The word 'saga' is also a good alternative. 'The old man told a long saga of his youth.' A saga typically involves a long and complex series of events, just like a long story.
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.
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.
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.
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.
She was reading a very interesting novel.
Sure. 'He told a tall tale about the huge fish he caught yesterday.' Here 'tall tale' is another name for fish 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.
Sure. 'I love reading science fiction novels because they take me to other worlds.'
I just read a very interesting novel. It took me a whole weekend to finish it.