Short Stories

Made by: ______________________________

What is a SHORT STORY?

ELEMENTS OF A SHORT STORY

! Short stories are small slices of life.

! Short stories vary in length, but they can
usually be read in one sitting.
! Authors of short stories have to squeeze
in many details in order to create a
complete story, so all of the words and
details are carefully chosen.

The Rule of 1s
A short story:
focuses on 1 incident / problem

is usually limited to 1 setting.

focuses on a limited number of

characters (1 or 2)

Can be read in 1 sitting.

What are the 5 elements of short stories?

1. Plot

action, a quest for satisfaction

whats going down, whats going to happen
series of events

2. Character
o Knock Knock, Whos there?
o People in the story that carry out the action

3. Conflict
" A struggle in the plot
" Now whos on top?
" What created drama? The conflict did.

4. Theme
main idea, central belief or topic thats in
there.
abstract

5. Setting
# where its going down
# sets the scene
# where and when

Plot

! series of related events that make up the story.

! can be drawn on a plot diagram.

Plot Diagram
Label the following diagram with the 6 elements of plot.

Initial / Complicating Incident:

! The point in the story where conflict is first introduced.
! The first problem / complication in the rising action.
! It begins the suspense.

Rising Action:
! The series of related events that increase the tension and
lead up to the climax.

Climax:
! The most exciting, intense or important event in a story.
! The highest point of tension.
! The reader finds out the result of the conflict.

Falling Action:
! The series of events following the climax.

What are the 6 elements of PLOT?

Exposition / Introduction:

! The conflict is resolved.

! Leads to the denouement.

Denouement / Resolution:

! The first part of the story.

! The loose ends of the story are tied up.

! It introduces the setting, the main characters, the mood,

! More details about the outcome are given.

and the beginning of the plot.

The reader learns what might happen next to the main characters.

Setting

Tone

! Tells WHEN and WHERE the story takes place.

! the way feelings are expressed

! The time and place of the story.

! the authors attitude toward the writing (his characters,

the situation) and the readers.

! Atmosphere, mood, and tone are also considered parts of

the setting.
! Authors set a TONE or MOOD in literature by conveying
an emotion or emotions through words.

Mood / Atmosphere
! the overall feeling of the work.

! a story can have more than one tone.

! Tone is conveyed by: the setting, choice of vocabulary,
and other details.

! Use context clues to help determine tone.

Ex:

An example of tone could be both serious and humorous.

Point Of View

! the emotions you (the reader) feel when reading.

! Writers use many devices to create mood, including

images, dialogue, setting and plot.


! Often a writer creates a mood at the beginning of the
story and continues it until the end, but sometimes
the mood changes because of the plot or changes in
the characters.

Omniscient - a story told by the author. The author may describe the thoughts of any or
all of the characters.
The author does not need to reveal the thoughts or feelings of all characters in order to
have Omniscient point of view. If the author reveals the feelings or thoughts of two or
more, it is Omniscient.

First Person - the author identifies with a major or minor character, or disappears inside
a character; the story is told using the first person "I".

Third Person - like a roving camera or a fly on the wall where events are recorded
without judgment or comment. The author does not show the feelings or thoughts of
characters. The reader must judge these things her/himself. The author uses, he or she.

Ex:
suspenseful, joyful, depressing, excited, anxious, angry, sad, tense,
lonely, suspicious, frightened, disgusted

Point of View: A position from which something is observed or considered.

The attitude or outlook of a narrator or character in a piece of literature (the
narrator's position in relation to the story being told).
Narrator: Who is telling the story.
First Person: A narrator tells the story from his or her point of view. The
narrator will say _____ and ______.
Second Person: The rarest mode in literature. The narrator refers to the
reader as "you", therefore making the audience member feel as if he or she is a
character within the story.
Third Person: A narrator tells the story, but can only tell what he or she is able
to ___________ or__________.
Third Person Limited Omniscient: A narrator tells the story, but can tell
everything that 1 character thinks or feels.
Third Person Omniscient: A narrator tells the story and is ______
_______________. He or she can tell what any character is ___________ or ______________.

Characters

Types of Characters

! A short story will usually have just a few

Characters can be:

characters.
! Main characters are introduced near the
beginning.
! The main character is also called the
protagonist

or hero.

! Sometimes there is an

antagonist

who

struggles or fights against the protagonist.

! Sometimes characters in the short story are
stereotyped characters ex: The bully.

Characterization

A characters personality traits are shown by:

1) what a character does (DIRECT)

2) what a character says about themselves (INDIRECT)
3) what other characters say about them. (INDIRECT)
4) what the narrator says about them (INDIRECT)

1. Round many sided and complex personalities.

2. Flat one sided and limited personality.

3. Dynamic many-sided personalities that change, for
better or worse, by the end of the story.

4. Static have one or two characteristics that never
change and are emphasized e.g. brilliant detective, drunk,
scrooge, cruel stepmother, etc.

Conflict

External Conflict

Definition: A character struggles against some outside force.

! Conflict is a struggle or clash between opposing

characters, forces, or emotions.
! Without conflict, most plots would never go
anywhere.
! Conflicts spurs on the action of most fiction
creates suspense.
! A story may have more than one conflict but one
type will be focused on.

There are 5 kinds of external conflict:

1)

A person is in conflict with another person.

2)

community, society, or culture.

3)

or an animal.

4)

Person vs. Himself / Herself

A person is in conflict with themselves.

Person vs. Technology

A person is in conflict with a machine /other

Definition: A character struggles with himself/herself

1)

Person vs. Nature

A person is in conflict with a force of nature

and his/her opposing needs, desires, or emotions.

Person vs. Society

A person is in conflict with a larger group: a

! There are two types of conflict: internal conflict

and external conflict.

Internal Conflict

Person vs. Person

form of technology.

5)

Person vs. Supernatural

A person is in a conflict that defies the laws
of nature and is beyond scientific
understanding. A conflict with things such
as: time / fate/ gods / ghosts.

Theme

Definition: the overall message / truth / central idea

about human nature or life that the author wants to convey.

Literary Devices
Personification: the attribution of human

characteristics to something nonhuman (animal,

inanimate object, etc.), or the representation of an
abstract quality in human form.

Ex:

Imagery: Description using the five senses (sight,

taste, touch, sound, and smell). Effective imagery

creates a world the reader is able to see, touch, hear,
smell and taste.

Ex:

Symbol: an object or word that is used to represent

an abstract idea.

Symbolism: the practice of representing things by

symbols, or of investing things with a symbolic
meaning or character.

Ex:

Ex:

Things are not always as they appear to be

Love is blind
Believe in yourself
People are afraid of change
Dont judge a book by its cover

Allusion: a reference to well-known people, places, or

events from history, literature, or mythology. Most
allusion expand on or develop a significant idea,
impression, or mood in the story.

Ex:

Literary Devices

Genre

Irony: a contrast between two elements

often with dramatic or humorous effect.

Adventure

Ex: A firetruck that is on fire.

Dramatic when what a character says or

believes contrasts with what the reader or

other characters know to be true. (When we
know more than a character does, they seem
nave and we anticipate the moment when
they will find out the truth)

Situational when what actually happens is

the opposite of what was expected to happen

Verbal saying the opposite of what is true

Flashback a part of a story or movie that describes

or shows something that happened in the past. (The
insertion of an earlier event into the time order of a
narrative.)
Ex:

Foreshadowing: A technique for hinting at events

that may occur later in the plot.
Ex:

Ex:

Children's
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Fantasy
Ex:

Horror
Ex:

Historical
Ex:

Mystery
Ex:

Romance
Ex:

Science Fiction
Ex:

Thriller/Suspense
Ex: