FOCUS ON
GENRE
How to
Identify Elements of
Short Stories
Short story authors have a challenge: to tell their stories efficiently
and powerfully. By cleverly using and combining the following
elements, authors can create great and memorable stories.
• Setting: The setting is the location (time and place), as well as
all of the description that builds atmosphere. Figurative language
helps construct the setting and mood.
Elements of Style
Dialogue is the conversation
between characters in a story,
novel, or script.
Good dialogue can
•draw a reader into the story
•move the action along
• Plot: The plot of a short story usually has one problem that
has to be solved. Some short stories begin in the middle of the
action to capture the reader’s attention.
• Conflict: The conflict helps move the story along and makes it
interesting. Characters may struggle against themselves, against
society, against others, or against nature.
• Suspense: Authors create anxiety or uncertainty about the
outcome of the story.
•reveal character
•create conflict
Some of the best
stories catch you by
surprise at the end.
climax
falling action
rising action
exposition
resolution
Plot is how authors arrange events in a story.
Many stories use the above plot structure.
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Unit 3: Turning Points
NEL
• Characters: Short stories typically have a limited number
of characters, and authors must quickly establish their
personalities. Distinctive dialogue and effective word choice
can bring the characters to life.
• Theme: The theme is the central idea or message of a story.
The best short stories have something to teach us about
ourselves, our relationships, or our world.
• Point of view: When you answer the question, “Who is telling
the story?” you are defining a story’s point of view. The point
of view that authors choose supports the tone they wish to set
for their short story. The chart below shows three of the most
commonly used points of view.
Revealing Character
Authors can reveal information
about a character through
•physical description
•the character’s actions
•the character’s words
•the character’s inner thoughts
•what other characters say
and think about a character
Point of View
Characteristics
Strengths
First Person (I)
The story is told in first person, through the
eyes and voice of one character. Readers
only know what this character knows.
This point of view can be very
personal and emotional.
Omniscient
(he/she/it/they)
The story is told through the voice of a
narrator. The narrator knows the thoughts,
feelings, and actions of all the characters.
Complex plots full of action and
foreshadowing can be explained
clearly using this point of view.
Limited Omniscient
(he/she/it/they)
The story is told in third person, through
the voice of one particular character and
only reveals the thoughts and feelings of
that character.
Suspense can be built through this
point of view.
Transfer Your Learning
Connect to …
Media Literacy: Would you agree
with the following statement? The
best TV commercials are persuasive
short stories. How are TV commercials
similar to and different from short
stories?
Careers: When you’re working with
others, you can find out about their
personalities by using some of the
same methods an author uses to
reveal character. Which of the above
methods for revealing character do you
think works best for finding out about
real people? Why?
NEL
Focus on Genre
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