Short Stories – Types of Texts | Elementary
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)
• Can be read in 1 sitting
Few characters
• 1 or 2 main characters
• Easily identifiable and relatable
Limited setting
• 1 or 2 locations
• Only necessary details are given
Focused plot
• Centered on 1 idea, incident or conflict
• Revolve around the main character
Strong themes
• Explore big ideas and themes
→ For example: coming of age, courage, identity
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
