Short Written Texts

Short Stories Usually a piece of fictional text that is short enough to be read at one sitting. Similar to novels in that their main purpose is to entertain, to instruct or to comment on some aspect of human behaviour.

Style Because of abbreviated format… language is used skilfully and succinctly descriptions are brief and direct vocabulary use is strong and precise

Most short stories are a combination of these types Story of character Reveals a character’s mind, motivation or moral quality Story of incident Looks at the course & outcomes of a Single event Slice of life Deals with an experience of ordinary life; often has no climax; reveals character & situation Types of short stories Story of narration Beginning, middle & end, building to a climax, often with a turning point Surprise ending Popular form, includes Horror, suspense stories Story of atmosphere Brings alive a certain Mood or setting Most short stories are a combination of these types

Ingredients of short stories include… Character Theme Setting/context Style Plot Narrative viewpoint Structure

Ingredients of short stories Character – There are seldom more than 2 or 3 characters described in any detail. Only characters essential to the story are introduced Theme – Usually only one theme is present. It may be general or only subtly hinted at through the title or repetition of certain words or phrases

Ingredients of short stories Setting/context – Usually set in one place and only over a brief space of time Often not described in detail or hugely significant Could be any street in any town Style (how the story is written) – Highly structured to make the best use of space Style includes: Language – dialogue, vocabulary Plot structure – how the story is constructed; narrative viewpoint Author’s purpose – why the text was written; it’s message

Ingredients of short stories Plot – Anything that happens or is described in a short story is important and there is a reason for it. The plot may tell a complete narrative (with a beginning, middle, & end) or be a slice of life (a single idea/incident from life). It may be told: Chronologically (in the order events happened) In view from the present (story is started & finished in the present but is told mainly in the past) Flashbacks (some events in the past help us understand what is going on now)

Ingredients of short stories Narrative viewpoints 1st person: the narrator tells us what he/she saw and experienced 3rd person: we see events from this character’s POV ‘Eye of God’: narrator tells us what is happening but is not actually a character in the story. They can see into the minds of characters and tell us what they are thinking. Structure – Most short stories follow this structure: Exposition Conflict & interaction Crisis/turning point Resolution

Remember: Just because the story is short, doesn’t mean it’s simplistic