Story Composition

This blog is designed to give short story writers information and encouragement in creating interesting stories. Fans of the short story form of fiction can use the methods explained here to better appreciate the stories they read. Like many types of fiction, short story structure can be analyzed in three easy steps. The one, two and three parts of a story are the introduction, middle and ending. It's easy to list the basic three parts of story writing, but it's another matter to execute them into a interesting story.

The introduction centers on the main character. We find who the character, or protagonist, is by actions he or she shows. Here is where it is critical to follow the important mantra of writing fiction--show me, don't tell me. This idea is preached constantly by creative writing teachers to their students. It means that the character must show his or her character and personality by reacting to various situations.

A good example of showing instead of telling comes from Charles Dickens in his popular classic tale "A Christmas Carol." We see the main character Ebenezer Scrooge talk about his hatred of the Christmas season. He grudgingly grants his clerk a day off for Christmas and complains he is being robbed by his clerk for one day's wages. His nephew invites the old curmudgeon for Christmas festivities. Scrooge rejects the invitation and insults the young man. While walking home, he scares a child who sang carols on the street. You should get the idea that Ebenezer is a very unlikable soul who hates people.

He encounters conflict in the middle of the story when ghosts of his past, present and future show him how dreadful his life is. This is the story conflict that affects Scrooge into changing.

Third part is the ending. In Dickens tale, Ebenezer repents about his selfish actions. His life changes for the better. In each part of the story, we see Ebenezer acting and changing. There is no long explanation (we call it exposition) of who he is or what he does. We see it in the story. "A Christmas Carol" is longer than a short story. It's usually referred to as novella. It is very useful, however, in it's excellent composition, and we will refer to it again in another column.  Also from now until Christmas, we will have interesting information about the origin of the Christmas tree in America and the influence of the Victorian Era on caroling in this country.

 Thank you for taking time to read this. Look for the next installment in about one week.