Understanding Short Stories: Elements and Formats
Short stories are narrative texts that focus on specific incidents with a limited number of characters. They come in various lengths, with the average story ranging from 1,000 to 7,500 words. Short stories can be linear or non-linear in storytelling, following a chronological or non-chronological order of events. Key elements of a short story include setting, characters, theme, conflict, and plot structure.
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NARRATIVE TEXT: SHORT STORY
Narrative text Series of Events Chain Initiating Event Narrative text includes any type of writing that relates Event 1 a series of events and tell stories that use imaginative Event 2 language and expresses emotion, often through the use Final Outcome of imagery, metaphors, and symbols. The story is Event 3 usually told by a narrator.
What is a short story? Short stories mostly focus on one particular or specific incident and include few characters and the length of the narration is shorter than a novel. The average short story is 1,000 to 7,500 words. A piece shorter than 1,000 words is considered a short short story or flash fiction, and anything less than 300 words is rightfully called microfiction.
Linear And Non-Linear Short Stories All narratives include characters and a chain of connected events. However, there are two methods of telling a story: linear and non-linear. A linear narrative goes from A to B, B to C, C to D, D to E, and so on. A story has a non-linear timeline if the order of events of the plot don t follow a chronological order.
plot Short story elements
Short Story Elements Setting. The setting is when and where a story takes place. Character. Any person, animal, or figure represented in the story. The author reveals the characters through characterization. Characterization is when the author reveals the characters through what they think, feel, say and do.
Short Story Elements Theme. The theme is the central idea or belief that run throughout the whole story and which the author tries to convey. It is the main and central idea of a story. Short stories often have just one theme, whereas novels usually have multiple themes. Conflict. A problem or a struggle in a story. The conflict is the problems that the characters encounter. This is, a character wants or needs something, s/he tries to get what s/he wants or needs, another character or situation blocks h/er efforts, s/he reacts. Conflict often involves emotions such as anger, jealousy, fear, grief and frustration.
Short Story Elements Plot. In a narrative, the focus of the text is on a series of actions which usually involves the main character(s) and which are arranged as follows: 1) Exposition includes setting (time and place), character introduction and conflict introduction. 3) Climax is the highest point of the story and characters meet the greatest conflict. 4) Falling Action. The complication starts to be solved. 2) Rising Action. The conflicts start to evolve and complications may occur. 5) Resolution. The conflict is resolved.
Narrative Text Generic plot Diagram: The most exciting part of the story; When we learn the outcome Climax Events leading to the end of the story Where the main character faces a series of conflicts Resolution End of the story Exposition Beginning of the story where characters and setting are introduced
Example of a Short Story A Strange Story In the northern part of Austin there once dwelt an honest family by the name of Smothers. The family consisted of John Smothers, his wife, himself, their little daughter, five years of age, and her parents, making six people toward the population of the city when counted for a special write-up, but only three by actual count. One night after supper the little girl was seized with a severe colic, and John Smothers hurried down town to get some medicine. He never came back. The little girl recovered and in time grew up to womanhood. The mother grieved very much over her husband's disappearance, and it was nearly three months before she married again, and moved to San Antonio. The little girl also married in time, and after a few years had rolled around, she also had a little girl five years of age. She still lived in the same house where they dwelt when her father had left and never returned. One night by a remarkable coincidence her little girl was taken with cramp colic on the anniversary of the disappearance of John Smothers, who would now have been her grandfather if he had been alive and had a steady job. "I will go downtown and get some medicine for her," said John Smith (for it was none other than he whom she had married). "No, no, dear John," cried his wife. "You, too, might disappear forever, and then forget to come back." So John Smith did not go, and together they sat by the bedside of little Pansy (for that was Pansy's name). After a little Pansy seemed to grow worse, and John Smith again attempted to go for medicine, but his wife would not let him. Suddenly the door opened, and an old man, stooped and bent, with long white hair, entered the room. "Hello, here is grandpa," said Pansy. She had recognized him before any of the others. The old man drew a bottle of medicine from his pocket and gave Pansy a spoonful. She got well immediately. "I was a little late," said John Smothers, "as I waited for a street car." Exposition Rising Action Climax Falling Action Resolution
A Strange Story Plot Diagram: Time went by and the little girl recovered from her illness. Climax And the mother got married again. Also the little girl got older and got married too. She had a daughter and one night when she was five years old she became very sick. The "little girl's" husband suggested he should go bring medicine from down town but she did not let him go because she was afraid he would disappear just like her father did. Their 5 year old daughter was getting more ill and she needed medicine. And then reached the anniversary that her father had disappeared. One night their little girl became very sick, so the father hurried to downtown to get some medicine, but he never returned. Resolution Later that night the door opened; it was the "little girl's" grandpa. He had brought the medicine. He gave it to her sick child and she instantly felt better. He said "sorry I was a little late as I waited for a street car". Exposition This story takes place in northern Austin where The Smothers family lived and consisted of John Smothers, his wife, their little daughter, five years of age, and the wife parents.
