Elements of a Short Story

1. Elements of a Short Story A short story is a work of fiction that can be read in one or two sittings.

2. Plot • Plot is the chain of related events that take place in a story.

3. Plot at a Glance climax falling action rising action Denouement exposition

4. Exposition- gives the background of the story, reveals setting, and introduces the main characters. Rising Action- introduces complications (conflict); builds suspense. Climax- the turning point of the story; suspense reaches its peak. Falling Action- Conflict begins to resolve Denouement (Resolution)- Final outcome of the conflict & ties up loose ends

5. The plot of a short story centers around conflict. Conflict is a struggle between opposing forces. These complications build the reader’s excitement.

6. Types of Conflict • External - A struggle with a force outside one's self. -Man v Man: The main character struggles with his physical strength against another character. -Man v Nature: The main character struggles with a force of nature. -Man v Circumstances: The main character struggles against fate or the circumstances. -Man v Society: The main character struggles against ideas, practices, or customs of the other people.

7. Internal -A struggle within one's self; a person must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc. -Man v Himself: The main character struggles with him/herself; with his/her own soul, ideas, choices, or limitations.

8. Indirect speech, thoughts, feelings, or actions of the character What others say about them Direct the narrator’s direct comments about a character Methods of CharacterizationCreating Believable Characters

9. Types of Characters • Main • Protagonist (the main character) or Antagonist (The character who opposes the protagonist) • round - a major character in a work of fiction who encounters conflict and is changed by it). • Dynamic- a character who changes throughout the story

10. Minor Characters Flat- a minor character in a work of fiction who does not undergo substantial change or growth in the course of a story • Static- stereotypes or never changing character.

11. Setting is time and place in which the story takes place. -creates atmosphere or mood by the positive or negative feelings associated with the place.

12. Point of View or . . . (Who’s telling this story anyway?) -the vantage point from which the story is told. -determines how much we, the readers, know about the characters.

13. 1st Person • Narrator is a character in the story. • Narrator uses first-person pronouns, I, me, my, we, us, our to refer to himself or herself.

14. 3rd Person Limited • The narrator is looking in observing the action of the story. • Narrator does not refer to himself or herself. • Narrator may know the thoughts and feelings of one character, but readers are able to maintain some emotional distance from the character.

15. 3rd Person Omniscient • The narrator is looking in observing the action of the story. • Narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters; readers get insight into several characters.

16. Theme In literature, theme is the universal message about life or human nature that the writer wants to share with the reader. In most cases, the theme is not stated directly but must be inferred. Themes can be revealed by - a story’s title - key phrases and statements about big ideas - the ways the characters change and the lessons they learn about life.

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