A short story is a brief work of literature,

usually written in narrative prose.

[1] Emerging from earlier
oral storytelling traditions in the 17th
century, the short story has grown to
encompass a body of work so diverse as to
defy easy characterization. At its most
prototypical the short story features a
small cast of named characters, and
focuses on a self-contained incident with
the intent of evoking a "single effect" or
mood.[2] In doing so, short stories make
use of plot, resonance, and other dynamic
components to a far greater degree than is
typical of an anecdote, yet to a far lesser
degree than a novel. While the short story
is largely distinct from the novel, authors
of both generally draw from a common
pool of literary techniques.
Short stories have no set length. In terms
of word count there is no official
demarcation between an anecdote, a short
story, and a novel. Rather, the form's
parameters are given by the rhetorical and
practical context in which a given story is
produced and considered, so that what
constitutes a short story may differ
between genres, countries, eras, and
commentators.[3] Like the novel, the short
story's predominant shape reflects the
demands of the available markets for
publication, and the evolution of the form
seems closely tied to the evolution of the
publishing industry and the submission
guidelines of its constituent houses.[4]
The short story has been considered both
an apprenticeship form preceding more

lengthy works, and a crafted form in its

own right, collected together in books of
similar length, price, and distribution as
novels. Short story writers may define
their works as part of the artistic and
personal expression of the form. They
may also attempt to resist categorization
by genre and fixed form.
SETTING -- The time and location in
which a story takes place is called the
setting. For some stories the setting is
very important, while for others it is not.
There are several aspects of a story's
setting to consider when examining how
setting contributes to a story (some, or all,
may be present in a story):
a) place - geographical location. Where
is the action of the story taking place?
b) time - When is the story taking place?
(historical period, time of day, year, etc)
c) weather conditions - Is it rainy, sunny,
stormy, etc?
d) social conditions - What is the daily
life of the characters like? Does the story
contain local colour (writing that focuses
on the speech, dress, mannerisms,
customs, etc. of a particular place)?
e) mood or atmosphere - What feeling is
created at the beginning of the story? Is it
bright and cheerful or dark and
frightening?
BACK TO TOP
PLOT -- The plot is how the author
arranges events to develop his basic idea;
It is the sequence of events in a story or
play. The plot is a planned, logical series
of events having a beginning, middle, and
end. The short story usually has one plot
so it can be read in one sitting. There are

five essential parts of plot:

a) Introduction - The beginning of the
story where the characters and the setting
is revealed.
b) Rising Action - This is where the
events in the story become complicated
and the conflict in the story is revealed
(events between the introduction and
climax).
c) Climax - This is the highest point of
interest and the turning point of the story.
The reader wonders what will happen
next; will the conflict be resolved or not?
d) Falling action - The events and
complications begin to resolve
themselves. The reader knows what has
happened next and if the conflict was
resolved or not (events between climax
and denouement).
e) Denouement - This is the final
outcome or untangling of events in the
story.
It is helpful to consider climax as a threefold phenomenon: 1) the main character
receives new information 2) accepts this
information (realizes it but does not
necessarily agree with it) 3) acts on this
information (makes a choice that will
determine whether or not he/she gains his
objective).
BACK TO TOP
CONFLICT-- Conflict is essential to
plot. Without conflict there is no plot. It
is the opposition of forces which ties one
incident to another and makes the plot
move. Conflict is not merely limited to

open arguments, rather it is any form of

opposition that faces the main character.
Within a short story there may be only one
central struggle, or there may be one
dominant struggle with many minor ones.
There are two types of conflict:
1) External - A struggle with a force
outside one's self.
2) Internal - A struggle within one's self;
a person must make some decision,
overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist
an urge, etc.
There are four kinds of conflict:
1) Man vs. Man (physical) - The leading
character struggles with his physical
strength against other men, forces of
nature, or animals.
2) Man vs. Circumstances (classical) The leading character struggles against
fate, or the circumstances of life facing
him/her.
3) Man vs. Society (social) - The leading
character struggles against ideas,
practices, or customs of other people.
4) Man vs.
Himself/Herself (psychological) - The
leading character struggles with
himself/herself; with his/her own soul,
ideas of right or wrong, physical
limitations, choices, etc.
BACK TO TOP
CHARACTER -- There are two
meanings for the word character:
1) The person in a work of fiction.
2) The characteristics of a person.
Persons in a work of fiction - Antagonist
and Protagonist

Short stories use few characters. One

character is clearly central to the story
with all major events having some
importance to this character - he/she is the
PROTAGONIST. The opposer of the
main character is called the
ANTAGONIST.

judgment being different from that of an

adult) .

The Characteristics of a Person In order for a story to seem real to the

reader its characters must seem real.
Characterization is the information the
author gives the reader about the
characters themselves. The author may
reveal a character in several ways:
a) his/her physical appearance
b) what he/she says, thinks, feels and
dreams
c) what he/she does or does not do
d) what others say about him/her and how
others react to him/her

3. First Person - The story is told by the

protagonist or one of the characters who
interacts closely with the protagonist or
other characters (using pronouns I, me,
we, etc). The reader sees the story
through this person's eyes as he/she
experiences it and only knows what he/she
knows or feels.

Characters are convincing if they are:

consistent, motivated, and life-like
(resemble real people)
Characters are...
1. Individual - round, many sided and
complex personalities.
2. Developing - dynamic, many sided
personalities that change, for better or
worse, by the end of the story.
3. Static - Stereotype, have one or two
characteristics that never change and are
emphasized e.g. brilliant detective, drunk,
scrooge, cruel stepmother, etc.
BACK TO TOP
POINT OF VIEW
Point of view, or p.o.v., is defined as the
angle from which the story is told.
1. Innocent Eye - The story is told
through the eyes of a child (his/her

2. Stream of Consciousness - The story is

told so that the reader feels as if they are
inside the head of one character and
knows all their thoughts and reactions.

4. Omniscient- The author can narrate the

story using the omniscient point of view.
He can move from character to character,
event to event, having free access to the
thoughts, feelings and motivations of his
characters and he introduces information
where and when he chooses. There are
two main types of omniscient point of
view:
a) Omniscient Limited - The author tells
the story in third person (using pronouns
they, she, he, it, etc). We know only what
the character knows and what the author
allows him/her to tell us. We can see the
thoughts and feelings of characters if the
author chooses to reveal them to us.
b) Omniscient Objective The author
tells the story in the third person. It
appears as though a camera is following
the characters, going anywhere, and
recording only what is seen and heard.
There is no comment on the characters or
their thoughts. No interpretations are
offered. The reader is placed in the
position of spectator without the author
there to explain. The reader has to
interpret events on his own.

BACK TO TOP
THEME -- The theme in a piece of fiction
is its controlling idea or its central
insight. It is the author's underlying
meaning or main idea that he is trying to
convey. The theme may be the author's
thoughts about a topic or view of human
nature. The title of the short story usually
points to what the writer is saying and he
may use various figures of speech to
emphasize his theme, such as: symbol,
allusion, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or
irony.
Some simple examples of common
themes from literature, TV, and film are:
- things are not always as they appear to
be
- Love is blind
- Believe in yourself
- People are afraid of change
- Don't judge a book by its cover
Drama is the
specific mode of fiction represented in per
formance.[1] The term comes from
a Greek word meaning "action" (Classical
Greek:, drama), which is derived
from the verb meaning "to do" or "to act"
(Classical Greek: , dra). The
enactment of drama in theatre, performed
by actors on a stage before an audience,
presupposes collaborative modes of
production and a collective form of
reception. Thestructure of dramatic texts,
unlike other forms of literature, is directly
influenced by this collaborative
production and collective reception.
[2] Theearly
modern tragedy Hamlet (1601)

by Shakespeare and the classical

Athenian tragedy Oedipus the King (c.
429 BC) by Sophocles are among the
masterpieces of the art of drama.[3] A
modern example is Long Day's Journey
into Night by Eugene ONeill (1956).[4]
The two masks associated with drama
represent the traditional generic division
between comedy and tragedy. They are
symbols of the ancient
Greek Muses, Thalia and Melpomene.
Thalia was the Muse of comedy (the
laughing face), while Melpomene was the
Muse of tragedy (the weeping face).
Considered as a genre of poetry in
general, the dramatic mode has been
contrasted with theepic and
the lyrical modes ever
since Aristotle's Poetics (c. 335 BC)the
earliest work of dramatic theory.[5]
The use of "drama" in the narrow sense to
designate a specific type of play dates
from the 19th century. Drama in this sense
refers to a play that is neither a comedy
nor a tragedyfor
example, Zola's Thrse Raquin (1873)
or Chekhov's Ivanov (1887). It is this
narrow sense that
the film and television industry and film
studies adopted to describe "drama" as
a genre within their respective media.
[6] "Radio drama" has been used in both
sensesoriginally transmitted in a live
performance, it has also been used to
describe the more high-brow and serious
end of the dramatic output of radio.[7]


Drama is often combined
with music and dance: the drama
in opera is generally sung
throughout; musicals generally include
both spoken dialogue and songs; and some
forms of drama have incidental music or

musical accompaniment underscoring the

dialogue (melodrama and Japanese N,
for example).[8] In certain periods of

history (the ancient Roman and

modern Romantic) some dramas have
been written to be read rather than
performed.[9] In improvisation, the drama
does not pre-exist the moment of

performance; performers devise a

dramatic script spontaneously before an
audience.[10]

Tragedy In the Greek sense, a play that

ends with the death of at least one of the
main characters. In modern usage, refers
to a play that doesnt have a happy
ending.
Irony general name for moments in
literature that involve surprising,
interesting, or amusing contradictions
Dramatic irony a contradiction
between what the character thinks and
what the audience or reader knows to be
true
Script the written text of a play.
Usually includes a list of characters that
appear in the play with a brief description
of what the character is like (Dramatis
Personae), brief descriptions of the sets or
setting, and the lines the characters will
speak.

Elements of Drama

Drama A story written to be performed

by actors.

There are several different forms of

presenting a drama; each has a very
specific format. Plays have a very simple
format; teleplays, for television shows, or
screenplays, for movies, have more
complex and strict rules for formatting.
The first dramas to be written for the
express purpose of being performed were
created by the Greeks. Many of our
modern drama terms derive from Greek
origins.

Comedy In the Greek sense, a play that

doesnt end in death. In modern usage,
refers to a play that is humorous.

Dramatis Personae - "People of Drama" in

Latin; a list of the characters in a play,
usually found on the first page of the
script; often includes important
information about the character
Character - as in a story, people or
creatures that appear in a script by
speaking or doing something (the
"something" may be as simple as walking
on stage, then walking off again);
someone in a script who is involved with a
plot
Dialogue the lines spoken by the
actors; in the script, preceded by the name
of the character that is to speak the words

Monologue A speech given by a single

character while that character is alone on
stage; also called a soliloquy
Soliloquy In drama (especially

Elizabethan [Shakespearean]), an
extended speech by a solitary character
expressing inner thoughts aloud to him-or
herself and to the audience; a monologue
Aside A monologue performed by a

character while other characters are on

stage; the information in an aside is not
heard by the other characters on stage,
even though they may be standing very
close by; it is intended to convey the
characters private thoughts to the

audience. Other characters on stage at

that time may freeze, to show that the
words being said are not being overheard;
other times, the other characters will go
about their business but ignore the
character giving the aside.

Exposition A speech or discussion

presented in a very straight-forward
manner that is designed to convey
information or explain what is difficult to
understand

Stage directions a description (as of a

character or setting) or direction (as to
indicate stage business) provided in the
text of a play, usually indicated with
italics and/or parentheses. May indicate
where the scene takes place, what a
character is supposed to do, or how a
character should deliver certain lines.

additional information about how

characters are to enter the scene.
Exit A stage direction tells the
character(s) to leave the stage and the
scene. Often includes a direction (left or
right) or additional information about how
characters are to leave the scene.
Act A major section of a play, similar
to a chapter in a book; an act is usually
made up of several scenes
Scene a subdivision of an act; usually,
a scene indicates a specific location or
time, and changes if another location or
time is supposed to be presented. A scene
usually ends when all the characters in the
scene leave the stage.

Line Shakespeares plays were

written in blank verse (unrhymed iambic
pentameter, 10 syllables per line); as in a
poem, a line might end though the
sentence continues. Current copies of
Shakespeares scripts usually have
numbers listed in the margins of the pages
so readers can find lines quickly.

***Specific points in the play can be

found with a three number system (ex:
3.1.159 refers to a specific line: Act
Three, Scene Two, Line One hundred
fifty-nine; 2.2.2-7 indicates a series
of lines in Act 2, Scene 2, starting at Line
2 and ending at Line 7)***

Enter A stage direction tells the

character(s) to come onto the stage. Often
includes a direction (left or right) or

Chorus a character or group in a drama

who speaks the prologue and epilogue and
comments on the action

Extra a minor character who doesnt

have many or any lines; usually, extras
dont have names, but are identified by
what they do (servant, boy,
policeman) and sometimes a number
if there are more than one of that type of
extra

Folktales (or folk tales) are stories passed

down through generations, mainly by
telling. Different kinds of folktales include
fairy tales (or fairytales), tall tales,
trickster tales, myths, and legends.
Elements of Folktales:
Folktales are usually about ordinary
people and everyday life.
The stories include setting, characters,
and a problem.
The characters are often flat,
representing one particular trait such as
cleverness.
Hyperbole is always found in tall tales.
Common Folktale Motifs:
wishes granted
a monster
magic objects
use of trickery
a poor person becomes rich
the number three is significant
the youngest or smallest of siblings is
successful after others in the family fail
a variety of unwise characters
The Folktale Formula:
The plot begins quickly.
Characters are one-sided.

Plots move along well-trod paths.

All questions are answered before the
story ends.
Types of Folktales:
tales of talking animals
tales that tell why ("pourqoui")
tales of magic (fairy tales)
cumulative tales
tales of exaggeration or legendary tales
(tall tales)

Folk Tale description of

story elements
and quality
characteristic
s
Traditional folk tales were the oral
tradition of adults. Stories about peoples'
lives and imaginations as they struggled
with their fears and anxieties by telling
tales. Probably helped them to better be
able to struggle with them in real life.
While many of these tales weren't told
specifically for children it is almost
certain that they too would listen and
enjoy as well as develop respect for
certain elements described in the stories.
Characters, plot, setting, theme, events,
real life all ages problems based on real
life events, setting is every time.

Story Elements
Characterization

Characters are flat.

Usually very good or very bad

with most characteristics
exaggerated.
The hero and heroine are usually
young.
The heroine is usually fair, kind,
charitable, and caring.
The hero is usually honorable,
courageous, unselfish, and caring.
Both usually have special abilities
or powers.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Problems of young adults

Security
Fear of leaving home
Fear of not having children
Fear of not being loved or
giving love
6. Reflect basic values and
concerns of different
cultures
7. Good and evil
8. Right and wrong
9. Justice and injustice
10. Happiness, kindness,
friendship, loyalty
11. Good triumphant over evil
12. Love and loyalty
13. Love and loyalty can
transform ...
14. Discuss basic values of
people

Setting

Place is described easily and

briefly (humble cottage, magic
kingdom) that fits the typical
geography of the culture or it is
not mentioned but assumed.
Time is in the past (usually longago) imbedded within the history
of the culture.
Time is fantasy time (Once upon a
time sets the stage and They lived
happily ever after closes the tale.)
any time or any place, timeless or
placeless, or long long ago.
Style

Plot

Very simple, though interesting.

Thought provoking to didactic.
Is full of action and follows
specific and simple patterns. The
plot starts right out with fast
moving action that grabs the
listeners interest and keeps it.
Conflicts are usually resolved with
great deeds or acts of human
kindness related to good and
bad/evil.

Usually universal truths, lessons,

and values related to people, their

Theme

actions, and/or material goods that

is valued by the group that creates
the folktale.
Often the tales tell what happens to
those who do not obey the groups
traditions.

Descriptions are quick and to the

point with little description and
detail.
Plausability story is possible but
not probable.
A promise father promises to send
one daughter, if set free; promises
first son, if spin gold;
Number three father has three
daughters and three sons, and three
weeks to return
Magic Supernatural beings Objects
(mirror, beans, golden objects)
Spells, Enchantments,
Magical transformations,
Character transformed by a spell

and only the love or loyalty of

another character can break the
spell Ugly person casts a spell
on ... Spell is broken and turns into
a ...
Run away from home Gingerbread
Boy - English, The Bun - Russian,
The Pancake Norwegian Cumulative Henny
Penny, sequence of events or
characters that accumulate.
Repeat phrases, develop logic and
sequential thinking (for
preoperational children), and
understanding for more
sophisticated literature. The House
that Jack Built, The Old Lady that
Swallowed a Fly.
Extraordinary animals, monster, or
other animated things. Three Little
Pigs, Shrek
Explain a natural phenomena or
custom. How Rabbit Stole Fire,
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in people's
Ears, Tikki Tikki Temkbo.

tale verisimilitude. Legend, for its active

and passive participants includes no
happenings that are outside the realm of
"possibility", is defined by a highly
flexible set of parameters which may
includemiracles that are perceived as
actually having happened, within the
specific tradition of indoctrination where
the legend arises, and within which it may
be transformed over time, in order to keep
it fresh and vital, and realistic. Many
legends operate within the realm of
uncertainty, never being entirely believed
by the participants, but also never being
resolutely doubted.[1]
The Brothers Grimm defined legend
as folktale historically grounded.[2] A
modern folklorist's professional definition
of legend was proposed by Timothy R.
Tangherlini in 1990:[3]
Legend, typically, is a short (mono-)
episodic, traditional, highly
ecotypified[4] historicized narrative
performed in a conversational mode,
reflecting on a psychological level a
symbolic representation of folk belief and
collective experiences and serving as a
reaffirmation of commonly held values of
the group to whose tradition it belongs."

Tone

Good versus bad/evil

Reflection of human strengths,
frailities, weaknesses, or
imperfections.
Reader is lead to new insights
and/or understandings.

Point of View

Often third person narrative. Could

be first.

A legend (Latin, legenda, "things to be

read") is a narrative of human actions that
are perceived both by teller and listeners
to take place within human history and to
possess certain qualities that give the

"Goldilocks and the Three Bears"

"Little Red Riding Hood"
"Hansel and Gretel"
"Peter Pan"
The Bernstein Bears series
Goosebumps series
"The Boy Who Cried Wolf"
"The Tortoise and the Hair"
"The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing"
"The Little Match Girl"

"The Little Mermaid"

"The Princess and the Pea"
"The Emperor's New Suit"
"The Gingerbread Man"
"The Night Before Christmas"
"The Ugly Duckling"
"Rapunzel"
"Beauty and the Beast"
"Cinderella"
"Rip Van Winkle"
"The Prince and the Pauper"
"Jack and the Beanstalk"
"Goodnight Moon"
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"
"Three Little Pigs"
"Where the Wild Things Are"
"The Cat and the Hat"
"Green Eggs and Ham"
"Love You Forever"
"Corduroy"
"The Tale of Peter Rabbit"
"The Little Engine That Could"
"The Rainbow Fish"
"Stone Soup"
"How the Grinch Stole Christmas"
"Madeline"
Whether contemporary or classic, all of
these tales fit the description of a short
story - they tell a complete story in a small
number of words. Many of these stories
have morals or teach a lesson in a
relatively short span of words.

Adult Short Stories

Short stories are not just for children.
According to Princeton University, a short
story is technically defined as "a prose
narrative shorter than a novel."
Here are some works of literature that fall
into the category of short story:

"The Cherry Orchard" by Anton Chekov

"The Dead" by James Joyce
"The Fall of the House of Usher" by
Edgar Allen Poe

"The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar

Allen Poe
"The Scarlet Ibis" by James Hurst
"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens
"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant
"The Lady with the Little Dog" by Anton
Chekov
"Souls Belated" by Edith Wharton
"About Barbers" by Mark Twain
"The Garden of Paradise" by Hans
Christian Andersen
"Leave it to Jeeves" by P.G. Wodehouse
"Out of Nazareth" by O. Henry
"Politics and the English Language" by
George Orwell
"Portrait of King William III" by Mark
Twain
"Two Boys at Grinders' Brothers" by
Henry Lawson
"What Christmas is as We Grow Older"
by Charles Dickens
The tell tale heart by edgar allen poe