2.1 Elements of a Story - Setting and Character

Learning Targets

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to say YES to the following questions.

• Can I understand the definitions of key elements of a story?
• Can I identify key elements of a story and understand their importance?

Recipe for a Good Short Story

You are going to get to cook up your own short story.

Before you get cooking, it is important to know what makes a good story.

The key ingredients are:

Setting

Characters

Conflict

Plot

Theme

Go to your Short Story Journal and do Journal #1: Short Story vs. Book.

Setting

Setting is the WHERE and WHEN a story takes place.

WHERE can be anywhere on Earth from a deserted island to a dessert factory. A story can also be set in alternate universe or another planet altogether!

WHEN can be any time. It can be in the past, present or the future. It can be morning, noon or night. It can be in summer, spring, winter or fall.

Setting is important because it helps you create the story in your mind. If the story takes place in Antarctica, then you will think of snow and cold. If the story takes place in Brazil, then you will think of sun and heat. You get very different images in your mind.

Time is also important. If the story is set in the present you will visualize people dressing, acting and thinking as we do now. You would visualize things differently if the time period was back in the 1920s versus the futuristic 2900s.

Watch the video below:

Next, go to your Short Story Journal and do Journal #2: Change of Setting!

Characters

Short stories are more concentrated compared to books. Only key characters will be introduced and there are usually just a handful. The important players are a protagonist and antagonist. The protagonist is the main character and their journey is the focus of the story. The antagonist is often seen as the "villain" because they work against the protagonist.

Watch this video below.

Then go to your Short Story Journal and do Journal #3: Best Protagonist Ever!