Elements of a Short Story
Door Vilma Lopez
1. Setting
1.1. • Place
1.2. • Time
1.3. • Weather Conditions
1.4. • Social Conditions
1.5. • Atmosphere
2. Plot
2.1. • Exposition
2.2. • Inciting Force
2.3. • Rising Action
2.4. • Climax
2.5. • Falling Action
2.6. • Denouement
2.7. Other - • Antecedent Action
2.8. Special Techniques of Plot
2.8.1. • Foreshadowing
2.8.2. • Flashback
2.8.3. • Dialogue
2.8.4. • Suspense
3. Conflict
3.1. • External
3.2. • Internal
3.3. Four Types of Sub-Conflict
3.3.1. • Person vs. Person
3.3.2. • Personvs. Circumstances
3.3.3. • Person vs. Society
3.3.4. • Person vs. Himself/Herself
4. Character
4.1. Characterization
4.1.1. • Direct Characterization
4.1.2. • Indirect Characterization
4.2. Characters Types
4.2.1. • Protagonist
4.2.2. • Antagonist
4.2.3. • Anti-hero
4.2.4. • Archetype
4.2.5. • Round
4.2.6. • Developing
4.2.7. • Flat
4.2.8. • Dynamic
4.2.9. • Static
5. Point of View
5.1. Participant
5.2. Nonparticipant
5.3. • First Person
5.4. • Second Person
5.5. • Third Person
5.6. • Third Person (Omniscient Limited)
5.7. Other
5.7.1. • Innocent Eye
5.7.2. • Stream of Consciousness
6. Theme
6.1. theme can be expressed in one or two simple statements
7. Other Literary Devices
7.1. • Symbolism
7.2. • Irony
7.2.1. o Verbal irony
7.2.2. o Situational Irony
7.2.3. o Dramatic Irony