1. Elements of the Short Story

2. What is a Short Story?
It’s a piece of prose fiction, usually under 10, 000 words, which can be read at one sitting.
In a short story every word counts, and is carefully selected by the author.
Artistically, a short story is intended to create an impression
A good story entertains, arouses questions about life, and makes the reader question his or her own values.
The effect a story has is created through these elements:
Plot
Atmosphere
Character and Characterization
Conflict
Theme
Setting
Style (which includes a number of devices)

3. Highest point of excitement, Complicating incidents or obstacles
The Plot Diagram
Plot is the story’s plan of action: the series of events that make up the story.
A Plot Graph is an excellent way to map out the important plot details in a given story.
It allows the student to select the pertinent plot elements and trace how they build to the end of the story.
Climax
Highest point of excitement,
Turning point
Falling Action
Rising Action
Complicating incidents or obstacles
Inciting/Trigger Incident
Identifies a basic problem or conflict
How the problem is resolved
Introduction/Exposition
Conclusion/
Resolution

4. Plot Points in Detail Introduction/Exposition
Introduces setting, characters, and the conflict
Serves to entice the reader to keep reading
Inciting/Trigger Incident
The KEY event that causes or initiates the action in the story
Rising Action
The main part of a story, when the main character tries to solve his or her problem.
Suspense, conflicts, problems or obstacles all occur to create a series of crises.
A crisis refers to a problem which is produced by the conflicts, etc.
At this point the action can go in many different directions. Serves to entice the reader to keep reading

5. Plot Points in Detail-cont’d
Climax
The turning point of the story where conflicts are resolved.
The highest point of interest in the story when a characters solves his/her struggles.
It is the outcome of a decision that had to be made. This major decision influences the rest of the story.
Falling Action
The part of a story that leads to the ending or resolution.
Conclusion/Resolution
This element refers to the final details of the story. Conflicts are over, and final statements are made.
Not all stories have a formal conclusion.

6. Atmosphere This term refers to the feeling that
is created in the story
The author uses certain descriptive words, images, details about setting, etc. to create feelings in the reader of fear, anger, happiness, shock, etc.
This term is often referred to as MOOD. It is the “emotional coloring” in story.

7. Characters
Character refers to the individuals that are depicted in each story. Without characters there can be no story!
Usually there is only one central figure around whom the events of the story revolve.
This character is called the PROTAGONIST: a regular character or a hero or heroine
An ANTAGONIST is a character who opposes the protagonist; often working in contrast to the protagonist such as a villain.
Characters are identified by a dominant trait, motivation, or characteristic such as loyalty, ambition, greed, arrogance
Characters are often classified as Flat (those who are barely revealed and/or change very little throughout a story) or Round (those who change or transform throughout a story and are described at great length)

8. Characterization
Characterization refers to how characters are developed and depicted.
Authors use a variety of methods to reveal their characters and to communicate information about them:
The physical description of the character: what he/she looks like! (narrator’s input)
What a character says (dialogue) gives insight to his/her personality. Authors use dialogue skillfully in the short story to portray character, add suspense, and to dramatize conflict.
What a character does (actions) provides an impression for the reader
What a character thinks (thoughts) offers a glimpse into what he/she is like
What others say about the character (inference) lets us gain insight about the character

9. Types of Characterization
There are two ways character is established:
Direct Characterization
This is where the author comes right out and tells the reader what a certain character is like.
Ex. In “Being Comfortable with being Weird”, the author/narrator calls a character a “superficial little wench.”
Indirect Characterization
This is where the author gives certain information and lets readers draw their own conclusions about the character.
Character’s Name (or nickname) ex “Mouse”
Character’s Appearance
What a Character says
What a Character thinks
What other people think/say about the character
What the character does. Actions speak louder than words.

10. Conflict Internal Conflict is External
The central source of tension in the story
It usually involves a struggle between opposing characters, emotions, etc.
Conflict is sometimes referred to as the problem in the story. Therefore, it must be solved or a goal must be achieved to resolve it.
The plot of the story usually revolves around conflict!
There are TWO main types of conflict present in most stories:
External
Man vs Man
Man vs Society
Man vs Nature
Man vs Fate
Man vs Technology
Man vs The Supernatural
Internal
Man vs Self

11. Theme
Theme is the main message or idea the author is trying to communicate in the story about life or human nature
It is generally an underlying idea or value about the very topic that the author wrote about
Themes are often universal truths that are suggested by the specifics of the story but it is not stated directly.
Theme is not directly stated
Most simply it CAN BE the moral or lesson BUT these are different concepts
Some examples:
Tragic Love in Romeo and Juliet
Fitting In in Being Comfortable with being Weird

12. Setting Plays an important role in many stories.
Often helps create the MOOD
It is the environment in which the story takes place.
It refers to both the time (era) that a story is set
The place (location) where the action occurs

13. Style-created through the use of several devices
The ‘style’ of a short story refers to the author’s particular way of writing. It is the way in which the writer uses language and writing techniques to create his/her story.
Some things that make up a writer’s style include:
Diction: choice of words
Types of sentences
Simple, compound, fragments
Use of stylistic devices and/or poetic language
(metaphor, simile, etc. and/or assonance, alliteration)
Tone: the language in a story that suggests the writer’s or narrator’s own attitude toward characters, objects, and topics in the story
Theme: the message itself indicates the author’s attitudes/beliefs
Rhetorical Devices
Point of View
Many devices (see Literary Devices note) can be used to create a specific outcome or effect.

14. Author’s Style Style also includes the point of view
Point of view refers to the perspective from which a story is told
There are THREE common points of view:
First-person point of view: the story is told by the protagonist, a minor character or an interested bystander using the pronouns I or we
Third-person OMNISCIENT point of view: all-seeing, all-knowing perspective. It reveals the thoughts and emotions of several characters using he, she, and they.
Third-person LIMITED point of view: uses the pronouns he, she and they, but tells the story from the perspective of one of the characters.