THE SHORT STORY Language Arts 9

What IS a short story, anyway? 1.It is a work of narrative, prose fiction or fiction based on fact. Narrative means it tells a story. Prose means it doesn’t rhyme. Fiction means it is not true. 2.It is usually between 3,000 and 6,000 words in length. 3.It will have the components of character, plot, setting, and point of view. 4.It may have the component of theme. 5.There must be some sort of conflict in the story which engages one or more of the characters. It there is no conflict, it is NOT a short story, but a personal essay.

More about Characters… There are three different types of characters which an author can use in a story: 1. Round - this character is thoroughly developed - we know a lot about him from what the author describes, and we can imply much based on what we see him do or what he says in the story. He is complex and interesting, and is often a main character. He can be compared to a diamond, with many sides to it.

More about Characters… 2. Flat - this character is usually a minor character because he is not well explained, and we can’t tell much about him from seeing or hearing him. We only see one or two character traits of this character, and therefore do not have the opportunity to “get to know him” like we do with a round character. He is simple - like a blank sheet of paper -only two visible sides.

More about Characters… 3. Stereotyped - this character is very predictable based on commonly held beliefs or stereotypes which society has placed on him. A stereotyped character will act much the same no matter which story or situation he is placed in. Bruce Willis is stereotyped in most of his movies. When we see his name on a movie we expect him to be the “tough, good guy” who saves many people by his daring acts. He has starred in many movies, and he usually plays the same type of person. His name may be different, and the situations changed, but his role is basically the same. He is predictable - like a book. No matter when or where you reread the book, it is still the same.

Another way to judge characters is to examine if they change their personalities at all in the story. 1.A Static character will be basically unchanged by the events or other people in the story. If he is a bully at the beginning of a story, he will be a bully at the end of the story. 2.A Dynamic character will somehow change his personality in an important, and permanent way because of what happens to him in the story. The characters in the show “Touched by an Angel” are usually dynamic because they are given some revealing truth about their lives which cause them to change permanently.

When an author sits down to write a story, he must also decide how he will present his characters to his audience. He has two alternatives: 1.Direct presentation - This is where the author will tell his readers all about his character. He will leave little to the imagination of the reader. We do not get much chance to form our own opinions of the person because we are told what to expect. For example “ He’s 178 centimetres tall, weighs seventy- two and a half kilograms, has a tendency toward high blood pressure...”

Second Alternative: 2.Indirect presentation - This is where the author will let his readers see the characters in action and in interactions with others and then make their own judgments based on what they have seen and heard. It allows the reader to participate in an imaginative way in the story. For example “Now he sighed. I saw his shoulders heave and the rest of his body shudder like the chain reaction of freight cars.” We can assume that there is something bothering this person after having read that line.

Most authors will use a combination of those three techniques to portray their characters.

Still more about characters!!! Because a story must have conflict, it will usually have a “good guy” and a “bad guy”. 1.The Protagonist is considered the “good guy” (pro means good at something) This is the character whom we sympathize with and want to “win” or succeed. 2.The Antagonist is the “bad guy” He is often portrayed as bad or evil, and acts against the protagonist to stop him from reaching his goal, or winning the conflict.

Finally... In order for a story to be believable, an author must keep three things in mind when he is developing his characters: 1.The character must be believable - no one is all good, or all bad. Characters should fall somewhere in between displaying a balance between positive and negative traits. 2.The character must be motivated - He should have reasons for what he does or says. 3.The character must be consistent - His behaviour should be quite similar in similar situations unless there is a clear reason for change. HOWEVER, there can be exceptions to these three guidelines, if an author has a specific reason to “break the rules”.