1. What are the elements of a short story?
Short Story Terms
What are the elements of
a short story?

2. What is a short story?
A brief prose involving plot, setting and characters

3. Plot
What happens?
The course of action for the story

4. Setting Where the events happen Can be time, place, era
Can also include mood that is created

5. Characters Who is involved?
Rounded characters come across as real people
Flat characters are more like stereotypes, not as realistic

6. Protagonist
The main character in the story
The hero

7. Antagonist
The opposing character or force in the story

8. Conflict There are many types of conflicts in story
Internal conflict: character vs. himself or herself

9. External Conflict Character vs. character Character vs. nature
Character vs. society
Character vs. technology
Character vs. supernatural

10. Theme
The central idea about life that emerges from a piece of writing, as it applies to all people
The author’s commentary on the subject matter
A commentary on the human condition
A theme statement is one sentence

11. Tone The author’s attitude toward the subject
Examples of tone: humorous, bitter, sarcastic, serious

12. Irony Verbal irony: a speaker says something, but means the opposite
Situational irony: the author creates a situation that is deliberately the opposite of what is expected

13. Symbolism Something that stands for something else
Example: in Robert Frost’s poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” the speaker claims he has “miles to go before [he] sleeps”; here, sleeping may represent death

14. Plot Structure X climax X denouement or falling action X crisis
X resolution
X rising action
Introduction
X complicating incident

15. Introduction
Sets up the scene
Introduces characters, setting, mood

16. Complicating Incident
The problem or conflict that gets the action rolling

17. Rising Action
Events in the story that build to the peak of action

18. Crisis The turning point in the story
The point in the story where the action can go one way or another

19. Climax The peak or height of the action in the story
the most suspenseful moment in the story

20. Resolution Follows the climax The author ties up loose ends
Also called the denouement
The story’s end or conclusion
Can be “comic” (main character reaches goals) or “tragic” (main character does not reach goals)