By Staff Writer | Last Updated December 7, 2015
The five elements of a short story are character, plot, setting, conflict and theme. Short stories are works of fiction that are shorter than novels.
The first element of a short story is the character. The character is a person or animal that performs the actions of the story’s plot.
The second element is plot. The plot refers to the events that occur during the story that the character experiences. A plot’s structure consists of the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution.
The third element of the short story is the setting. The setting is the time and place in which the plot occurs. The author can identify setting details for the reader, such as the time period, the season or the type of place where the story takes place. For example, a short story may be set on a farm, in space, on a beach or in a city.
The fourth element of a short story is the conflict. Within the story, there is some sort of problem that needs to be solved, or there is a conflict between two or more characters that needs to be resolved.
The fifth and final element of a story is the theme. The theme is the central idea of the story.
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