Lesson 1 What is Short Story? A short story is fictional work of prose that is shorter in length than a novel. Edgar Allan Poe, in his essay "The Philosophy of Composition," said that a short story should be read in one sitting, anywhere from a half hour to two hours. In contemporary fiction, a short story can range from 1,000 to 20,000 words. Because of the shorter length, a short story usually focuses on one plot, one main character (with a few additional minor characters), and one central theme, whereas a novel can tackle multiple plots and themes, with a variety of prominent characters. Short stories also lend themselves more to experimentation — that is, using uncommon prose styles or literary devices to tell the story. Such uncommon styles or devices might get tedious, and downright annoying, in a novel, but they may work well in a short story.
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Lesson 2 Literary Terms
Basic Terms |
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Four types of Characters |
Major characters: always are round characters. Minor characters: always are flat characters. |
Irony |
Irony is about expectations. It is a statement that intends to express the opposite of what was stated.
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Point of View |
Point of view is the angle of considering things, which shows us the opinion, or feelings of the individuals involved in a situation. In literature, point of view is the mode of narration that an author employs to let the readers “hear” and “see” what takes place in a story, poem, essay etc.
Point of view is a reflection of the opinion an individual from real life or fiction can have. Examples of point of view belong to one of these three major kinds: 1. First person point of view involves the use of either of the two pronouns “I” and “we”.
The third person point of view is divided into three subcategories: 1. The objective third person, in which the narrator knows or reveals nothing about the characters' internal thoughts, feelings, and motivations but sticks to the external facts of the story (as in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter) 2. The limited third person, in which the narrator describes the internal thoughts, feelings, and motivations of one character, usually the main character (as in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series) 3. The omniscient third person, in which the narrator knows and at least partially reveals the internal thoughts, feelings, and motivations of all the characters (as in E.B. White's Charlotte's Web) |
Lesson 3 Some Famous Authors and Their Short Stories
1. Edgar Allen Poe
Edgar Allen Poe (Born January 19, 1809 - October 7, 1849), was an American author, poet, editor, and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. He is probably the most famous Engish Short Story writer of all time. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story, and is generally considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre. He is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction. He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.
His works include (You can find some of these work in the extra sources section):
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△Edgar Allen Poe--IN POPULAR CULTURE△
As a character
The historical Edgar Allan Poe has appeared as a fictionalized character, often representing the "mad genius" or "tormented artist" and exploiting his personal struggles. Many such depictions also blend in with characters from his stories, suggesting Poe and his characters share identities. Often, fictional depictions of Poe use his mystery-solving skills in such novels as The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl. Poe Toaster Adding to the mystery surrounding Poe's death, an unknown visitor affectionately referred to as the "Poe Toaster" paid homage at Poe's grave annually beginning in 1949. As the tradition carried on for more than 60 years, it is likely that the "Poe Toaster" was actually more than one individual, though the tribute was always the same. Every January 19, in the early hours of the morning, the person made a toast of cognac to Poe's original grave marker and left three roses. Members of the Edgar Allan Poe Society in Baltimore helped protect this tradition for decades. On August 15, 2007, Sam Porpora, a former historian at the Westminster Church in Baltimore where Poe is buried, claimed that he had started the tradition. Porpora said that the tradition began in 1949 in order to raise money and enhance the profile of the church. His story has not been confirmed, and some details he gave to the press have been pointed out as factually inaccurate. The Poe Toaster's last appearance was on January 19, 2009, the day of Poe's bicentennial. |
2. F. Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigmatic writings of the Jazz Age. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost Generation" of the 1920s. If you want a recommendation for his greatest two short stories, I suggest reading “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” and “The Diamond As Big As The Ritz”. You won’t be disappointed.
Short story collections
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3. O. Henry
William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American writer. O. Henry's short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization, and surprise endings.
Among his most famous stories are:
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4. Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of contemporary horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, science fiction, and fantasy. His short story "The Man in the Black Suit" (1994) received the O. Henry Award. He has written 8 story collections and a total of 124 short stories and 17 Novellas in his career. He was also selected to be the editor of The Best American Short Stories of 2007, and also won the O. Henry Award in 1996.
What can we learn from Stephen King? King's formula for learning to write well is: "Read and write four to six hours a day. If you cannot find the time for that, you can't expect to become a good writer." He sets out each day with a quota of 2000 words and will not stop writing until it is met. He also has a simple definition for talent in writing: "If you wrote something for which someone sent you a check, if you cashed the check and it didn't bounce, and if you then paid the light bill with the money, I consider you talented." Some Short Stories works of Stephen King
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Lesson 4 Useful Ways to Analyze a Short Story
1. Character Analysis
Character is a very important element in a short story. It shows the developing and changing in plot most directly. A short story without round and vivid main characters cannot be recognized as a good work. In other words, having great characterization is the basic requirement of a short story. Therefore, by analyzing the characters in a short story is the most effective way to understand the development in the story and the themes the author wants to convey. A character analysis can be long or short, as long as you emphasis how the character contributes to the development of the plot and how it is presented uniquely.
How to write a efficient character analysis? 1. Understanding the personality of the character. 2. Finding out what role the character plays in the story (Protagonist? Antagonist? Foil?). 3. Knowing the development and changing of the character throughout the whole story. 4. Analysis what impacts he/she makes on other characters and the surrounding. Assignment: Download the file below and read it. Write a character analysis for one character in The Fall of the House of Usher. Pay attention to the qualities of a character analysis mentioned above when you are writing. |
![](http://www.weebly.com/weebly/images/file_icons/pdf.png)
usher.pdf | |
File Size: | 149 kb |
File Type: |
2. Plot Diagram
Plot diagram is very useful for analyzing a short story, which has been introduced in the memoir section. Try to fill up the diagram below after reading The Fall of Th
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Lesson 5 Tips for Writing Your Own Short Story
who, what, where, why, how, when Have a try! |
Self-Evaluation
Now you have finished this unit of short story study! Check if you have fully understand the importance points of this short story unit.
Lesson 1 Introduction
What is a short story? What are the characteristics of a short story that make it different from the other forms of literature?
Lesson 2 Literary Terms
You need to be familiar with all the basic terms mentioned in this lesson. Also check: what are the four types of characters? What are the functions of them respectively? What are the three types of irony? How many kinds of point of view are there? What are the characteristics of them?
Lesson 3 Some famous short stories authors and their works
You need to be familiar with Edgar Allen Poe, O. Henry, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Stephen King. What are their writing styles respectively?
Lesson 4 Two useful ways to analyze a short story
You should be able to use character analysis and plot diagram to analyze a short story work.
I hope you enjoyed your learning and have really learned something useful. Let's move on to the next section!
Now you have finished this unit of short story study! Check if you have fully understand the importance points of this short story unit.
Lesson 1 Introduction
What is a short story? What are the characteristics of a short story that make it different from the other forms of literature?
Lesson 2 Literary Terms
You need to be familiar with all the basic terms mentioned in this lesson. Also check: what are the four types of characters? What are the functions of them respectively? What are the three types of irony? How many kinds of point of view are there? What are the characteristics of them?
Lesson 3 Some famous short stories authors and their works
You need to be familiar with Edgar Allen Poe, O. Henry, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Stephen King. What are their writing styles respectively?
Lesson 4 Two useful ways to analyze a short story
You should be able to use character analysis and plot diagram to analyze a short story work.
I hope you enjoyed your learning and have really learned something useful. Let's move on to the next section!
Reference
"10 Greatest American Short Story Writers." Listverse. <http://listverse.com/2009/07/30/10-greatest-american-short-story-writers/>.
"13 Best Stephen King Short Stories of All Time." <Whatculture. http://whatculture.com/books/13-best-stephen-king-short-stories-of-all- time.php>.
"Point of View." Literary Devices. <http://literarydevices.net/point-of-view/>.
"Point of View in Fiction: First Person, Third Person & More." Study.com <http://study.com/academy/lesson/point-of-view-in-fiction-first- person-third-person-more.html>.
"What is the definition of Short story?" CliffsNotes. <http://www.cliffsnotes.com/cliffsnotes/literature/what-is-a-definition-of-short-story>.
"10 Greatest American Short Story Writers." Listverse. <http://listverse.com/2009/07/30/10-greatest-american-short-story-writers/>.
"13 Best Stephen King Short Stories of All Time." <Whatculture. http://whatculture.com/books/13-best-stephen-king-short-stories-of-all- time.php>.
"Point of View." Literary Devices. <http://literarydevices.net/point-of-view/>.
"Point of View in Fiction: First Person, Third Person & More." Study.com <http://study.com/academy/lesson/point-of-view-in-fiction-first- person-third-person-more.html>.
"What is the definition of Short story?" CliffsNotes. <http://www.cliffsnotes.com/cliffsnotes/literature/what-is-a-definition-of-short-story>.