The politician's speech was just a cliché. It was the same old story of promising change but never delivering. Here 'cliché' is used instead of'same old story' to show that the speech was unoriginal and predictable.
Another word is 'chronicle'. Consider this sentence: 'She wrote a long chronicle of her family history.' A chronicle is often a detailed account, much like a long story.
Sure. 'The plot of that movie was so trite, just another tired old story.' Here 'trite' is used as a word for a tired old story. It shows that the movie's plot was unoriginal and boring, like many stories we've heard before.
Narrative. It can be used to refer to a long story. For example, a historical narrative can be a very long and detailed account of historical events, just like a long story.
She was reading a very interesting novel.
Sure. But she had a plan, a plan that would either save her family or lead them into greater danger. Here, starting with 'but' emphasizes the contrast between the character's sense of having a solution and the potential outcomes that are not so clear - whether it's salvation or more trouble.
He was tired of hearing about the ultravox same old story from his friend who always complained about work.
Sure. Let's say in Shiloh, every year during the local fair, the same family always wins the baking competition because they use the same secret recipe and no one else has been able to come up with something better. That's 'Shiloh, same old story' right there.
Sure. Let's say there's a red car that always parks illegally in the same spot. Every day, the police come, give a warning, and the owner just moves it a little and then parks there again the next day. It's the red car and the same old story of illegal parking.
Sure. 'He told a tall tale about the huge fish he caught yesterday.' Here 'tall tale' is another name for fish story.
Sure. 'I love reading science fiction novels because they take me to other worlds.'