and answers

The author poses a question about life, and then proceeds to answer it through the development of the story.

This type of story is very common where the main character is seeking an answer to what their life is about. It could a rich person who gives up luxury to find satisfaction working with poor people. It might be a famous person who cannot cope with fame and seeks obscurity, or people who look for 'Meaning and purpose' in their life after having tried various ways without much satisfaction.

Stories as formulae

In formula stories like Tom and Jerry the plot is usually much the same, and we know the outcome before the story starts. The 'story' is just a structure for putting in a series of gags, and the performance in doing so.

Many sitcoms (Situation comedies) have this formula, with cliché characters having continuous variations on the same theme.

Stories as ego trips

A person writes a story as a means of telling everyone about himself or herself. This is a common approach for celebrities who write about their rise to fame, and who they know. Such stories are often little more than recounting their life for their fans.