Short Story Terms (courtesy of amyshum)

Plot

Plot

A sequence of incidents or events of which a story is composed. This concentrates on major happenings

Conflict

A clash of actions, ideas, desires, or wills. (man vs. man / man vs. environment / man vs. himself) This can be physical, mental, emotional, or moral

Protagonist

The central character in the conflict - a sympathetic or unsympathetic character

Antagonist

This is the force arrayed against the central character in the conflict

Suspense

The quality in the story where the reader wonders 'what is going to happen next' or 'how will this turn out' and impels the reader to find the answers to these questions

Mystery Suspense

An unusual set of circumstances for which the reader craves an explanation

Dilemma Suspense

A position in which the hero is placed to choose between two courses of action

Flat Character

Only has one or two traits and can be summed up in one sentence (minor characters are this type)

Round Character

Is complex and many-sided and may require an essay for full analysis (this is usually the protagonist)

Stock Character

The stereo-typed figure who has occurred so often in fiction that his nature is immediately known (the cruel stepmother)

Static Character

Is the same sort of person at the end of the story as he was in the beginning

Developing Character

Undergoes a permanent change in some aspect of his character, personality, or outlook. The change may be large or a small one and may be for better or for worse

Theme

It's the controlling idea or its central insight. We always ask what the central purpose is (what view of life it supports of what insight into life it reveals.

Point of View

The reader asks questions to try to determine 'who is telling the story' and 'to what extent does the author look inside his characters and report their thoughts and feeling'

Omniscient POV

The story is told by the author who is inside the heads of all the characters. The author knows all and is free to go wherever he wishes

Limited Omniscient POV

The author tells the story in third person and is inside the head of one of the characters or tells the story from one person's perspective

First Person POV

The author disappears into one of the characters who tells the story in this point of view

Symbol

This literary device is something which means more than what it is. It can be an object, a person, a situation, an action, or some other item which has literal meaning in the story

Surprise Ending

Has a twist that the ending is not expected

Unfinished Ending

The ending is not resolved and the reader is left on a cliff-hanger

Natural Ending

Things are neatly tied up and there are no real surprises. The issue of the story has been resolved

Introduction/ Exposition

This sets the scene, presents the situation to the reader, arouses the interest of the reader, and introduces the main characters

Climax

The highest point of tension in a story; the turning point which reveals the success or failure of the protagonist's efforts. This resolves the conflict established at the beginning of the story

Complication/ Complicating Incident

This is the introduction of a problem which calls for some sort of action on the part of the central character

"A short story should create a single impression"

1 main subject/ event

"It must be capable of being read at one sitting"

The story must be short enough to finish

"Every word should contribute to the planned effect"

Every sentence gets to the main event of the story, words are economically used and straight to the point

"The effect should be created in the opening sentence and developed throughout the work"

The story should be interesting and intriguing throughout the entire plot

"The story should end at its climax"

The story ends just after the climax

"Only such characters are essential to the effect should appear"

There should only be few developed characters in a short story, usually one but sometimes 2