A short story contains all of the same literary features as a novel, in a shorter format. Compression: unnecessary details and information are left out. As a genre, its power comes from the fact that some of the greatest stories ever written were under fifty pages! The fact that an author can create and elicit emotion from a reader in a few pages is a testament to the ability of these talented writers.

Short stories are built around a theme: the central abstract idea of a literary work or film. It is expressed as a complete thought. It embodies the essence of plot, character, and conflict. It is the writer’s statement about life or an aspect of human nature or behaviour.

Types of Themes An explicit theme is one that is stated openly in the book. It is stated in universal terms in the book itself. An implicit theme is one which is not directly stated, but which the reader can infer. Many times, readers will not notice that an explicit theme is directly stated, but they can often infer the theme anyway.

To develop theme the writer must develop: –Setting –Characters –Plot –Narrative point of view

Setting is an extremely powerful tool in story telling as it can be used to dictate the emotions of characters and elicit emotions in the reader as well. Setting: the when, where, and atmosphere (mood) of the story. TAP: time, atmosphere, place Integral setting: essential to the plot Background setting: relatively unimportant

Character types The protagonist: the central character (person, animal, or personified object) in the plot's conflict. It is not always a “good” or likeable character. The antagonist: the force in conflict with the protagonist.

Character Types cont’d Foil is a character whose traits are in direct contrast to those of the protagonist. A stereotype is a character who possesses expected traits of a group rather than being an individual.

Character Development A flat character is not fully developed; we know only one side of the character. A round character is fully-developed, with many traits--bad and good--shown in the story. We feel that we know the character so well that he or she has become a real person.

Character Quality A static character is one who does not experience a basic character change during the course of the story. A dynamic character is one who experiences a basic change in character through the events of the story. This change is internal and may be sudden, but the events of the plot should make it seem inevitable.

We discover what a character is like by: –What he/she says –What she/he does –What others say about him/her –What he/she looks like –How she/he interacts with others

Elements of the Plot: Exposition:The situation that the protagonist finds himself/herself in at the beginning of the story (background information) Rising Action:The actions, events or thoughts which take place throughout the story. These incidents or conflicts build up with increasing tension to the climax Climax:The point in the story where the protagonist has to make a decision or take action that will solve the conflict (for better or worse). After the climax there are no more conflicts. Falling Action After the climax is the falling action, made up of the final incidents of the story; it may say more about the climax. Resolution: The resolution is not always explicitly stated but it should be implied so that the reader can move on.

Conflict All short stories present characters in a struggle or conflict; the conflict is what keeps us interested in the story. Five types of conflict: 1.Person-against-person 2.Person-against-society 3.Person-against-nature 4.Person-against-self 5.Person-against-fate/the unknown

Other Elements of Plot Suspense is a state of tension, a sense of uncertainty, an emotional pull which keeps the reader reading. All plots need some suspense to sustain interest. Foreshadowing is the planting of hints about what will happen later in the story. A flashback occurs when the author narrates an event that took place before the current time of the story.

Storytelling technique: who is telling the story? First person: uses the subjective “I”. The narrator is a character in the story. Third person: uses the objective “he, she, they”. The narrator is almost floating above the story as a spectral observer. Within third person there are three different forms: –Omniscient : We are told everything about the story, including the thoughts and feelings of all the characters, and even information in the author's mind which no character knows. –Limited omniscient: We are told the thoughts and feelings of only one character (sometimes, but very seldom, of two or three characters) –Objective: We are told only what happens and what is said; we do not know any thoughts or feelings of the characters.

Tone The writer’s implied attitude toward the subject and/or the audience of a literary work. Tone may be formal, informal, intimate, solemn, sombre, playful, serious, ironic, condescending, or many other possible attitudes. Tone and mood are not interchangeable.

Sources: Mr. Kyle Stewart Dr. Marilyn H. Stauffer.