The plot is the development in the story. One action or event relates to another action or event.
Example: The King died, and the Queen died of grief.
The ‘wh-questions’ are a good means to discover the plot.
Tension (or suspense) relates to the plot. The more (unexpected) things happen, the more tension a reader will experience.
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So...
The exposition is the starting point of the situation in the story.
Then the plot develops: rising action, working its way towards the climax.
The climax of the story is usually towards the end of the story, but not necessarily the end itself. It is the moment all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.
The resolution comes after the falling action: the story comes to an open or closed end.
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Character
Protagonist, main character: usually one or two
Be detailed in your description: jealous, courageous, cheeky, though, strong, weak, etc.
Not a lot of character development in short stories.
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Theme
The theme is the message of the story.
When you know the theme you will understand the story.
Some keywords for themes: love - revenge - redemption - good vs evil
You need to be able to describe the theme, so a theme is more than a keyword.
Stories contain multiple themes
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Setting
Time and place
Examples for place: country, house, room
Examples for time: specific year or era, war time, future, seasons
Sometimes there are no direct references, so look for clues. For example: references to historic events, name of the king/queen, is it inside our outside.
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Narration or Point of view
The narrator is the person or other character who is telling us the story.
Usually it is clear who the narrator is.
Different narration types
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First person or I-narrative
it is told from a particular character's point of view, as they are experiencing it themselves
Usually you don't get the perspectives of other characters.
uses first person pronouns (I, we, me, us)
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Third person narrative
tells the story using third person pronouns (they, their, he, she)
Usually narrated by an outsider, someone who doesn't appear in the story.
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All-knowing or omniscient
The narrator knows all and sees all.
thoughts and feelings of different characters
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Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn’t hold with such nonsense.
A
First person
B
Third person
C
Omniscient
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Call me Ishmael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world.
A
First person
B
Third Person
C
Omniscient
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Margaret, the eldest of the four, was sixteen, and very pretty, being plump and fair, with large eyes, plenty of soft brown hair, a sweet mouth, and white hands, of which she was rather vain. Fifteen-year-old Jo was very tall, thin, and brown, and reminded one of a colt … Elizabeth, or Beth, as everyone called her, was a rosy, smooth-haired, bright-eyed girl of thirteen, with a shy manner, a timid voice, and a peaceful expression, which was seldom disturbed … “
A
First person
B
Third person
C
Omniscient
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Title
The explanation of the title may help you understand the theme of the story.
The author will want to make you think
For example: One Flew over the cuckoo's nest, the Catcher in the Rye.
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Irony
Think of sarcasm. When it is raining and someone tells you: "What a lovely day to be outside."
What you hear or see does not match with reality.
Often used in cases of misfortune: Win the lottery and die the next day Being hit by an ambulance
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What is the irony here?
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What is the irony here?
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Symbolism
A symbol stands for something else, bigger, universal.
It is a literary technique that adds meaning to a short story by using an event or object as a symbol to represent something else.
For example, a gravestone may be a symbol of death since gravestones are associated with death.
Many authors use symbolism to subtly allude to the meaning of something without being obvious.
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When using symbolism, the following would stand for? Black
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When using symbolism, the following would stand for? Butterfly
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Foreshadowing
is a literary device that writers utilize as a means to indicate or hint to readers something that is to follow or appear later in a story.
is an excellent device in terms of creating suspense and dramatic tension for readers.
For example: In Game of Thrones: "Winter Is Coming"