What You Need to Know

 About 6,000 words long (shorter than a novel or a novella)  Features one or more characters who become involved in a conflict situation.  The conflict intensifies until a turning point is reached.  The story winds down after this and the conflict is resolved.

 Setting tells us where and when a story takes place. Setting can include the locale of the story, the weather, the time of day, the time period.  Setting provides a background – a place for the characters to live and act in. A good setting helps to make the story real and believable.  Setting provide atmosphere or mood and it can tell us something about the characters in the story.

 The story itself, a series of related events, each event connected to the next, like a link in a chain.  The story starts with an internal (main character vs. himself) or an external (character vs. character or character vs. outside force) conflict.  The plot continues with events that add to the tension.

 The key scene of the story – that tense or exciting or terrifying moment when our emotional involvement is greatest – is known as the climax of the story. We find out what the outcome of the conflict will be.  The resolution follows, and “closes” the story by letting the reader know what is going to happen to the people in the story.

 Authors reveal a character through:  That character’s speech  The character’s description  The character’s thoughts  The way other characters in the story feel about them  The character’s actions  Two types of characterization:  Direct -- the author tells you exactly what the person is like  Indirect – the author uses 5 methods above and lets reader interpret what kind of person the character is

 This is the atmosphere of the story; is frequently described based on the overall emotion a story evokes in a reader.  The description of the setting of the story often has much to do with setting the mood of the story. For example, a ghost story has a completely different mood than a romantic story and the setting is a big part of this.

 A symbol is an object, event, person or animal that stands for itself and also for something else. For example, a lion or a skull and crossbones  The use of symbols or symbolism in stories allows writers to suggest layers of meaning – possibilities that a simple, literal statement could never convey.  Symbols can be inherited (like the lion) or invented (like Peter Pan).

 Allegory is a kind of symbolism. In an allegory, the characters, setting and action stand for something beyond themselves.  In some allegories, the characters and setting represent abstract ideas or moral qualities.  In other types of allegory, characters and situations stand for historical figures and events.

 Describes the difference between what we expect to find suitable and what actually happens. Our pleasure in irony comes from our recognition that life rarely turns out the way we would expect.  3 Types of Irony:  Verbal – Say one thing but mean the opposite.  Situational – An event turns out to be the opposite of what you thought would happen.  Dramatic – You know what is going to happen to a character, but he or she is not yet aware of it.