1. Setting
1.1. Setting represents both the physical location but also the time (i.e. past, present, future) and the social and cultural conditions in which the characters exist.
1.1.1. Time
1.1.1.1. In regards to time, stories can be set in the past, present, future, or even a mix of the three. For example, Back to the Future uses all three settings. Marty McFly travels back and forward in time, capturing the audience’s imagination as settings and time zones change from scene to scene.
1.1.2. Place
1.1.2.1. Authors also need to create compelling place-based settings in their stories. Things to consider when looking at the sense of place in a novel or short story include: Story Setting Explanation The country / nation. Which nation, if any, will form the backdrop of your story? If it’s a fantasy story, you may be able to create your own magical land. Urban, Suburban or Rural. Will your story take place in a city, the suburbs or somewhere more remote? Beachside, Mountainous, or Other. Will the sea feature prominently in your story? Or perhaps the story will be set in the mountains. If your character is travelling, perhaps they will move through many different landscapes such as in The Lord of the Rings.
1.1.3. Alternative reality
1.1.3.1. Some stories may also choose to have alternative realities. Alternative reality books followed the true history of the world to a point. Then, they diverge after a fictional event occurs such as a war or natural disaster.
2. Conflit
2.1. Every story must have a conflict, i.e. a challenge or problem around which the plot is based. Without conflict, the story will have no purpose or trajectory.
2.1.1. Protagonist vs Antagonist
2.1.1.1. the protagonist (hero) must challenge the antagonist in order to prevent the antagonist from doing something harmful. For example, this occurs in Harry Potter. Harry (protagonist) must defeat Voldermort (antagonist). Harry is the only person who can save the world from Voldermort and represents the child savior.
2.1.2. Protagonist vs Nature
2.1.2.1. the protagonist goes up against a challenge that occurs in nature. This may involve a main character taking on a natural challenge like escaping the jungle, or a natural disaster like a tsunami or asteroid coming at earth.
2.1.3. Protagonist vs Self
2.1.3.1. the protagonist may have inner struggles to overcome in order to succeed. The protagonist may need to get over a lost love, learn courage, or achieve a personal goal that they set out for themselves in the beginning. For example, this happens in The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy and her companions each has to learn that the characteristics they most desire are within them. The Cowardly Lion seeks courage, the Tin Man seeks the ability to love, and the Scarecrow seeks intellect.
2.1.4. Protagonist vs Society
2.1.4.1. the protagonist may identify an enemy or problem in society that they must overcome, often single-handedly. In children’s books, this model is often recast as Child (protagonist) vs. Adults (Society) where the child must save adults from themselves. We see this in the ‘child savior’ complex such as in The Hunger Games.
3. Tone
3.1. The overall emotional “tone” or meaning of the story. Is it happy, funny, sad, depressed? Tone can be portrayed in multiple ways, through word and grammar choices, choice of theme, imagery and description, symbolism, and the sounds of the words in combination (i.e. rhyme, rhythm, musicality).
3.1.1. The weather conditions
3.1.1.1. Tone is often conveyed through the weather conditions. Some stories are set in long, endless summers. Others are anticipating an endless winter to come (e.g. Game of Thrones). Rain is a good idea for when a character is sad or moody. By contrast, sunshine will signify happy times.
3.1.2. The time of day
3.1.2.1. Similarly, you might want to define the time of day, particularly for one scene or a simple short story Night time might show that the tone is eerie and full of mystery and magic. A warm Evening might set a tone of drowsiness. A morning setting might convey a tone signifying starting afresh and heading out excited for a day’s adventures.
3.1.3. The soliloquy
3.1.3.1. Tone is often also set through the soliloquy of the narrator of a first-person text. A soliloquy is a piece of writing (or speaking) where the author reflects on their moods and thoughts.
4. POINT OF VIEW
4.1. “Who” is telling the story? First person (“I”) or third person (“he/she/it”). Limited (one character’s perspective), multiple (many characters’ perspectives) or omniscient (all knowing narrator). Second person (“you”) is not often used for writing stories
4.1.1. Short sentences:
4.1.1.1. I first came across very short sentences in Hemmingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls. Hemminway’s curt writing style comes across as masculine, but is often very easy to read.
4.1.2. Highly Descriptive:
4.1.2.1. When reading The Lord of the Rings, I was bemused at just how long it took JRR Tolkein to describe a fireplace. While I personally prefer a short story, many of the classics have this descriptive style.
4.1.3. Fast-Paced:
4.1.3.1. If you like entertaining books, ensure your writing is always compelling the plot forward and not getting into the weeds.
5. A person or animal or really anything personified. There can be one main character or many, and often there are secondary characters, but not always.
5.1. The protagonist
5.1.1. The protagonist is the hero of the story and central character. We’ll also usually call them the ‘main character’. They will get most of the attention of the author. Every narrative – whether it’s a novel or short story – will have a protagonist.
5.2. The antagonist
5.2.1. The antagonist is the opponent of the main character. This person stirs trouble and is often the main cause of tension in the plot line. The hero’s role is often to prevent the antagonist from doing harm to people.
5.2.1.1. example: Edmund from the Narnia series must overcome jealousy to help save Narnia and protect his family; Professor Snape from Harry Potter suffers from an inability to get past his grudges from the past.
5.3. The confidante
5.3.1. the confidante is the sidekick for the main character. It often takes the role of a wise or philosophical character, although not always. In The Lion King, Timon and Pumba act as confidantes to Simba during his exile years. Other confidantes in that story include Rafiki and Nala.
6. Character
7. THEME
7.1. Idea, belief, moral, lesson or insight. It’s the central argument that the author is trying to make the reader understand. The theme is the “why” of the story.
7.1.1. Good vs. evil
7.1.1.1. Most contemporary American movies tell stories of good vs. evil, with good usually triumphing thanks to a heroic protagonist. For example, in Spiderman.
7.1.2. True love
7.1.2.1. Similarly, love has been a theme throughout millennia in stories. What is true love, how can it be found, and how can we keep it? Perhaps the most famous example is in Romeo and Juliet.
7.1.3. The absurdity of life
7.1.3.1. Existentialist literature attempts to expose the absurdity of life, e.g. how life is futile, pointless and meaningless. Two great examples are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and Catch 22.
7.1.4. The pain of war
7.1.4.1. Many stories throughout history have been cautionary tales about the pain of war and its devastating effects on life. A compelling example is The Diary of Anne Frank.
7.1.5. Seeking freedom
7.1.5.1. The desire for freedom is another common motif in stories and movies. This often involves the struggles in escaping oppression, war or nature. One example of this theme that I love is The Truman Show’s theme.
7.1.6. Political corruption
7.1.6.1. Stories of political corruption usually highlight how fascism, communism or other political systems lead to concentration of power and corruption. A famous example is Animal Farm by George Orwell.
7.1.7. The power of redemption
7.1.7.1. Often based on Christian beliefs, redemption stories show how characters can come back from sin and shame to redeem themselves through good deeds and repentance. A great example of this is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
7.1.8. The importance of faith
7.1.8.1. Many tales have morals about religion and faith and the importance of penance to a god as their central theme. A famous example is the short story sets of Sinbad the Sailor’s Seven Voyages.
8. PLOT
8.1. The plot consists of the events that happen in the story. In a plot you typically find an introduction, rising action, a climax, the falling action, and a resolution. Plot is often represented as an arc.
8.1.1. Exposition:
8.1.1.1. The exposition begins the story. It provides the necessary background information like the setting and character details. It may also outline the relationships between characters and any other important information. This section should set the scene but also entertain the reader from page one.
8.1.2. Rising Action:
8.1.2.1. The rising action part is the part of the story where “the plot thickens”. Challenges, conflicts and complications are introduced during the rising action segment. This is often the longest part of the story. Authors aim to create and build tension as long as possible to entertain the reader and create a true ‘page turner’ of a story.
8.1.3. Climax:
8.1.3.1. After rising action comes climax. This is the turning point of the story where the tensions in the plotline come to a head. A good climax may involve a twist or a big reveal. Other examples of a climax might be a big battle, police chase or exposure of a love affair.
8.1.4. Falling Action:
8.1.4.1. After the climax comes falling action. I often find the falling action segment is brief but may be necessary to conclude the key scenes that occurred in the climax. During the falling action, tension starts to dissolve
8.1.5. Resolution
8.1.5.1. The resolution gives a sense of closure to the reader. It may tie up loose ends in character plotlines and explain what becomes of the key characters after the story. To use The Lord of the Rings example, the resolution shows Frodo sailing to the Grey Havens and Sam marrying Rosie Cotton.
9. STYLE
9.1. This is how things are said. Word choices, sentence structure, dialogue, metaphor, simile, hyperbole. Style contributes significantly to ton
9.1.1. First person
9.1.1.1. stories are told by the protagonist. You can tell a first person story from the use of first person phrases like ‘I’ and ‘We’. A benefit of first person point of view is that you can get inside the head of the main character. They can talk about what they’re thinking and what their opinion is of all the other characters throughout the piece.
9.1.2. Second person
9.1.2.1. stories are narrated by an outsider (not a character in the story), but talk directly to the reader. It is like we are in a conversation with the author. This is called ‘breaking the fourth wall’. An example of second person is when the author directly says ‘you’ to the reader.
9.1.3. Third person
9.1.3.1. stories do not talk directly to the reader and do not insert themselves into the story either. This is the most common type of point of view. Most third person books have an omniscient narrator. This means the narrator is an all-knowing person who can get into characters’ heads and explain their thoughts. The author tells the story as if looking through a looking glass. They refer to the characters (including the protagonist) using terms like ‘he’, ‘she’ and ‘they’.