1. English 9 Short Story Notes
A review of all the terminology from the last two years...you remember, don’t you?

2. How to Properly Write/Type Titles
“Short Stories”
“Magazine Articles”
“Newspaper Articles”
“Poems”
“Songs”
“Essays”
“Chapters in Books”
<- The following titles are placed in quotation marks.

3. Novels Plays Magazines Movies Television Shows
When writing the following underline: When typing the following italicize:
Novels
Plays
Magazines
Movies
Television Shows

4. Structural Elements
Plot: series of related events that make up a story.
Inciting Incident

5. Plotline
Exposition: Introduces the reader to the characters, places, and situations of the story.
Inciting Incident (Narrative Hook): The place where the author catches the reader’s attention; establishes conflict.
Rising Action: Increase in action/suspense, consists of the conflicts in the story.

6. Plotline continued...
Climax: Highest point of interest, the point of no return, the plot must move forward.
Denouement (Falling Action): Relates the events that are a result of the climax.
Resolution: The outcome of the story: how the conflicts are resolved or not resolved.

7. Conflict:
Struggle or clash between opposing characters, forces, or emotions.

8. Types of Conflicts External Conflict Internal Conflict
A character struggles against an outside force
A character struggles with forces from within
(emotions, desires, needs)

9. Types of Conflict: External Internal
A character struggles against an outside force.
A character struggles with forces from within (emotions, desires, needs).

10. Examples of Conflict Man vs. Man: Two (2) opposing human forces.
E.g. – Two people boxing

11. Examples of Conflict:
Man vs. Nature: Man opposing any force other than human.
E.g. – A person climbing a mountain.

12. Examples of Conflict
Man vs. Himself: Inner conflict; struggle with conscience.
E.g. – Someone who feels guilty because he stole money.

13. Examples of Conflict Man vs. Society: Man vs. Laws, Customs, Beliefs.
E.g. – People protesting city hall.

14. Examples of Conflict Man vs. Fate: Man vs. His Destiny.
E.g. – Someone who, in normal circumstances would be dead, survives or overcomes an obstacle regardless of what happens to him.

15. Examples of Conflict
Man vs. Machine/Technology: Man vs. something mechanical.
E.g. – Someone who battles a robot.

16. Setting: time and place of the story
Time: time of day, day of the week, month, year, season, future, past, present.
Place: town, city, state, country, planet; particular area, house or room.

17. Narrator: who is telling the story.
Point of View: Vantage point from which a writer tells a story.

18. First Person:
The main character is telling the story; only his thoughts are known; uses “I”

19. Second Person:
The story tells someone else what they are doing; uses “you”
E.g. – Choose Your Own
Adventure Novels

20. Omniscient (“All-Knowing”):
The narrator plays no part in the story (third person) but can tell the reader what ALL the characters are thinking and feeling as well as what is happening in other places.

21. Limited Omniscient: Objective:
Told in third person by someone in the story; only his thoughts are revealed.
Told in third person; none of the characters have their thoughts revealed; reader analyzes characters from actions and words only.
Objective:

22. Characterization Indirect Direct
Method through which the author reveals facts about the characters.
Indirect
Shows what a character is like:
Speech
Thoughts
Effect on others
Actions
Looks
Direct
Tells the reader what the personality of the character is

23. Characterization Continued...
Dynamic
Static
A character that changes in some way
A character that stays the same

24. Characterization Continued...
Protagonist
Antagonist
The leading character or “hero” of a literary work. Moves the plot forward.
The one opposed to the protagonist; opponent; adversary

25. Examples Protagonists Antagonists Melinda Sordino Harry Potter
Bella Swan
Percy Jackson
Andy Evans
Lord Voldermort
Vampire James
The Gods

26. Literary Devices What’s the difference?
Elements
Techniques
Always found in a story
Characters
Setting
Point of view
Conflict
Plot
Theme
Sometimes found in story
Foreshadowing
Irony
Flashback
Allusions
Symbolism

27. Theme
What the author wants you to remember; the moral of the story; what we were to learn.
Theme is usually expressed in a complete sentence.

28. Tone Mood The author’s attitude or feeling toward the writing.
The feeling the reader gets from a piece of literature.
Mood

29. Situational Irony
The character believes something will happen and the opposite occurs.
E.g. – The bank robbers were about to cross the state line when their car was hit by a train and killed them.

30. Verbal Irony
The character makes a statement but the opposite is meant; sarcasm.
E.g. – “I love doing homework!”

31. Dramatic Irony
When the audience has important information that the characters do NOT have.
E.g. – We know the killer is behind the door; the lady about to open the door does not.

32. The End!