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Elements of Short Stories

Elements of Short Stories. What is a short story?. A story with a fully developed theme and plot, but is much shorter than a novel. What is a short story?. The term “short story” most often refers to a work of fiction no shorter than 1,000 and no longer than 20,000 words (5 to 20 pages)

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Elements of Short Stories

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  1. Elements of Short Stories

  2. What is a short story? A story with a fully developed theme and plot, but is much shorter than a novel

  3. What is a short story? • The term “short story” most often refers to a work of fiction no shorter than 1,000 and no longer than 20,000 words (5 to 20 pages) • Stories with fewer than 1,000 words are sometimes referred to as "short short stories”,or "flash fiction.”

  4. What makes a short story different than a novel? • Short stories tend to be less complex than novels. • Usually a short story has a single plot, a single setting, a small number of characters, and covers a short period of time. • Gets quickly to the point and “action” of the story • Characters typically don’t have a lot of back story • Usually only a few details about setting

  5. 5 Elements of a Short Story • Plot • Character • Conflict • Theme • Setting Flocabulary

  6. Plot Plot describes the structure of a story.

  7. Plot Components Climax: the turning point, the most intense moment—either mentally or in action Rising Action: the series of conflicts and crisis in the story that lead to the climax Falling Action: all of the action which follows the climax Exposition: the start of the story, the situation before the action starts Resolution: the conclusion, the tying together of all of the threads

  8. Characters • Characters are the people in the story who carry out the action • Can be human or non-human (animals, objects, etc) • Think Beauty and the Beast—there are humans, animals, and objects! • Different types: protagonist, antagonist, and supporting/minor characters

  9. Conflict Conflict is the dramatic struggle between two forces in a story. Without conflict, there is no plot.

  10. Man vs Man Man vs Nature Man vs Society Man vs Self 4 Types of Conflict

  11. Types of Conflict • There are 3 other types of conflict that are not as common: • Man vs Fate • Man vs Supernatural • Man vs Technology

  12. Theme • Theme is the big message or lesson • Also called “The Big Idea” or “the moral of the story” • It is the major idea of the story • What the author is trying to tell us

  13. Theme • There are two main types of themes: • A stated theme is directly expressed by the narrator or character; they come right out and say it • An implied theme is only suggested by events and the characters actions and reactions

  14. Theme • Most themes are implied-you need to dig down to find them • Notice: Themes need to connect to the real world and go beyond the story

  15. Common Themes • Faith • Honesty • Hope • Courage • Trust • Hard work • Guilt • Fate • Cruelty • Isolation • Justice • Freedom • Ambition • Prejudice • Sacrifice • Good v Evil • Family/ Friendship • Life lessons • Kindness • Love • Death and Dying • Forgiveness

  16. Theme • Flocabulary Video

  17. Setting • The where and when that the story takes place • Can be real or fictional—or a combination of both! • Also establishes the mood of story

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