Elements of a Short Story The Five Main

Elements of a Short Story

The Five Main Elements of a Story • • • Setting Characters Plot Theme Conflict

Setting • The setting tells when and where. It gives the time and location in which a story takes place. • It can be: A place, a time, weather conditions, social conditions • The setting also gives clues about the mood of a story. • A story’s setting can give you context for the events of the plot

Characters of a Story The character drives the action in the story. The author needs to make them come alive, so we will want to read the story!

Character A character is a person, an animal, or an imaginary creature that takes part in the action of a story. A character’s appearance, personality, or feelings are sometimes described. Other times the author will leave clues and expect you to draw conclusions about what the person or animal is like.

Problem Once the author makes the setting and character come alive then there’s a problem or a conflict. The character can have a problem with – – himself another person or people nature technology

Plot Once the character has a problem then he sets a goal. He has to figure-out how to solve his problem. Once the character sets a goal, then he goes through steps, actions, episodes, events to solve the problem. A sequence of events the character goes through to solve a problem.

Complications To make the plot interesting the author may include twists, tragedies, and obstacles. Twist: An unexpected direction Tragedy: A crisis or when someone dies Obstacles: Things get in the way

Theme A writer’s message, or main point, is theme of his or her literary work. The theme includes ideas that cross over time and culture. For example: love, hate, perseverance, determination.