What Are Short Stories?

Short stories, just like the name says, are stories that are short. They focus on one main idea or event and can generally be read in one sitting.

What Are the Features of Short Stories?

Here are the key features found in most short stories.
Keep in mind that not all short stories contain all of these features.

Short length	1000 to 10 00 words (3 to 30 pages)
Short length	Can be read in 1 sitting
Few characters	1 or 2 main characters
Few characters	Easily identifiable and relatable
Limited setting	1 or 2 locations
Limited setting	Only necessary details are given
Focused plot	Centered on 1 idea, incident or conflict
Focused plot	Revolve around the main character
Strong themes	Explore big ideas and themes → For example: coming of age, courage, identity

Representation of short story features. A text measured by a ruler for short length. A physician, an adventurer and an astronaut for characters. Map pointers for limited settings. A smiling light bulb surrounded by circles for focused plot. A person becoming a grown up and a scale for strong themes.

What Can We Expect to Find in a Short Story?

Here are some examples of storytelling elements often found in short stories.

Twist ending	Presents an unexpected turn of events
	Changes the reader’s perspective
	Creates surprise
	Reinforces themes
Open ending	Presents an ending that leaves parts of the story unresolved
	Leaves room for interpretation
	Sparks discussion
Starts in the middle of things	Places the reader in the middle of the action
	Literary device is known as in media res* Latin for into the middle of things*.
	Grabs reader’s attention
	Creates tension & mystery
Unreliable narrator	A narrator that misleads the reader
	Often used with a first-person narrator
	Creates suspense, surprise and plot twists

Representations of short story elements. A path going to a different place than expected, with a reader surprised by the twist ending. A path ending in ellipses with a reader wondering about the open ending. A path with the beginning indicated in the middle and a happy reader because the story starts in the middle (in media res). A smirking face coming out of a text with a perplexed reader due to the unreliable narrator.

Short Stories at a Glance

Summary of the short story features and the common elements. The key features are short length (under 1000 words), few characters, limited settings, the plot being focused and strong themes like justice, love and belonging. The common elements are twist endings, open endings, starting in the middle of things and having an unreliable narrator.

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What Are Short Stories?

What Are the Features of Short Stories?

What Can We Expect to Find in a Short Story?

Short Stories at a Glance

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