Essential Questions For Short Stories
To write a successful short story, it is imperative to answer the essential questions: Plot, Theme, Mood, and Tone. Then, when the story has finished, resolve the questions in a surprising and natural way. Once you have answered the questions above, you can move on to the next step of writing your story: identifying the gist and enduring themes of the story. The final goal of a short story is to leave readers with an understanding or lesson that they can use in their own lives.
Plot
One of the most crucial parts of writing a good story is creating a complex character. The plot is driven by the protagonist’s motivations, so it is important for your character to have both relatable and unique traits, as well as weaknesses. Readers want to identify with your protagonist and root for him or her, so make sure to create a flawed character. In addition, your protagonist needs to struggle with his or her motivations.
Theme
To develop a compelling short story, you should consider the theme. The theme of short stories can be a sad or light one. It can be a universal one or it could be a particular issue or situation. Theme influences everything else in a short story, including how the characters are written and how the setting is decorated. As a writer, it is vital to remain on theme, even as you develop your characters and plot.
Mood
Writers often struggle to choose an appropriate mood for a short story. The words they use in their stories can set the mood. Students should try to figure out which words, phrases, or sentences express the mood of a story. Then, they should use these words to create the same feeling in the story. They can use short descriptive passages from recent classroom texts, public libraries, or websites. You can use both methods or a combination of both.
Tone
When evaluating a short story, tone is an important element. There are many types of tone. Whether the story is a short poem or a novel, the tone of a text can be derived from word choice, language, setting, foreshadowing, and irony. To create a more effective tone analysis, use specific examples from the short story to guide your analysis. Once you’ve identified the main tone, write down the details that show the different levels of the tone.
Characters
What makes a short story compelling? Ultimately, your readers want to know why this character did not act the way they did. This will help you identify your story’s central themes and gist. Here are three essential questions to ask when writing a short story. A good story is well-structured and answers these questions with a strong plot. But how do you make that happen? How do you make sure your readers know what to expect when reading your story?
Plot vs. theme
While the two elements of a short story often overlap, the difference between plot and theme is stark. While a plot is the actual sequence of events in a story, a theme is an abstract argument that proposes truth about reality. Plots are often interwoven, and it’s possible to link them with intuitive phrasing. Here are some ways to distinguish between the two elements. Let’s take a closer look.
Anachronisms
While some writers make an effort to avoid such anachronisms, others fail to see them as a problem. In Jane Gaskell’s Atlan novels, for example, ostensible humans coexist with dinosaurs. While their ancestors didn’t live on the same continent as the story’s setting, these humans are able to fly and use tools like ice picks and fishing poles. Anachronisms in fiction can also be subtle.