1. Short Story Elements

2. Plot
The sequence of related events that make up the story

3. Plot: Exposition
Usually found at the beginning of a story or play, exposition serves to do the following:
Introduce the main characters
Describe the setting
Establish the conflict

4. Plot: rising action/Complications
These are the events that occur as the characters try to resolve the conflict.
As a result of these complications, suspense builds.

5. Suspense
The excitement that involves readers in a story and motivates them to discover its outcome
Suspense is a feeling of growing tension and excitement felt by a reader. Writers create suspense by raising questions in readers’ minds about what might happen.

6. Plot: climax The turning point of the action
The point of greatest interest or suspense

7. Plot: falling action & resolution
Falling Action: The conflict draws to a close.
Resolution: Conflict is resolved.
Resolution is AKA DENOUEMENT.
Denouement is from a French word that means untying. In this stage, the tangles of the plot are often untied.

8. Foreshadowing
The use of hints or clues that point to events that will occur later in the plot
Such hints may be events that are similar to the later events, or they may be descriptive words and phrases.
Foreshadowing is one of the ways writers create suspense.

9. Flashback
In a literary work, a flashback is an interruption of the action to present a scene that took place at an earlier time.

10. Setting The time and place in which the events occur
Elements of setting may include:
Geographic location
Historical period/moment (past, present, or future)
The season of the year
The time of day
The beliefs, customs, and standards of society
Helps shape events and influence how characters speak, act, and respond to problems

11. Theme
The message about life or human nature that the writer wishes to convey to the reader
The story’s central idea
May be directly stated, but more often, readers must infer themes from clues in the story such as:
Title
How characters change and the lessons they learn
Conflicts in story action
Words or phrases that express important ideas

12. Point of View The narrative method used to tell a story.
Usually, readers encounter either one of the following:
First Person Point of View
Third Person Point of View

13. First Person P.O.V.
Shows the action through the eyes of one of the characters. This character, the narrator, uses the pronoun I, me, my, we, our, and us.
Ex. Uncle Silas he asked a pretty long blessing over it, but it was worth it; and it didn’t cool it a bit, neither, the way I’ve seen them kind of interruptions do lots of times.
Mark Twain, from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

14. Third Person P.O.V.
Has a narrator who does not take part in the action of the story and who uses the pronouns he, she, him, her, they, and them when describing the characters
Anne leaned back in her chair one mild October evening and sighed. She was sitting at a table covered with textbooks and exercises, but the closely written sheets of paper before her had no apparent connection with studies or school work.
Lucy Maud Montgomery, from Anne of Avonlea

15. Dialogue The written conversation between two or more characters
Dialogue can be used to:
Provide information about characters, action, and setting
Show the personalities and voices of characters
Add life and interest to a story

16. Characters
The people, animals, or imaginary creatures that take part in the action of a story

17. Static and Dynamic Characters
Dynamic Character- one who learns a lesson or changes behavior as a result of story events….typically main characters
Static Character-remains unchanged throughout the story…are often minor characters

18. Protagonist & Antagonist
The central character in a story, play, or the novel is called the protagonist. The protagonist is involved in the main conflict of the plot.
The character who opposes the protagonist is the antagonist.

19. Characterization
Includes all the techniques writers use to create and develop characters
Methods of Characterization
Presenting the character’s words and actions
Presenting the character’s thoughts
Describing the character’s thoughts
Showing what others think about the character

20. Conflict Struggle between opposing forces
Usually, there is one central conflict in a story. However, there may be more than one.

21. Internal and External Conflict
External Conflict-A character struggles against an outside force, a physical obstacle, or another character (ex. man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. society)
Internal Conflict- The struggle take place within a character’s mind, often as the character chooses between two courses of action. (ex. man vs. self)