Elements of Short Stories

Elements of Short Stories

1. 1. SettingThe time and location in which a story takes place is called the setting. For some stories, the setting is very important, while for others it is not. There are several aspects of a story's setting to consider when examining how setting contributes to a story (some, or all, may be present in a story)

   • Place o Where is the action of the story taking place? (Geographical Location)
   • Weather Conditions o Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc.?
   • Time o When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day, year)
   • Parts of the Setting
   • 3.. Conflict Conflict is essential to plot. Without conflict there is no plot. It is the opposition of forces which ties one incident to another and makes the plot move.
     • Two Types of Conflict:
       • 1. External - A struggle with a force outside one's self.
       • 2. Internal - A struggle within one's self; a person must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc.
     • 5.Point of View Point of view is the position from which the narrator tells the story.
       • There are two main types: participant point of view and nonparticipant point of view
         • I. Point of view is participant if the narrator is a character participating in the action of the story.
           • These include:• First Person, • Innocent Eye , • Innocent Eye and , Stream of Consciousness -
         • II.A nonparticipant narrator is an observer and not a character.
           • Nonparticipant points of view include :• Third Person (Omniscient Limited)., and • Second Person (Objective) .

2. 2. Plot: The plot is how the author arranges events to develop his basic idea; it is the sequence of events in a story or play.

   • 1.ExpositionI
     • 2.Inciting Force
   • There are six (6) essential parts of plot:
     • 3.Rising Action
       • 4.Climax
   • 5.Falling Action
     • 6.Denouement
   • 4. In order for a story to seem real to the reader its characters must seem real. Characterization is the information the author gives the reader about the characters themselves
     • Characters Types:
       • • Protagonist – • Antagonist
         • • Round – • Developing • Flat
       • • Anti-hero - • Archetype
         • • Dynamic - • Static
           • 6. Theme: The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its central insight. It is the author's underlying meaning or main idea that he is trying to convey.The theme may be the author's thoughts about a topic or view of human nature.

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