Elements of a Short Story
Definition of a Short Story
Tells about a single event
or experience
Fictional (not true)
500 to 15,000 words in
length
It has a beginning, middle,
and end
Creates an impression on
the reader
Elements of a Short Story
Plot
Setting
Character
Point of view
Conflict
Theme
Mood
Short Story Vocabulary
Plot: A series of
events through
which the writer
reveals what is
happening, to
whom, and why.
Short Story Vocabulary
Setting:Tells the
reader where and
when the story
takes place.
Short Story Vocabulary
Characterization:
Creation of imaginary
people who appear to be
real to the reader. The
writer gives information
about the characters in
the story.
Character
• Protagonist
– Main character in the
story; central figure in
a story’s conflict
• Antagonist
– Opposing force to the
main character; can be
a person or thing
character
• Flat
– A minor character
who does not change;
a one dimensional
person
• Round
– A fully developed
character with lots of
traits
Short Story Vocabulary
Point of view: The
position of the
narrator of the
story and what the
writer sees from
that vantage point.
Point of view
• 1st: the person is
telling his or her
own story and is in
the story. “I” or
“we” is used.
– The reader is limited
to only what the
narrator knows or tells
us
Point of view
• 3rd omniscient:
– We can see
everything going
on in everyone’s
mind at any time.
Point of view
• 3rd limited:
– We can see what’s
going on only in
one person’s mind
(but we are still
outside of it). “he”
or “she” is used.
Short Story Vocabulary
Conflict:
A problem in the
story that needs to
be resolved.
Internal Conflict
• Man vs. Self
– Mental or
emotional struggle
that occurs within a
character
External Conflict
• Character
struggles with an
outside force or
problem.
Types of External Conflicts
•
•
•
•
Man vs. Man
Man vs. Nature
Man vs. Society
Man vs. Fate
Theme
Theme: The
story’s main ideas.
The “message” the
writer intends to
communicate by
telling the story.
Mood
• Mood:
• In literature, the mood of
a story is the atmosphere
of the story. A love story
might have a dramatic
atmosphere, while a
horror story might have a
tense, fearful mood.
Great writers are able to use
the elements of the short story
with such precision that the
reader is caught up in the action
of the story. This is a mark of a
good story and our goal as a
writer.