A tale can also be another word for a true story in some cases. However, 'tale' is often associated with fictional stories as well. But when we say a 'true tale', it means a story based on real facts. For example, there are many tales from different cultures that are based on real historical events or real people's experiences.
Factual. For example, a factual movie is often based on real events.
Well, 'narrative' is another word for story. It's often used to describe a sequence of events or a tale.
A synonym for 'back story' could be 'background'.
A long tale. For example, when we talk about a very detailed and extended account of something, we can use 'tale' instead of'story' and 'long tale' to mean a long story.
Headline. A headline is often used to refer to the main or top story in a newspaper, magazine, or news website.
Tale. It is a very common word used instead of short story. Tales often have a simple plot and are usually passed down through generations orally or in written form.