Download element of short stories

Novel
Commonalities of short stories
- Read in single sitting
- Center around single event
- Few characters 4 or less
- Teach a sort of lesson to the readers
Terms
- Plot : series of events, what happens in the story
= Introduction (setting; time or place, characters)
= Initiating incidents (knowing initial conflict in the story)
= Rising action (longest part, all the events that lead up to the climax, knowing about
more conflict, characters)
= Climax (highest point of the conflict, dealing with conflicts – building through the plot)
= Falling action (brief as the plot begins to wrap up)
= Denouement / Conclusion (provides final bit of information, brief)
Point of view
- 1st
- 3rd
Other elements of short stories
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Characters
= the Protagonist (main character)
= the Antagonist (force against the protagonist, usually another character, but does not
have to be. Ex. Object or nature)
= Flat character (may serve a purpose, but readers do not get to learn much about
them.)
= Round character (readers can learn a lot about, realistic since readers can see many
sides to their personality.)
= Dynamic character (changes from beginning to the end due to events in story)
= Static character (does not change throughout the story, same from the beginning to
the end)
= Stereotypical or Stock character (character that is easily recognized as a type)
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Setting (specifically told or generalized)
= Time
= Place
-
Theme (message of story)
= what author hopes the readers will learn about life or people from the story
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Conflict
= problem that keeps the plot going
= might between two characters, within oneself or between a character and the
environment
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Flashback
= when story takes us back in time to an earlier event
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Foreshadowing
= when reader is given a hint of events to come
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Suspense
= excitement and anticipation make readers want to read more
= comes from a mysterious situation
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Irony
= when you expect something to happen, but something else does instead
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Symbol
= when an object represents something else
= usually an idea or concept
= ex) red rose – love