Short Story Boot Camp
- 1. Short Story Boot CampTen Hut
- 2. Words to KnowAnalyze separating a thing into parts & examining those individual partsDiction word choice; can be formal/informal, common/technical, or abstract/concreteStyle made up of diction, tone, figurative language, grammatical structure, sentence length, and organization it is the WAY an author writesTone what a writer says and feels about his/her subject, characters, or audience
- 3. Words to KnowImagery word picturesConnotation the suggested meaning of wordsDenotation the dictionary meaning of wordsMood the feeling created in the readerIrony contrast b/w what is stated and what is meant, or b/w what is expected to happen and what actually happensTheme central message or insight into life
- 4. Words to KnowArchetypes patterns in literature found around the world(ex. character types such as mysterious guides, wise old man, evil person, etc.)Inference drawing a conclusion
- 5. Five Major Literary Devices (Elements)CharacterizationSettingPlotPoint of viewTheme
- 6. Character2 Types of Conflict:Internal the struggle in a characters own mind b/w opposing needs, desires, or emotionsExternal a characters struggles against an outside force2 Types of Characters:Static/Flat do not change much in the course of the storyDynamic/Round changes as a result of the storys events
- 7. Character2 Methods of CharacterizationDirect the writer tells us directly what a character is like or what a persons motives areIndirect the writer shows us a character but allows us to interpret for ourselves the kind of person we are reading about
- 8. 5 Methods of Indirect CharacterizationSpeech what does the character sayAppearance how do they lookPrivate thoughts How other characters in the story feel about themACTIONS actions always speak louder than words
- 9. SettingWhat does the writer tell you? What the writer mentions is important.Time and placeNatural world weather: sky, cloudy, misty, rainy, etc.Seasons autumn, spring, winter, summerCreatures soil, bugs, etc.Manufactured Places (Objects of Humans) man-made objects, homes, cars, factories, dams
- 10. SettingCulture historical period, religion, beliefs, traditions, etc.Setting creates mood (atmosphere). The setting creates the way we feel about a place, it takes us there.Setting is important to help in finding symbolism. It can also help in understanding irony.
- 11. PlotConflict is what drives the story. Conflict is the tension, angst, or struggle within the story.Exposition the background information the author givesComplications/Rising Action are problems that dont get resolved (bumps in the road)
- 12. PlotPlot describes the conflictCrisis/Climax a decision is reached, and the tension is released in the resolutionIt is important to understand how the events lead to the crisisResolution occurs after the crisis, it is the process of releasing or resolving the tension from the crisis
- 13. Point of ViewWhat doe the point of view tell us about what the writer has to say?Is the narrator reliable or not?First person IThird person limited, the narrator is limited to talking about one characterOmniscient narrator knows thoughts of all characters; all knowing narrator