Bit by bit story spread (9)
I believe the answer is:
piecemeal
'bit by bit' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'story spread' is the wordplay.
'story' becomes 'piece' (eg a piece in a newspaper).
'spread' becomes 'meal' (a spread of food).
'piece'+'meal'='PIECEMEAL'
(Other definitions for piecemeal that I've seen before include "A bit at a time" , "Claim epee in gradual unsystematic way" , "Unsystematically" , "step by step" , "Bit by bit; unsystematic" .)