SHORT STORY ELEMENTS

PLOT The sequence of related events that

make up the story

PLOT: EXPOSITION Usually found at the beginning of a story

or play, exposition serves to do the following: Introduce the main charactersDescribe the settingEstablish the conflict

PLOT: RISING ACTION/COMPLICATIONS These are the events that occur as the

characters try to resolve the conflict. As a result of these complications,

suspense builds.

SUSPENSE The excitement that involves readers in

a story and motivates them to discover its outcome

Suspense is a feeling of growing tension and excitement felt by a reader. Writers create suspense by raising questions in readers’ minds about what might happen.

PLOT: CLIMAX The turning point of the action The point of greatest interest or

suspense

PLOT: FALLING ACTION & RESOLUTION Falling Action: The conflict draws to a

close. Resolution: Conflict is resolved. Resolution is AKA DENOUEMENT. Denouement is from a French word that

means untying. In this stage, the tangles of the plot are often untied.

FORESHADOWING The use of hints or clues that point to

events that will occur later in the plot Such hints may be events that are

similar to the later events, or they may be descriptive words and phrases.

Foreshadowing is one of the ways writers create suspense.

FLASHBACK In a literary work, a flashback is an

interruption of the action to present a scene that took place at an earlier time.

SETTING The time and place in which the events

occur Elements of setting may include:

Geographic locationHistorical period/moment (past, present, or

future)The season of the yearThe time of dayThe beliefs, customs, and standards of

society Helps shape events and influence how

characters speak, act, and respond to problems

THEME The message about life or human nature

that the writer wishes to convey to the reader

The story’s central idea May be directly stated, but more often,

readers must infer themes from clues in the story such as:TitleHow characters change and the lessons

they learnConflicts in story actionWords or phrases that express important

ideas

POINT OF VIEW The narrative method used to tell a

story. Usually, readers encounter either one of

the following:First Person Point of ViewThird Person Point of View

FIRST PERSON P.O.V. Shows the action through the eyes of

one of the characters. This character, the narrator, uses the pronoun I, me, my, we, our, and us.

Ex. Uncle Silas he asked a pretty long blessing over it, but it was worth it; and it didn’t cool it a bit, neither, the way I’ve seen them kind of interruptions do lots of times. Mark Twain, from The Adventures of Huckleberry

Finn

THIRD PERSON P.O.V. Has a narrator who does not take part in

the action of the story and who uses the pronouns he, she, him, her, they, and them when describing the charactersAnne leaned back in her chair one mild

October evening and sighed. She was sitting at a table covered with textbooks and exercises, but the closely written sheets of paper before her had no apparent connection with studies or school work.

Lucy Maud Montgomery, from Anne of Avonlea

DIALOGUE The written conversation between two

or more characters Dialogue can be used to:

Provide information about characters, action, and setting

Show the personalities and voices of characters

Add life and interest to a story

CHARACTERS The people, animals, or imaginary

creatures that take part in the action of a story

STATIC AND DYNAMIC CHARACTERS Dynamic Character- one who learns a

lesson or changes behavior as a result of story events….typically main characters

Static Character-remains unchanged throughout the story…are often minor characters

PROTAGONIST & ANTAGONIST The central character in a story, play, or

the novel is called the protagonist. The protagonist is involved in the main conflict of the plot.

The character who opposes the protagonist is the antagonist.

CHARACTERIZATION Includes all the techniques writers use

to create and develop characters Methods of Characterization

Presenting the character’s words and actions

Presenting the character’s thoughtsDescribing the character’s thoughtsShowing what others think about the

character

CONFLICT Struggle between opposing forces Usually, there is one central conflict in a

story. However, there may be more than one.

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CONFLICT

External Conflict-A character struggles against an outside force, a physical obstacle, or another character (ex. man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. society)

Internal Conflict- The struggle take place within a character’s mind, often as the character chooses between two courses of action. (ex. man vs. self)