Short story elements

Characters

Individuals that populate a story (people, animals, beings, things)

Dynamic Character

A character that undergoes significant internal change over the course of story

Static Character

A character that does not change over the course of the story

Minor Character

A character with a small role in the story

Stock Character

A cliché or stereotypical character.

Characterization

How an author develops or reveals a character. Connected to character development and STEAL.

Antagonist

Character creating conflict (not necessarily evil)

Protagonist

Central character the story follows (can be evil)

Setting

The place and atmosphere of the story.

Mood

The vibe of the story's setting.

Tone

The way the character feels about the events happening.

Symbolism

A literary device that uses objects, words, animals, people, locations, or abstract ideas to represent something beyond the literal meaning.

Irony

A contrast between the expectation going at the start of the story, and the reality of what ends up happening.

Dramatic Irony

/when the reader knows more than the characters.

Situational Irony

When the reader is led to believe one thing, and the opposite happens.

Verbal Irony

When the speaker says one thing but means the other.

Conflict

The problem that drives the story.

Effect on others

How the character impacts others

Actions

What the character does

Looks

The character's physical appearance.

STEAL

speech, thoughts, effect on others, actions, looks.

1st person:

The narrator tells the story from their own point of view. I/we did this.

2nd person

The narrator is talking to you, and you do the action. You grab the chair.

3rd person

The person or thing is spoken about. He/she/it did this.