Short Stories are fun reads which can be read in one sitting. Lot of people prefer reading Short Stories over novels and plays because they consume less time. In today’s busy lifestyle readers love to have pleasure in short time. So it’s a challenge before Short Story Writers to pack things in few words without making the story uninteresting. I’ll be telling you the 5 essential key elements you need to build your story.
So let’s see how to write a Short Story effectively!
Here are the 5 useful key elements that make up your story ????
- Theme
- Setting
- Characterization
- Point of View
- Plot
These elements are common in novels and plays but we shall see them from short story point of view.
1. Theme
As you know, Theme is the main idea of a story. In case of Short Stories, we must use a single theme to keep readers attentive. A Short Story must never have multiple or sub-themes like novels and plays.
For example, take ‘Story of an Hour‘ by Kate Chopin. (My favourite btw) The story is all about freedom. You won’t find a theme or sub-theme other than freedom.
2. Setting
Setting is the atmosphere of your story. Tell your readers about the era/time/environment/background of your story. This is to be done at the begining (exposition) first, and then it should reflect from the whole story. Or you’ll keep telling story to your readers and in midway you’ll clear that it was a night time/ different era, etc. Don’t do that! You can use the words related to that particular time so that you let readers know about the setting without directly telling them.
This creates the setting and mood of your story. But do not explain a lot about the environment. It’s not a weather report. Just give a little background of about 1/2 lines.
For example, ‘It was a beautiful night and I was sitting at the lake hoping well about my exams.’
This sentence clarifies that it was a night time.
3. Characterization
In a Short Story, characters play a crucial role. Do not overcrowd your story with too many characters. You cannot establish them all. 1-2 main characters will do.
Develop your main character by revealing their habits, appearance and nature.
For example, “Rosemary Fell was not exactly beautiful. She was young, brilliant, extremely modern, well dressed and amazingly well read in the newest of the new books.”
This is the first line of the story, ‘A Cup of Tea’ by Katherine Mansfield.
This is called Direct Characterization, when you narrate the characteristics of a character by yourself. In Indirect Characterization, you reveal your character’s nature through the dialogues.
For example, ” “Valentine,” said the chief prison officer, “you’ll go out tomorrow morning. This is your chance. Make a man of yourself. You’re not a bad fellow at heart. Stop breaking safes open, and live a better life.” ”
This dialogue in ‘A Retrieved Reformation’ by O. Henry, clearly reveals the character of Valentine (Jimmy Valentine) that he was a safe-cracker who was good at heart.
It depends on you what type of characterization you want to use.
4. Point of View
This is another important element to be considered. While narrating you have to choose one point of view, of the three; First Person, Second Person, Third Person.
If you’re writing in First Person, you’ll be inside the story, playing your part. ‘I’ went, ‘I’ saw, will be the style of narrating your story. In that case, you won’t know what other characters are thinking. You’ll just guess what he/she must be thinking.
For example, ‘I walked in the hall and Jacob looked at me as though he would kill me.’
Second Person is barely used because, technically it’s difficult and next to impossible to use. We use ‘you‘ for addressing.
In Third Person, narrator is not the character in the story. In this case, narrator knows the nature of his characters or what they are thinking.
For example, “Jimmy Valentine looked into her eyes, forgot what he was, and became another man.”
5. Plot
Now let’s see the most essential thing. Plot. Do not mistake plot as story. Plot is the structure of a story. You may also call it as a series of events in your story. Same as theme, your story shouldn’t have more than one plot or sub-plots. Plus, your plot shouldn’t be loosely structured, as we’re writing a Short Story where you need to pack only essential elements. If your story is about a beautiful girl named katie, build your plot around her. If Angela is her best friend, keep her as a minor character. Do not tell your readers the history of Angela.
Now, how will you structure your plot?
You can structure it in 5 stages;
1. Exposition-
First comes Exposition. It’s the opening/introduction of your story. Exposition reveals the theme of your story, setting, nature of the characters and overall idea of your story. Begin your story with an ice- breaking sentence so that people get attracted.
2. Rising Action-
It’s the point when your story holds grip and is proceeding towards the climax.
3. Climax-
Climax, as we all know is the peak of excitement in the story.
4. Falling Action-
Here, all the threads start unwinding or your story is proceeding towards the conclusion.
5. Denouement-
Denouement is the conclusion of your story when all confusions are cleared and the purpose of your story is fulfilled. It can be a happy or a sad ending.
So I hope you’ll find this blog helpful! Do comment and let me know if you have any queries.
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