Short Story Terminolgy

Story of Setting

A story is said to be one setting, or “local colour”, if the place where the story occurs is most important

Story of Character

Story that emphasizes on qualities or peculiarity of character and uses plot to throw light on the character

Story of Plot

Most stories are plot and gives you a surprise ending which completes the plot and reveals everything which had kept you in suspense.

Plot

What the story is about and can be sub-divided into 5 parts

Introduction

Meet the characters while learning about the setting, find out activating circumstances and discover conflict

Rising Action

Includes activating circumstances and continues to the climax. The conflict begins to intensify as we learn more about the protagonist and events are piling.

Climax

The most interesting part of the story; its high point, the turning point of the story and the protagonist’s thought or action can decide whether he or she will win or lose the conflict

Falling Action

Find out how the protagonist wins or loses the conflict. Loose ends are tied up and the suspense of the story decreases

Conclusion

Moral of the story or given an explanation as in a mystery story. May be a surprise - a switch of setting or of guilt or a reversal of our logical pattern of thinking (shock). The future may be alluded to (hints what will happen after the story)

The Setting

Includes the time of the story( year, hour, etc) the place of the story (city, country, planet, continent, etc) The circumstances of that particular time and place

Protagonist

The major character. “pro” means “for” Simple stories this is “the good guy”

Antagonist

the person who has a conflict with the protagonist - the main person or element working against the protagonist.

Dynamic Character

Character is one who changes through the course of the story due to the conflict in the story. Usually internal change.

Static Character

Character is one who does not change. At the end of the story, they are the same as the beginning

Round Character

Character is one who is fully developed; we see many different sides to him or her. We know much more about him or her.

Flat Character

Character is one who is not developed and does not have more than one side or dimension. We know little about him or her.

Stock Character

Character is a stereotype. Characters can be human , animal, godly, or imaginative participants. Think of myths or Walt Disney stories.

The Theme

A universal truth about life that applies to most of the characters in the story and to most of us. The general message the author is trying to tell or teach us.

Dilemma

When the person has a choice between two equally unfavourable outcomes.

Atmosphere

Give the emotional colour to the story, generally through the setting. To be aware of atmosphere, watch for temperature words as well as colours, peace. Also called mood.

Suspense

Created by delays in telling the reader what is going to happen in order to increase or sustain the readers interest. What is a character risking? What are the alternatives a character may choose.

Dialect

Unusual language patters and pronunciations peculiar to people of a particular race, geographic region, or degree of education, dialects add local colour and description

Title

It focuses on some idea or clue. It illuminates some part of the development and may be used to help solve or highlight the conflict.

Dialogue

The use of direct quotation of the characters in the story. It creates a natural, realistic situation, reveals dialect, social status, and character type.

Episode

One incident or a series complete in itself which seems separate but is still part of the whole story

Foreshadowing

The author drops a hint; he implies something to the reader that will probably occur further on in the story. Foreshadowing is the implanting of important clues in a story to lure the reader to certain decisions about events to occur. It guides the thinking of the reader.

Flashback

A quick review of facts or past events. A character may daydream during which many facts are revealed to us. or summarized a short space. Sometimes this is used to make connections between characters or events that need to be established for later actions

Narrator

A story can usually be said to be told by one person, the narrator. he can be a character in the story, the author, or an uninvolved witness to the incident. The narrator may be biased or have a particular point of view.

Contrast

Placing two very different people, objects ideas or feelings close together. It serves to increase the reader’s appreciation of other people and objects. By describing the characteristics of one character, it is implied or highlights that another is eithger similar or opposite to him.

Symbol

A person, object or act which secondarily stands for or suggest something greater or deeper. Thus symbols create two meanings to an object; one of which is an emotional meaning.

First person

the person telling the story (narrator) is standing in the middle of the story as it happens

Third person

the person telling the story (narrator) is standing in the outside of the story watching it happen

Omniscient pov

The narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all the characters

Limited Omniscient

The narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of only one characters

Objective

The narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of none of the characters

Second person

simplistic style, rarely used because it puts the reader into the plot