An unread book is a pile of paper.
An unheard song is just noise.
An unplayed game doesn't even exist.
It is the act of engaging with stories that make them real.
A story means nothing until it is in your mind. And as such... the one experiencing the story is always partly the creator of the story.
The world that exists in your mind while you read, listen, watch, play... All of those are unique to you. The symbols you see, the emphasis you add, those are where the story exists.
Existence is collaborative.