1. The Four Key Features of Short Story
The four key features of Short Story are:
1. _________________________________
2. _________________________________
3. _________________________________
4. _________________________________
Now look back at the story you wrote about Mr. Chan.
Can you identify these four key features?
Tell your classmates the four key features you have identified.
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2. The Four Key Features of Short Story
1. Setting
Setting is the background against which the incidents of the story take place.
It does not simply refer to a place. It includes the place where, the time when,
and social conditions under which the story moves along.
The setting can be set in the past, in the present time or even in the future.
Can you name a story you have read that has the setting set in the past, or in the
future?
In one form or another, setting is essential to the story.
Often, the relevance of the story is lost in another setting.
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3. The Four Key Features of Short Story
2. Characters
There must be living beings in the story that think or act in order to keep the
story going.
Even though you are using non-living things like cars or houses as characters,
you still need to make them come to life.
The characters must seem like living and feeling individuals so that we can feel
strongly about them.
The worst thing that could happen for a writer is that readers feel indifferent
towards the characters. If we don’t care for the characters, we will simply lose
interest to read on.
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4. The four methods of presenting a character
Writers may use different methods to present a character,
-
by means of actions or thoughts of the character
by means of conversations the character engages in
by means of conversations of other characters about a third character
by means of author’s own opinion. This might be overt, or may be implied.
Go back to your own story on Mr. Chan again.
How did you present Mr. Chan to your readers?
Are there any other characters in the story? If yes, how did you present the
characters?
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5. The Four Key Features of Short Story
Points of View: Presenting a story
- Author Omniscient
Adopting a first person point of view. Writing in first person, the author
sees whatever he wants to see, inside or outside his character, in privacy of
public, and interprets as he chooses.
- Author Participant
The author may be the main character, or could be a secondary character.
- Author as an observer
Adopting a third person point of view. Involving objective treatment
It seems that the author has no inner sight into the character’s thinking or
behaviour.
- Multiple story tellers
More than one person is telling the story.
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6. The Four Key Features of Short Story
4. Theme
The theme is the total meaning of the story.
It does not need to be tied up with a simple moral.
In many cases, stories are packages that allow readers to see the outcomes of
certain behaviour. Without a theme, the story lacks meaning or purpose.
Sometimes the theme is stated and readers can easily get hold of it.
Sometimes it is implied.
In some stories, the theme may be a direct refutation of a traditional theme.
Look back at your story, what is the theme?
Why do you choose that theme?
What do we mean by ‘It does not need to be tied up with a simple moral’?
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7. The Four Key Features of Short Story
3. Plot
The plot strings together the series of actions that take place in the story.
It is a series of connected happenings and their outcomes.
In order to have a result, we must have an initial event or conflict.
The conflict can be a problem or a change happens to the main character.
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8. The stages of a plot
- introduction of characters
- the situation: initial conflict
- the generated circumstances, which create a
- rising action - heightened anticipation for the reader
- climax – highest point of anticipation
- falling action & concluding – generally known as denouement
The climax takes time to build up and
the climax can be regarded as the sum of a number of ‘sub-climaxes’ that have
been built when the story progresses.
The climax usually comes towards the end.
Do you know why?
How do authors usually deal with falling action(s)?
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9. Short stories usually have properties like the following:
- Dramatic conflict
usually the conflict forms the basis of the story.
Sources of the problems which may or may not be overcome in the climax.
- Foreshadowing
May be used to leave clues in the story to lure readers to try to predict the ending
- Repetition
It helps drive home a point. It can also be used to create other literary devices.
- Suspense
Draws readers to the work.
along.
It allows readers to make guesses while reading
Source: adapted from http://www.horton.ednet.ns.ca/staff/scottbennet/web/Short%20Stories.htm
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