Writing a Short Story

How to…

Place: Location-Where is the story taking

place? Time: When is the story taking place

(time, day, year) Weather: Is it sunny? Rainy? Foggy? Social Conditions: What is the life of the

main character like? How is society depicted in the story?

Mood: What is the mood created by the story?

Setting

Protagonists or Antagonists? Characteristics: Appearance,

Action, Thoughts Individual: Round, Intricate,

Complex Personality Developing: Dynamic, changes

take place over the course of the story

Static: Stereotype, never change

Character

There are two types of conflict: EXTERNAL: The struggle with a force outside of

one’s self INTERNAL: A struggle within one’s self

There are four kinds of conflict: Man vs. Man (Physical) Man vs. Circumstances (Classical) Man vs. Society (Social) Man vs. Himself (Psychological)

Conflict

Innocent Eye: Story told through the

perspective of a child Stream of Consciousness: Told as a

steady stream of thought from a character’s mind

First Person: Told through one character’s eyes and only his/her thoughts and inner conversations are known

Third Person: Three types of third person

Point of View

Omniscient Limited: Only known

what the author wishes to show Omniscient Objective: Goes

anywhere like a camera but no interpretation is offered

Omniscient Unlimited: Everything is known-No boundaries

Third Person

The theme is the controlling idea or

central idea or insight offered by the story. The theme is communicated by using several tools: Symbol Allusion Simile Metaphor Hyperbole Irony

Theme

Exposition: The characters and setting is

revealed Rising Action: The story becomes

complicated and the conflict is revealed Climax: The highest point of interest, the

turning point of the story Falling Action: The events and

complications beging resolved Resolution: The final outcome of the story

is revealed

Plot

You are now going to use

these elements to write your own short story!

Assignment

Works Cited: Elements of a Short Story by Joe Gonzalez,

Bradman University

Thank you to…