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What Is A Short Story

Short stories contain essential elements like plot, characters, narrator point of view, language and setting in a very concise form. A short story introduces a conflict, focuses on one main event, and resolves the tension through a climax and conclusion. It uses economical writing to develop a few key characters and immerse readers in a bounded setting or time. The narrator's voice and perspective shapes how readers experience the story.

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72 views

What Is A Short Story

Short stories contain essential elements like plot, characters, narrator point of view, language and setting in a very concise form. A short story introduces a conflict, focuses on one main event, and resolves the tension through a climax and conclusion. It uses economical writing to develop a few key characters and immerse readers in a bounded setting or time. The narrator's voice and perspective shapes how readers experience the story.

Uploaded by

Ira
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPS, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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WHAT IS A SHORT STORY?

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Short stories are short: Economy of form


Short stories are like photographs, rather than movies: they
usually focus on a particular scene, character, event or
situation.
With limited space, you need a clear focus, few characters,
narrators and settings, and one central event or conflict.
A short story is like a little earthquake:
It must introduce and resolve a single
event or point of conflict, in limited
space.
~ Joseph OConner ~

Short stories contain plot


A plot is a narrative that is carefully organised and sequenced.
Plots focus on why events happen and the connections between
them (causality).
Plot events do not have to happen in chronological order: they may
move backwards and forwards in time.
Some stories begin in media res in the middle of the action.
Some stories have a twist in the tail an unexpected
or surprising ending.

Diagram of short story plot structure


Typically, a short story plot follows this pattern:
Rising action: Tension
increases as the initial incident
or conflict gets worse.
Complication: An initial
incident or conflict is
introduced and we
wonder what will happen
or how the situation will
be resolved.

Exposition: The scene is


set and the characters
are introduced.

Climax: This is the moment of


greatest tension when the most
important event of the story occurs.

Denouement (or
falling action):
The tension
decreases as
issues are
resolved or
explained.

Resolution: The reader gains understanding of the


central conflict and its outcome. Often the character(s)
learns something new or finds new ways to carry on.

Short stories have a narrator and point of view


Ask who is telling the story? This identifies the narrator or
narrative voice. (The narrator may be a character in the story
or someone outside the story whom we cannot identify or
name.)
Ask what is the narrators attitude towards events and
characters? This is the point of view held by the narrator.
The narrator and his/her point of view shapes the readers
response.

First-person narrator: uses I; is a character in the story,


usually directly involved in the action. This narrators point of
view about events or other characters would be subjective or
slanted.
Third-person narrator: cannot be identified. Usually offers a
more objective point of view. May be omniscient, i.e. can see
into the hearts or minds of all characters, and knows
everything about all conflicts and events.

Short stories contain characters


Characters are central without characters there is usually no story.
Because of economy of form (brevity), there are usually few
characters sometimes only one.
Short story characters must leap off the page there is no time for
gradual revelations.
Main characters can be static (they dont change) or developing
(they change as they come into conflict with others or are caught up
in events).

We get to know characters through:


their interactions with one another and
their situations
their responses to events
dialogue, actions, or exploration of inner thoughts and
feelings.

Short stories use language and style


Short stories may entertain, inform, shock, challenge, protest,
surprise, express the self
Short stories use different diction or language. They may:

tell it like it is in simple or realistic language

experiment with language in fanciful or fantastical ways

use poetic language full of imagery and/or symbolism.


The use of language and narrative point of view determine the style
of the short story, which should reinforce or suit the content, i.e. the
situations, settings and characters it contains.

Short stories are located in a setting


Events unfold in a setting in a particular space and time.
Stories may be set anywhere a real world that the reader can
recognise or an imaginary world, such as a planet in outer
space.
Settings may include reference to a busy social environment
that is, the social world, culture, and attitudes of a broader
community.
Setting shapes events or the destinies of characters.

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