What makes a short story?

1. What makes a short story? You mean a story like Cinderella?

2. All fiction is based on conflict. Conflict is a problem. Now that’s a problem!

3. This conflict is presented in a structured format called. . . PLOT. Isn’t plot what happens in the story?

4. Plot is made up of 6 parts: crisis/climax falling action rising action resolution exposition conflict

5. Think about a story you know well (children’s story, novel, movie). What is the problem (conflict) in that story?

6. Exposition is the introduction to the story. It’s where we meet the characters and learn the setting.

7. Conflict is what drives the plot. It’s the problem that the story attempts to solve. Like the fact that those mean sisters get to go to the ball and Cinderella doesn’t?

8. There are two different types of conflict: internal conflict, which is within the character him/herself. . .

9. . . .and external conflict, which is between the main character and someone/thing else. I think this is the one in Cinderella. . . .

10. The inciting force is the person or thing which triggers the conflict. That would be the ball in Cinderella. I think I’m getting this now!

11. Rising action is the series of events that builds from the conflict. It begins with the inciting force. . .

12. . . .and ends with the climax.

13. When the story starts getting tense, that’s the crisis. Uh oh. We know what happens next.

14. Climax is when all the events of the story come together to the point of no return. Hey, you forgot something! It’s the moment of highest emotion and interest.

15. The falling action is the events after the climax which close the story.

16. The resolution is the conclusion to the story. . . . And they lived happily ever after.

17. The way an author introduces the characters to us is called characterization.

18. Direct characterization is when the author tells us what the character is like. Like in the original Cinderella. The author writes, “And because she always looked dusty and dirty, they called her Cinderella.”

19. Indirect characterization. . . An example of this is when “the sisters did everything imaginable to hurt her. They made fun of her. . . .” This tells us that the stepsisters were mean. . . . is when the reader has to infer what the character is like based on actions or what others say about him/her.

20. Round characters are major characters in the story. They are called round because we know a lot about them.

21. Flat characters are usually minor characters. They’re called flat because we don’t really know much about them.

22. Static characters don’t change much if at all throughout the story.

23. Dynamic characters go through a big change by the end of the story.

24. The protagonist is the main character in the story. We can also think of the protagonist as the “good guy.” Who’s the protagonist in Cinderella?

25. The antagonist is the person or group who oppose(s) the protagonist. We can think of the antagonist as the “bad guy.” That would be those mean stepsisters!

26. Foreshadowing is a technique an author can use. . . . . . to give readers a hint about the plot and what might happen.

27. Knowing all of this stuff about plot and characters. . . . . . is like knowing a secret the author tells you.

28. Knowing this secret allows you to read stories with expertise and confidence. Have fun!