Story Elements Video - Plot to Theme

Elements of a Short Story What makes a great story? You may ask. This video teaches the basic key elements of any story and these elements are; Plot, Characters, Setting, Conflict and Theme. Setting is a key part of a story and it can make or break it. Where and when the events occur, matters. For example, a setting on earth is different from a setting on a plane. Also, the time period is important when coming up with a setting. For instance you wouldn?t narrate a story with cellphones in 1900. Characters are the heart of the story and should be its central focus. The author defines characters through characterization, and this is done by describing to the reader how the character thinks, feels, and generally interacts with the other characters. There is usually conflict between these characters as a result of the difference in their character traits. A conflict between characters is known as character vs. character. However, during storytelling a conflict may arise out of the characters circle of influence, such as rain starting to fall when a character say Elyse is moving out to visit a friend. This conflict is known as Elyse vs. nature. Or a character?s beliefs conflict with those of society, character vs. society. Or a character having conflict within themselves, character vs. self-conflict. The plot is bringing all these things together and it involves five things; exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. Exposition reveals the setting and characters. Rising action introduces the conflict and the story begins. Climax involves the height of that conflict and is usually very suspenseful. Falling action is that part in the story when things start coming to an end. Resolution is the end. The loose ends are tied up and the conflict resolved. Watch his video to learn more about the elements of a short story.