Short Story Elements

What is a short story?

A brief, imaginative narrative containing few characters, simple plot, conflict, and suspense which leads to a climax and a swift conclusion.

Can be read in one sitting

THE 4 ELEMENTS OF THE SHORT STORY

PLOT

SETTING

CHARACTER

THEME

#1. PLOT

The chain of events in a story.

Consists of 5 main ingredients:

1. Introduction/Exposition

2. Rising action

3. Climax

4. Falling action

5. Conclusion/Resolution

Introduction

Introduces the reader to:

Setting

Basic situation

Characters involved

Narrative Hook: question or statement that grabs the reader’s attention

Rising Action

Incidents which carry the plot along. It often

includes the following:

Foreshadowing

Flashback

Conflict

Suspense

FORESHADOWING

A technique for hinting at events that may occur later in the plot.

FLASHBACK

The insertion of an earlier event into the time order of a narrative.

Conflict It is what prevents the main character from getting what he or she

wants

The plot is driven by climax and it is THE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURE OF THE STORY

There are two types of conflicts: Internal and External

Internal Conflict PERSON VS. SELF

External ConflictPERSON VS. PERSON

External ConflictPERSON VS. SOCIETY

External ConflictPERSON VS.THE ENVIRONMENT

External ConflictPERSON VS. FATE

External ConflictPERSON VS. TECHNOLOGY

External ConflictPERSON VS. THE SUPERNATURAL

SUSPENSE

The feeling of excitement and curiosity that keeps the reader turning the pages; created by making the readers wonder how the conflict will be resolved

CLIMAX The highest point of

interest in the story when the character(s) solves his/her struggles

Usually the point of highest emotion

The climax can be SUBJECTIVE (there may be different answers, so you must prove your choice)

FALLING ACTION

The character completes the action of his/her decision

THE RESOLUTION

The final workings of a story’s conflict

All of the loose ends are tied up (usually)

Narrative Twist: a surprise ending

#2. SETTING

The time (time of day, season, present, past, future) and the location (country, planet, town, buildings, PLUS a description of the surroundings) where the action occurs

Helps to create the mood and atmosphere of the text

ATMOSPHERE

The feeling that the setting evokes (i.e. mysterious, happy, eerie)

MOOD

The author’s emotional attitude toward the subject matter (i.e. excitement, nostalgia)

NOT the mood of the characters

#3. CHARACTERS

Any personalities who are involved in the plot of the story (people, animals, fantasy characters)

Usually less than 6 in a short story

PROTAGONIST

Usually the “good guy” or hero in the story

The main character that we follow

The character that strives to solve the conflict

ANTAGONIST

The “bad guy” or villain in the story

Usually creates conflict for the main character

SECONDARY CHARACTERS

Other characters who are necessary to moving the plot along, but may not be involved with the central conflict

CHARACTER TRAITS

Physical and personality characteristics that

are revealed through:

1. What the character does

2. What the character says

3. What other characters say or do about the character

4. What the author states directly

5. What the author infers

#4. THEME

The central idea about life that the story

highlights; THE MAIN IDEA (universal truths).

The message the author is conveying.

1. Determine the specific conflict

2. Decide what side of the conflict the story represents

3. How is the conflict resolved? Who wins? Who loses?

THEME

Theme is NOT the moral of the story

Theme is NOT plot

Theme IS the general subject matter of a work of art

Theme may contain a message

“The Most Dangerous Game”

By Richard Connell

Before Your Read

Some of the most exciting narratives pit villain (bad guy) against the hero (good guy) in a life-or-death struggle. The tension in such stories often depends as much on the character of the bad guy or gal as on that of the hero. Write a few sentences describing a villain from a novel, story, movie, television show, etc. Why does this character fascinate you?

Literary Focus: ForeshadowingHINTS ABOUT WHAT’S AHEAD

People call them cliffhangers or nail-biters. They are stories of suspense that keep you glued to your chair. One way that writers create suspense is through foreshadowing, the use of clues that hint at later events in the story. Foreshadowing makes you curious, even anxious, to know what will happen next– it keeps you turning the pages. Once you’ve finished reading, you can piece together the clues and enjoy reading the story all the more. In this suspenseful tale the threatening, gloomy foreshadowing will hook you early on.

Reading Skills: Making PredictionsWhen you read a suspense-filled story, you make predictions about what is going to happen, often without even realizing it. A prediction is a type of inference, a guess based on evidence. Some of the things readers base predictions on include

- clues the writer plants

- their own experience of life

- their understanding of how stories work

Before you start this famous adventure story, read its title again. What do you predict the title might

mean?

VOCABULARY1. Receding- becoming more distant

2. Disarming- removing or lessening suspicions or fears

3. Prolonged- extended

4. Imprudent- unwise

5. Surmounted- overcame

6. Unruffled- calm; not disturbed

7. Invariably- always; without changing

8. Diverting- entertaining

9. Impulse- sudden desire to do something

10. Protruding- sticking out