Short Story Elements

introduces the conflict or problem of the story

presents the story from the perspective of a character in the story

What is a struggle between opposing forces?

the use of clues in a story to hint at events to come

introduces the setting, characters, and basic situation

a secondary story line that adds depth to the main plot

When one character struggles with an outside force or another person

the turning point of the story (most exciting part)

the perspective from which a story is told

The reasons for a character's actions

The story's conclusion

the time and place of the action in a story

when a narrator knows everything that happens, and reveals what each character thinks and feels

the sequence of events of a short story

this is suggested, or stated indirectly through what happens to the characters

This struggle takes place in the mind of a character

tools that writers use to enhance their writing

a recurring message about life that is found across different cultures

use of scenes within a story that interrupts the sequence of events to reveal past experience

the central message in a story

the part of the story when the conflict lessens

this is a message that is expressed directly by the author

when the story is told from the perspective of a narrator outside the story

the contrast between an actual outcome and what the reader or the characters expect

The people or animals that take part in the action of a story

the emotional atmosphere of a story

the qualities, attitudes, and values that a character possesses