1. Fiction stories on a smaller scale

2.  VERY IMPORTANT!!!  Basics of time and place, but also includes ideas, values, customs, and beliefs.  Details either come all at once in the opening of the story or are gradually revealed.  All at once: “Little Red Riding Hood”  Gradually: “The Cask of Amantillado”

3.  Protagonist: main character  Little Red Riding Hood  Antagonist: any character that opposes the protagonist  Big Bad Wolf  Not always an antagonist, but there is always a protagonist.

4.  Usually stories are told in 3 rd Person Point of View  Omniscient narrator who can know the past, present, and future of the individual characters.  Omniscient narrator for “Little Red”  Sometimes told in 1 st Person, and very rarely told in 2 nd Person  The story, “The Sniper,” will be an example of 2 nd person point of view.

5.  Central idea or message  Reveals something about or relates to life and humanity.  NOT A MORAL—something you should or should not do….just a general statement.  Examples: love, death, hate, war…  “Little Red”—suspicion of strangers

6.  Conflict: Internal vs. External  Generally easy to spot in short stories and very obvious  Plot: same parts, just slightly different structure  Condensed with a quicker pace  Longer exposition and rising action; once the climax happens, very quick to get to the resolution

7.  VERY IMPORTANT!!!!  Can reveal details about the setting, characters, main plot event, or theme.  “Little Red Riding Hood”—main character  “Cinderella”—main character  “Jack and the Beanstalk”—main character and major event

8.  Predict: based on the title and opening paragraphs, what do you think will happen?  Connect: this reminds me of…  Another story, something from class, from life…  Question: what is missing from the story? What is going on in the story?  Visualize: look for imagery details  Evaluate: does this make sense? Are the predictions coming true?  Review: look over the major parts  Respond: did you like the story? Are all questions and situations resolved?