St Stephen's School acknowledges the contribution of
the original creator of this guide.
What is a short story?
A short story is a story with a fully developed theme, however, it is significantly shorter and less elaborate than a novel.
A Short Story usually has one plot, and can be read in one sitting.
Title:
The title will generally indicate what the story is about.
Setting:
This is the time and place of where the story occurs.
This is the sequence of events in the short story. The reader can identify a beginning, middle and end.
5 Essential parts to the plot:
Theme:
It is the author's underlying meaning or main idea that he is trying to convey.
Characters:
The persons (or characters) in a piece of fiction. One person is central to all the action in a short story. The main character is called the Protagonist. The Antagonist is the opposer to the Protagonist, a simple example is Harry Potter and Lord Voldermort.
Narrator:
The person who is telling the story.
Point of View: Click the images below to read about the different points of view.
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, struggle or disagreement that faces the main character.
FOR SALE
Baby shoes.
Never worn.
By Ernest Hemingway
Have you thought of looking at the lyrics of music for a short story?
Try looking at the lyricd of "Enter Sand Man", by Metallica. What is the title? Who is telling the story? Who is the main caharacter, (protagonist)? Who is the anagonist? What is the conflict or struggle in the song?
WASLA Teacher Librarian of the Year- 2017: Jo-Anne Urquhart
- 2016: Lise Legg
WASLA Library Officer of the Year- 2012: Karen Notley