Download Language Arts 8 – Parts of a Short Story

LA 7 Short Story Notes
The 5 Elements
1. Characters: Characters are the people or subjects in a story.

Round characters: A round character is complex and has many traits and characteristics.
The character is fully developed with good and bad qualities and often changes or learns
lessons as a result of solving conflicts in the story.

Flat characters: A flat character is characterized by one or two traits. A flat character is not
well developed and their character can be summed up simply in a sentence.

Protagonist: The protagonist is the central character in a story. They are the ones facing the
main conflict. They are not necessarily the “good guy” of the story.

Antagonist: The antagonist is the character or force, which opposes the protagonist.

Point of View: Point of view is the person’s perspective that the author uses to
write the story. Two examples of point of view are:

First Person: In first person point of view the story is told by the
protagonist or one of the characters closely related to the story. It uses
pronouns such as I, me and we when telling the story. The reader sees the
story through the eyes of this person as he or she tells the story and knows
what they are thinking or feeling.

Third Person: In third person or omniscient point of view, the story is
told as if a camera is watching from afar. The storyteller only comments
on what is seen and heard, and not what the characters are feeling or
thinking.

Omniscient: The story teller, like God, sees and knows all!
2. Plot: The plot is the progression of key events in a story from beginning to end.
 The elements of plot include the exposition (back story), initial incident
(conflict/what gets the ball rolling), rising action (events/everything between the I.I.
and the climax), the climax (solution to conflict/highest point of intensity/holy crow
moment), falling action (immediate events following climax) and the resolution (or
denouement/overall final result or impression)
4
Rising Action 3
Exposition
1
2 Initial Incident
Climax
5
Falling Action
6 Resolution
 Subplot: obstacles and side stories, typically found in the rising action, usually
involving secondary characters.
Within the plot of a story, authors will use the following to enhance their stories:
 Verisimilitude: is the story believable or not?
 Suspense: Authors use the technique of suspense to keep the reader/viewer
wondering what will happen next. It creates a feeling of waiting, expectation or
tension for the reader.
 Style: The style of a story is the way the author presents the story. Think of it
like your personal style: do you present yourself as fancy, casual, sporty etc.?
An author will tailor their writing to fit a particular style and enhance their
story.
 Figurative Language: The use of figures of speech to enhance writing.
3. Setting: The background or location in which a story takes place. While it is nice to
know what a location looks like, the setting might also include details about time, place,
lifestyle, and climate to enrich the story.
 Atmosphere (setting): The atmosphere of a story, often brought about in the
story’s setting is the overall mood or impression the author wants to convey to
the reader. The atmosphere can change over the course of a story.
 Mood (characters): Mood, while similar to atmosphere, specifically describes
the feelings or state of mind of the characters instead of the setting. Moods can
be different for each character, and can also change.
4. Theme: A theme is a controlling idea in a literary work or story. Themes are often
abstract ideas, and at their simplest form are universal (could apply to anyone around the
world, ex: right vs. wrong, what goes around comes around, love conquers all).
5. Conflict: Conflict is the struggle between two opposing forces. There are two types of
conflict that can occur in a story:
 External Conflict (physical or outer conflict) External conflict is:
- man vs. man
- man vs. nature or environment
 Internal Conflict (emotional or inner conflict) Internal conflict is:
- man vs. himself (emotions, desires, conscience, ideas)