Short Story Terminology 101

Short Story Terminology 101

“A review, and some noobies.”

The Protagonist

The Protagonist is the character that all the events in the story revolve around. This is

the “main character.”

The AntagonistThe antagonist is the

character, thing, or idea that opposes the protagonist.

The antagonist causes a CONFLICT for the protagonist.

Round CharacterWe are given information about round characters that make them complex. We see that they have conflicting thoughts, or they may act in ways that are contradictory.

*The protagonist is often a round character as this is who we are given the most information about.

Flat CharacterWe are not given a “full picture” of flat characters. We only see one side of them, and they are often judged as “good” or “bad.”

Dynamic Character• These characters show

that they change in a significant way throughout the story. They are different in their views, or beliefs, by the conclusion. This change, or movement, is often caused by an epiphany (the light bulb going off).

Static Character• A static character

remains consistent in their views, actions, and opinions throughout the story. They are the same at the end as they were at the beginning.

Beginning= Evil

End= Evil

Newbie (Noobie?) Terms:

CONFLICT*The struggle between opposing forces

in a story. This is usually a clash between the protagonist and antagonist.

*We will focus on 3 types of conflict.

Character versus character

This type of conflict involves two characters.

(Ex. Rumplestiltskin vs. his father.)

Character versus Environment

This type of conflict involves a character “battling” his or her surroundings. (ex. A character struggles against the political ideologies of her family, or country.)

Character versus SelfThis type of conflict involves a character

battling him/herself.(Ex. A character is battling his addiction and “fights himself” to control this.)

Plot DevelopmentThere are 5 stages of plot development that

we will focus on.

1. IntroductionThis is where the writer presents the

information needed to understand the events to follow. The scene is set, and the character(s) are introduced in this stage.

2. ComplicationThis is the event in the story that introduces

the conflict.

Ex. Flick spills the seeds collected for the Grasshoppers.

3. Rising ActionThis is the series of events that move the

plot forward. These events lead up to the climax of the story.

Ex. 1. Seeds thrown out. 2. A beanstalk grows. 3. Jack climbs the beanstalk. 4. Jack steals from the Giant.

4. ClimaxThis is the point of the highest interest in

terms of the conflict. “What will happen?”

Ex. Will James Bond, who is tied to a table, escape, or will he be sliced in half by the laser?

5. Denouement“The untying of the knot.” These are the

events that tell us how the story ends, and wrap things up.

The End.