Session 3

Introduction to
Short Story
LevelUp Online Tutorials
Short Review

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Sharing of Favorite
Short Story

Any volunteer who you’d like

to share their favorite story in
the class.

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Watch and Listen
to a Short Story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxcGVCEEdcU&ab_channel=EnglishFairyTales WRITE UP: CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP

 Answer the
following questions
What is the title of the story?
Who are the characters of the story?
Where did the story happen?
What happened in the story?
What is the problem in the story?
What is the lesson of the story?

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 Short Story as a Genre
What is a Short Story?
A short story is fictional work of
prose that is shorter in length
than a novel. The format of short
story is often narrative that
tends to be more pointed than
longer works of fiction, such as
novellas (in the 20th and 21st
century sense) and novels or
books. This is a form of prose
fiction, a creative non-poetic
kind of composition.
Edgar Allan Poe
In his essay "The Philosophy of
Composition," said that “a short
story should be read in one
sitting, anywhere from a half
hour to two hours.” In
contemporary fiction, a short
story can range from 1,000 to
20,000 words.
Short Story has been defined in
different ways such as:
A piece of fictional writing usually less
than 5000 words that contains these
basic elements: characters, setting,
plot, conflict, resolution, climax,
dialogue, protagonist, and
antagonist.
The short story resembles the longer
novel but generally has a simpler plot
and setting. In addition, the short
story tends to reveal character at a
crucial moment rather than to
develop it through many incidents.
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Writing Good Titles for Short Stories

Drawing Inspiration from the Story

Draw inspiration from a key theme of the story.
Name the title after an important setting.
Choose a title inspired by a pivotal event in the story.
Base the title on your book’s main character.
Name the title after a memorable line in the story.

https://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Good-Story-Title WRITE UP: CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP

Writing Good Titles for Short Stories
Drawing Inspiration from Elsewhere
Research.
Check out your own bookshelves.
Use an allusion
Use your memories and experience in
places you've rarely go

https://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Good-Story-Title WRITE UP: CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP

Writing Good Titles for Short Stories
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

Create a genre-appropriate title

Limit the length
Make it interesting

https://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Good-Story-Title WRITE UP: CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP

Examples of Good Short Story Titles
Titles are another important part of the short story. A dull title might put readers off, an
interesting title can make a good impression and make a reader want to read on.

Ang Madyik When the Ang Unang

Silya ni Elephants Baboy Sa
Titoy Dance Langit
by Rene O. Villanueva

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Is everything
clear so far?

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Elements of Short Stories
Characters
Setting
Conflict
Theme
Plot

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 Elements of Short Stories
CHARACTERS
What is Character? Types of Character
A character is a person, animal, Major Characters
being, creature, or thing in a Protagonist
story. Writers use characters to Antagonist
perform the actions and speak Minor characters
dialogue, moving the story along Foil
a plot line. A story can have only Static
one character (protagonist) and Dynamic
still be a complete story. Flat
Round
Stock

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 CHARACTERS
Types of Character
Major Character - These are the most important characters in the story. There are
two types, of which there may be a couple for each.

Protagonist
This is the main character, around which
the whole story revolves. The decisions
made by this character will be affected by
a conflict from within, or externally
through another character, nature,
technology, society, or the fates/God.
Antagonist
This character, or group of characters, causes
the conflict for the protagonist. However, the
antagonist could be the protagonist, who is
torn by a problem within. Most times,
something external is causing the problem. A
group of people causing the conflict would be
considered society, perhaps the members of a
team, community, or institution.

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 CHARACTERS
Types of Character
Minor Character - These are the other characters in a story. They are not as important
as the major characters, but still play a large part in the story. Their actions help drive
the story forward. They may impact the decisions the protagonist or antagonist make,
either helping or interfering with the conflict.
Dynamic - characters change throughout the story. They may
learn a lesson, become bad, or change in complex ways.
Flat - character has one or two main traits, usually only all positive
or negative. They are the opposite of a round character. The flaw
or strength has its use in the story.
Round - these are the opposite of the flat character. These
characters have many different traits, good and bad, making them
more interesting.

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 FAST TALK
Protagonist
or
Antagonist
 SETTING
What is Setting?
Setting is the time and place (or
when and where) of the story. It’s a
literary element of literature used in
novels, short stories, plays, films, etc.,
and usually introduced during the
exposition (beginning) of the story,
along with the characters.

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 SETTING
What is Setting?
Setting is the time and place (or
when and where) of the story. It’s a
literary element of literature used in
novels, short stories, plays, films, etc.,
and usually introduced during the
exposition (beginning) of the story,
along with the characters.

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 SETTING
time
Cinderella as a young girl, long ago in the past

place
Cinderella’s home in a kingdom far away

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 CONFLICT
What is Conflict?
Conflict is essential to plot.
Without conflict there is no plot.
It is the opposition of forces
which ties one incident to
another and makes the plot
move.
two categories of conflict
External - A struggle with a force
outside one's self.
Internal - A struggle within one's
self; a person must make some
decision, overcome pain, quiet
his/her temper, resist an urge,
etc.
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The 6 Types of Literary Conflict
1. Character vs. Self
This is an internal conflict, meaning that the opposition the character faces is coming from
within. This may entail a struggle to discern what the moral or “right” choice is, or it may also
encompass mental health struggles.

2. Character vs. Character

This is a common type of conflict in which one character’s needs or wants are at odds with
another’s.

3. Character vs. Nature

In a nature conflict, a character is set in opposition to nature. This can mean the weather, the
wilderness, or a natural disaster.

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The 6 Types of Literary Conflict
4. Character vs. Supernatural
Pitting characters against phenomena like ghosts, gods, or monsters raises the stakes of a
conflict by creating an unequal playing field. Supernatural conflict also covers characters, like
Harry Potter or Odysseus, who have a fate or destiny and struggle to accept the sacrifices that
come along with it.
5. Character vs. Technology
In this case, a character is in conflict with some kind of technology.
6. Character vs. Society
A character vs. society conflict is an external conflict that occurs in literature when the
protagonist is placed in opposition with society, the government, or a cultural tradition or
societal norm of some kind. Characters may be motivated to take action against their society
by a need to survive, a moral sense of right and wrong, or a desire for happiness, freedom,
justice, or love.

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How to Create Conflict in Your Writing?
To create conflict for your protagonist, you’ll need forces of antagonism that work
against them. In genre writing, antagonists are usually arch-villains, but they don’t
have to be people—they can be any oppositional element that thwarts your
character’s main desire. In crafting this conflict, it’s helpful to remember some
basic principles of antagonism.

The stronger the forces of antagonism are, the more well-developed

your character will become.
The conflict should be tailored to your protagonist’s main desire.
Antagonism has to increase with time, or you’ll lose the reader’s
interest.

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 THEME
What is a Theme?
The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its central
insight. It is the author's underlying meaning or main idea that
he is trying to convey. The theme may be the author's thoughts
about a topic or view of human nature.
The title of the short story usually points to what the writer is
saying and he may use various figures of speech to emphasize
his theme, such as: symbol, allusion, simile, metaphor,
hyperbole, or irony.

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 THEME
Some simple examples of common themes from
literature, TV, and film are:
- Things are not always as they appear to be
- Love is blind
- Believe in yourself
- People are afraid of change
- Don't judge a book by its cover

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Activity: Jumbled Letters

EHEtM
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Activity: Jumbled Letters

rerthacac
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Activity: Jumbled Letters

gistetsn
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Activity: Jumbled Letters

fiolnct
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Activity: Jumbled Letters

LOPT
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Quick Checklist of Narrative Elements:
The major elements of a narrative are as follows:
Setting is the "where" and 'when" of the story or novel.

Characters are the "who."

Conflict is the "what." (What is the problem?)

Theme is the "why." (The author's message and one of the reasons why the author wrote
the story or novel.)

Plot is the "how." (How is the conflict developed and resolved (also known as the
resolution) - WILL BE FURTHER DISCUSSED TOMORROW!

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 ACTIVITY:
Planning
Your Short
Story!

English Class | Laredo York Primary School

 Thank you for
joining today's class.

English Class | Laredo York Primary School

 https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-conflict-in-literature-6-different-types-of-literary-conflict-
and-how-to-create-conflict-in-writing#how-to-create-conflict-in-your-writing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxcGVCEEdcU&ab_channel=EnglishFairyTales

Resources https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-conflict-in-literature-6-different-types-of-literary-
conflict-and-how-to-create-conflict-in-writing#how-to-create-conflict-in-your-writing

https://literaryterms.net/setting/

https://literaryterms.net/character/

https://literaryterms.net/theme/