1. Elements of a Short Story

2. Setting

3. Time Place Surrounding ideas, customs, values, and beliefs

4. Characters

5. Protagonist – main character Antagonist – in conflict with the main character – Not always the “bad guy” – Not all stories have an antagonist

6. Point of View

7. Narrator – person telling the story 1 st person – narrator is a character in the story, uses “I” and “me” 2 nd person – narrator uses “you” in reference to self or reader 3 rd person – narrator is outside the story – 3 rd person omniscient narrator – knows everything that goes on – 3 rd person limited narrator – describes events as one of the characters sees them

8. Theme

9. Message of a story readers can apply to life Stated themes – directly presented in a story Implied themes – can be implied by the story but are not explicitly stated

10. Plot

11. Sequence of events in a story, a series of related events Most plots deal with a conflict or problem between opposing forces – External conflict – between a character and outside forces (another character, nature, society, or fate) – Internal conflict – within a character who struggles with opposing feelings or indecision

12. Parts of Plot Exposition Rising Action Climax Falling Action Resolution

13. Exposition Introduces the story’s characters, setting, and conflict

14. Rising Action Develops the conflict with complications and twists

15. Climax Emotional high point of the story

16. Falling Action Shows what happens to the characters after the climax

17. Resolution Shows how the conflict is resolved or how the problem is solved

19. Book or Movie Setting Characters Point of view Theme Plot – Exposition – Rising action – Climax – Falling action – Resolution

20. Homework: 10-sentence story Write a 10-sentence story that includes all the elements of a short story. Be sure to consciously include your setting, characters, point of view, theme, and plot (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution)