Short Story
A short story is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6I24S7
2Jps
•a work of fiction that is shorter and more
limited than the novel,
•usually focuses on one important event in
the lives of a small number of main
characters,
•author’s purpose is to entertain
•varies in length, but is usually short
enough to be read in one sitting.
Plot
Development
Plot Diagram
Climax
exposition
Plot:
The sequence of events in a story.
resolution
Exposition
Climax
exposition
resolution
Exposition:
the author introduces the characters, creates
the setting, and introduces the conflict.
ExpositionSetting:
Setting:
Includes where and when the story takes
place.
How setting is expressed:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Place
Time of day
Weather
Seasons
Type of People
Kinds of clothing
Smells, sounds
Exposition
Character:
Character:
Person, animal, or imaginary creature that
plays a role in the story.
Types of Characters:
Protagonist: main character in the story,
hero(ine).
Antagonist: character that causes
the initial conflict . . . The bad guy/girl
Round: character with
many personalities.
He/she has many
strengths and
weaknesses.
Flat: this character
usually has one kind of
personality, such as only
good or only evil. Often,
less important in the story.
Dynamic:
this character changes
because of what happens to
him or her in the story.
Often this character learns
as a result of an event in
the story.
Static:
This character stays the
same throughout the story.
Conflict:
Conflict:
A struggle or clash between two opposing
forces.
Conflict:
Internal Conflict:
External Conflict:
Struggle occurs
within the
character
Struggle occurs
between the character
and an outside force.
Person vs. Self
Person vs. Person
Person vs. Society
Person vs. Nature,
Person vs. Unknown,
Person vs. Technology,
Person vs. Supernatural
Rising Action & Climax
As they say in writing and reading circles . . .
the plot thickens!!!
Plot Diagram: Rising Action
Climax
exposition
resolution
Rising Action:
a series of crises, events or turning points
that build tension towards the climax.
Plot
Diagram:
Climax
exposition
Climax
resolution
Climax:
The most intense or crucial moment or event
when the tension reaches a peak.
Rising Action:
The stairs leading
up to the top.
There are many
stairs that lead
there.
Climax:
You have reached the top of
the stairs after a long climb.
This is the highest point with
the most excitement. It is the
turning point that resolves the
conflict or problem
Falling
Action
&
Resolution
Plot Diagram: Falling Action
Climax
exposition
resolution
Falling Action:
The story examines the consequences or
outcomes of the climax and the tension fades.
Falling Action:
After reaching the
climax, the stairs lead
back down. There may
be many stairs or just a
few that lead there.
Resolution:
The problem or
conflict is solved.
The last puzzle
piece is put into
place.
Plot Diagram: Resolution
Climax
exposition
resolution
Resolution:
The story’s main problem or conflict is
resolved, bringing the conflict to an end.
Theme
Theme is the
underlying meaning
of the story, a
universal truth, a
significant statement
the story is making
about society, human
nature, or the human
condition. Theme is
written as a
statement.
Video on Theme
Possible Theme Topics:
Principles of Distinction
 COOPERATION
 INTEGRITY
 FAIRNESS
 COURAGE
 COMMITMENT
 TRUST
 EMPATHY
 COMMUNICATION
 FRIENDSHIP
 TOLERANCE
 RESPECT
 HUMOR
 RESPONSIBILITY
 ENTHUSIASM
Point of View
Perspective from which the story is told.
1st person: In the first person point of view, the narrator is a
character in the story. He/She will use pronouns like “I” “we” “.
When reading stories in the first person, we need to realize that
what the narrator is recounting might not be the objective truth.
We should question the trustworthiness of the accounting.
3rd Person : Here the narrator does not participate in the action of
the story as one of the characters, but lets us know exactly how the
characters feel. We learn about the characters through this outside
voice.
Types of 3rd person Point of View
Omniscient Points of View (3rd person)
A narrator who knows everything about all the characters is all knowing or
omniscient.
Limited Points of View (3rd person) A narrator whose knowledge is limited to
one character, either major or minor, has a limited omniscient point of view.
As you read a piece of fiction think about
these things:
•How does the point of view affect your responses to the
characters?
•How is your response influenced by how much the narrator
knows and how objective he or she is?
•First person narrators are not always trustworthy.
•It is up to you, the reader, to determine what is the truth and
what is not.
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Suspense is the quality that is created
when the reader is uncertain about what
will happen next.
Foreshadowing is the use of hints or
clues in a narrative to suggest what
action is to come.
Flashback occurs when the author
interrupts the action of the story to give
us information that occurred before the
story began.
Tone is the emotion exposed as the
writer selects words and phrases to
amuse, anger, or shock the reader.
Mood is the feeling that the reader has
as he or she is interacting with the text.
Plot Development Techniques

Comparisons
◦ Analogy- a similarity between like features of two
things
◦ Simile- uses like or as to compare 2 things
◦ Metaphor- does not use like or as to compare
◦ Allusion- comparison to a famous person or
situation
 Exaggeration
◦ Hyperbole- highly exaggerated statement
◦ Idiom- an expression whose meaning is not the
literal meaning but a figurative one
 Sounds
◦ Onomatopoeia- the word is the sound
◦ Alliteration- repeating beginning sounds for effect
 Other
◦ Personification- giving human qualities to
inanimate objects
◦ Symbolism- giving special meaning to an object or
person
Will Farrell video
Figurative Language
Shirley Jackson, 1916-1965, one of the most
brilliant and influential authors of the twentieth
century, is widely acclaimed for her stories and
novels of the supernatural, including the wellknown short story “The Lottery” and the
best-selling novel “The Haunting of Hill
House.”
Shirley Jackson wrote in two styles. She could
describe the delights and turmoil's of ordinary
domestic life with detached hilarity; and she
could, with cryptic symbolism, write a tenebrous
horror story in the Gothic mold in which
abnormal behavior seemed perilously ordinary.
Excerpt from her obituary published in the New
York Times on August 10, 1965
(December, 14, 1916 - August, 9 1965)
“The Lottery”
by Shirley Jackson

Boisterous: noisy and lively;
unrestrained or unruly

Reprimand: harsh criticism from an
authority figure.

Interminably: endless or seemingly
endless because of monotony or tiresome
length

Petulantly: easily annoyed, complaining
rudely,
impatient irritation
Vocabulary
Dialogue is the conversation between two or
more characters in a novel, short story, drama,
etc.
 Dialogue is set aside by the use of quotation
marks and a short explanation of who spoke the
words. There can also be a descriptive word
used to describe how the words were spoken.
 Every time a speaker changes, a new paragraph
should begin.

Dialogue
*
* Rising Action- how does the author increase our
tension throughout the story?
* Point-of-View- why does the author choose to tell
the story in third person?
* Foreshadowing- how does the author foreshadow
the outcome of the story?
* Symbolism- how were the symbols of the rocks and
the color black used in the story?
“Tell-Tale Heart”
By Edgar Allan Poe
Poe was born in Boston. He was a poet,
writer, editor, and literary critic. His
short stories were his main type of
writing, and today they are considered
some of the best American short stories
in history. His tales usually are a mix of
mystery and macabre (grim and dealing
with death).
Poe married his 13-year old cousin,
Virginia Clemm. Her early death may
have inspired some of his writing. Poe’s
best known fiction are Gothic (horror
and romance ) in order to appeal to the
public’s tastes at the time.
born January 19, 1809, Boston, Mass
died October 7, 1849, Baltimore, Maryland
Biography
Vocabulary
Resembled – looked like
Distinctly – clearly
Cunning – slyly, carefully, cautiously
Hideous – very ugly or frightful
“I think it was his eye. Yes, it
was his eye! One of his eyes
was pale blue and dull. It
resembled the eye of a vulture.”
Story Elements to focus on…
Rising Action- how does the author
increase our tension throughout the
story?
 Point-of-View- why does the author
choose to tell the story in third person?
 Foreshadowing- how does the author
foreshadow the outcome of the story?
 Symbolism- how were the symbols of
the rocks and the color black used in the
story?

“The Tell-Tale Heart” is a fun little horror story where the
narrator is driven almost insane because of his obsession
with an old man’s creepy eye!
The narrator thinks he’s perfectly sane and tries to convince
the reader throughout the story. He is suffering from
extreme paranoia and mental health issues.
Ask yourself: What point of view is the
story in?
Ask yourself: Whose heart does
he really hear beating?
Direct vs. Indirect
Characterization
Direct
Characterization:
 the writer makes
direct statements
about a character's
personality:
 tells what the
character is like.
Direct Characterization:
Ed Johnson scratched his head in
confusion as the sales rep explained
Dralco’s newest engine performance
diagnostic computer. The old mechanic
hated modern electronics,
preferring the old days when all he needed
was a stack of manuals and a good set of
tools.
Ervin II, Terry . "Fiction Factor - Direct vs. Indirect
Characterization." Fiction Factor - Writing Tips for Fiction Writers.
N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Oct. 2010. <http://www.fictionfactor.com/guests
Indirect
Characterization:
the writer reveals information
about a character and his
personality through that
character's:
 thoughts, words, and actions,
 how other characters respond
to that character, including
what they think and say about
him.

Indirect Characterization:
“That Ed Johnson,” said Anderson, watching
the old mechanic scratch his head in
confusion as the sales rep explained Dralco’s
newest engine performance diagnostic
computer. “He hasn’t got a clue about
modern electronics. Give him a good set of
tools and a stack of yellowing manuals with a
carburetor needing repair, and he’d be happy
as a hungry frog in a fly-field.”

Motive is the reason a character takes a specific
course of action.
◦ Not all motives are bad.
◦ Some motives can help lead the character to a
resolution.
Motive
“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut
Writer, novelist. Born on
November 11, 1922, in
Indianapolis, Indiana. Kurt
Vonnegut is considered one of the
most influential American
novelists of the twentieth century.
He blended literature with science
fiction and humor, the absurd with
pointed social commentary.
Vonnegut created his own unique
world in each of his novels and
filled them with unusual
characters, such as the alien race
known as the Tralfamadorians in
Slaughterhouse-Five (1969).
Other novels/stories:
The Sirens of Titan (1959),
Mother Night (1961), Cat's Cradle
(1963), Breakfast of Champions
(1973), Jailbird (1979), Deadeye
Dick (1982), Palm Sunday: An
Autobiographical Collage (1981),
and Timequake (1997).
November 11, 1922-April 11, 2007
Biography
Vocabulary
Vigilance: watchful especially to avoid
danger
 Luminous: bathed in or exposed to
steady light
 Doozy: something that is unusually good,
bad, big, severe, etc.

Story elements to focus on…
Climax- why does the author spend so
much time on the climax?
 Motive/Conflict- what is it about the
main conflict that causes Harrison to
behave the way he does?
 Theme/Symbolism- how does the
symbol of the handicaps help the reader
understand theme?
 Tone- how does the author’s choice of
words cause the reader to feel shocked?

One of Russia's greatest writers,
Chekhov began his career writing
jokes and anecdotes for popular
magazines to support himself
while he studied to become a
doctor. Between 1888 and his
death he single-handedly
revolutionized both the drama
and the short story. Near the end
of his life he married an actress,
Olga Knipper. He died from
tuberculosis in 1904, age 44.
Biography taken from:
http://chekhov2.tripod.com/
“The Bet by Anton Chekhov
* Rubles: the basic unit of money of Russia
* Stake: something that you could win or lose in a
game, contest, etc.
* Haphazardly: having no plan, order, or direction
* Contempt: a feeling that someone or something is
not worthy of any respect or approval
* Emitted
* Lackadaisical
* Stealthy
* prominent
Vocabulary
Story elements to focus on…
 Falling
action- how does the author
wrap up our questions about the
lawyer’s action? Does the author’s
explanations satisfy you?
 Motive/conflict- What was the
conflict in the beginning and what
was the lawyer’s motive for leaving
early?
 Suspense- what is the question the
reader has throughout the story?
How is finally answered?
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Factual Questions
have only ONE correct
answer.
Factual questions
address only ONE
specific part of the
story.

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Interpretive Questions
have MORE THAN
ONE possible answer
Interpretive Questions
apply to MORE THAN
ONE part of the story.
Factual vs. Interpretive Questions
Practice
Does the lawyer stay for the entire 15 years?
Why did the lawyer leave 5 minutes early?

Ray Bradbury is one of those rare
individuals whose writing has
changed the way people think. His
more than five hundred published
works -- short stories, novels, plays,
screenplays, television scripts, and
verse -- exemplify the American
imagination at its most creative.
Once read, his words are never
forgotten. His best-known and most
beloved books, THE MARTIAN
CHRONICLES, THE ILLUSTRATED
MAN, FAHRENHEIT 451 and
SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY
COMES, are masterworks that
readers carry with them over a
lifetime.
August 22, 1920- June 5, 2012
“All Summer in a Day”video
by Ray Bradbury

Slackened- to become less active

Surged- a strong wavelike forward movement

Tumultuously- highly agitated
Vocabulary
Watch video: All Summer in a Day
Story elements to focus on…
 Resolution-
why do you think the
author ends the story so quickly?
 Motive/Conflict- why do you think
the other characters react to Margot
in a negative way? How does that
reaction contribute to Margot’s
main conflict?
 Tone- how does the author use
word choice to make the reader feel
stunned in the end?
Suspense is the quality that is created when the
reader is uncertain about what will happen next.
 In “The Bet” readers are left wondering if the
man will stay the whole time or if the banker will
win the bet.
 In “The Tell-Tale Heart” readers are left
wondering if the man will confess his crime.

Suspense

Foreshadowing is the use of hints or clues in a
narrative to suggest what action is to come.
Foreshadowing
Flashback occurs when the author interrupts the
action of the story to give us information that
occurred before the story began.
 At the beginning of “The Tell-Tale Heart” and
“The Bet”, both authors tell us that the story
they are about to tell has already occurred.

Flashback

Will Ferrell on Figurative Language
Figurative Language
Dramatic Irony occurs when the reader knows
something that a character does not.
 For example in the story “Charles”, we know
that the boy Laurie is actually the child Charles
long before the mother does.

Dramatic Irony
The attitude a writer takes toward his or her
subject, characters, and readers.
 Through tone, a writer can amuse, anger, or
shock the reader.
 Tone is created through the choice of words and
details.

Tone
Mood