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Elements of a Elements of a Short Story Short Story

Elements of a Elements of a Short Story Short Story

Outline• Short Story Definition

• Theme & Setting

• Characters and Point of View

• Characterization

• Plot

Definition

• A short story is : • a brief

• work of fiction

• where, usually, the main character

• faces a conflict

• that is worked out in the plot of the story

THEME• The main idea of a literary

work, usually expressed as a generalization (in a complete sentence). Ex. Aging is a price worth paying if you’re buying wisdom.

SETTING•The time, place, and mood in which a work of literature happens.

CHARACTERS

• The people (or actors) in the story.

POINT OF VIEW• The story teller from

whose point of view the story is being told, the narrator.

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Point of View• 1ST PART

• First Person – Does participate in action, Question the trustworthiness* Key words include “I” “We” “Us”

• Second Person - Rarely used except in choose your own adventure books. Key words include all variation of “You”

• Third Person – Not a participant in action, lets us know how characters feel. Key word include “he” “she” “they” 6

Point of View• 2ND PART

• Objective – Writer tells what happens.

• Omniscient/Limited Omniscient – Narrator is all knowing/Narrator is all knowing about ONE character

• PUTTING THEM TOGETHER

• Ex. 3rd Person Omniscient

CHARACTERIZATION

The description of the personalities of the characters in the story and the way in which an author reveals their personalities. This could be through a character’s actions, words, thoughts, feelings, what other character’s say, or even items on a character’s person.

Characterization• What can you

tell about the person in the picture by his body language? What else about him reveals his personality?

Genres• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v

=8YgigYTqF9M

• Netflix users should know all about genres….

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Pacing• Length of paragraphs, sentences, and even

words affect pacing

• Lack of or presence of description

• How much action is presented in a paragraph or sentence

• Compare it to the length of shots in movies and camera movement

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE7PKRjrid4 – SLOW

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQaBYT4MxWU - FAST 11

Complex Character

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FlatCharacter

Parallel Plot• https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=4sj1MT05lAA

• (Most good movies utilize a parallel plot of some kind)

• Flashback

• Consecutive stories

• Fractured tandem

• Tandem narrative

• Multiple protagonist narrative

• Double journey narrative13