1. Short Story Notes Elements of Fiction
Short Story- a fictional account of events written in prose paragraphs
Plot- a sequence of events in a literary work
Setting- time and place in which a story, novel, or play takes place 1

2. Exposition- is the setting, characters, background information and introduces basic story situation.
Rising Action- is the series of events that lead to
the climax of the story. The conflict of the story is revealed. It is near the beginning.
Climax- is the turning point of the story; highest point of interest or suspense. The problem begins
to be solved. It is a single event. 2

3. Falling Action- is the events that lead to the resolution
Falling Action- is the events that lead to the resolution. The reader can usually guess the outcome of the story.
Resolution- is the very end of the story. This event solves the problem. introduced in the rising action. (Denouncement- an end to the end ex: epilogue)
Theme- the central idea of the story, usually expressed as a generalization about life. 3

4. 4 Conflict- a struggle between two opposing forces.
External Conflict- occurs when a character struggles with an outside force. (3 kinds)
1. Man vs Nature Ex: man and tornado
2. Man vs Man Ex: argument or contest
3. Man vs Society Ex: trying to change a law
Internal Conflict- a struggle that takes place in a person’s mind.
1. Man vs Self Ex: choosing a college. 4

5. Plot Line 5 Climax Rising Action Falling Action conflict Resolution
Exposition:
Setting
Characters
Background Information
Basic Story situation 5

6. Characterization- is the act of creating and developing a character.
Direct Characterization- the writer states the characteristics. (exact details)
-Physical & personality traits
Indirect Characterization- the writer allows you to draw your own conclusion based on the information presented by the author. ( Inference)

7. Six Ways to Revealing Characterization:
1. State directly what the character is like.
Reader becomes familiar with the character by thoughts and feelings.
Let the reader hear the character speak (dialogue).
Show how the character acts.
Describe the appearance of the character.
What the other characters reveal about characters.

8. Point of View- the perspective or vantage point from which the story is told.
3 Kinds of POV:
*First Person: the narrator is a character in the story. We see the story through his/her eyes. Pronouns used: I, my, me, myself, we, us, mine, our.
*Omniscient Third Person- the narrator is not a character in the story, but views the events of the story through the eyes of more than one character.
*omniscient- all knowing

9. *Limited-Third Person- the narrator is not a character, but he/she presents the story from a characters pov. Pronouns used- he, she, they, them, their, his, hers, it, its, him.
Antagonist- the adversary/opponent in the story.
Imagery- descriptive language using the five senses (taste, touch, sight, smell and sound) to create an image in the reader’s mind

10. Flashback- a scene that breaks the normal time order of a plot to show a past event.
Foreshadowing- hints or clues about what will happen later in the story.
*Ex: bad weather; overhearing someone’s conversation
Theme- the central idea of a literary work; usually expressed as a generalization about life.

11. Mood- the feeling created in the reader by a literary work
Mood- the feeling created in the reader by a literary work. Writers use five different ways to create mood.
1. images
2. dialogue
3. descriptions
4. characterization
5. plot events
Tone- how a writer discusses feelings towards a specific subject (Ex: respectful). Tone is reflected in word choice.
Irony- is a contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens.