| |
Elements of Short Stories
by
Carol Whiteley
Tags
No tags are currently set for this article.
- Dialogue develops characters and furthers plot
- A short story usually has only one viewpoint
- Short story endings should satisfy the reader
Dialogue
Good fiction that contains no dialogue, only pure narration, does exist, but well-written, realistic dialogue can be a great addition to the telling of any story. After all, dialogue is conversation, and what better way to tell a story than by having the characters speak the words? If a plot is peopled with interesting, appealing characters, it is very likely that readers will want to know what they have to say.
Dialogue serves two purposes in a short story (and in other fiction formats as well)—to deepen our understanding of the characters and their personalities and to further develop the plot.
Through dialogue readers add another important layer to their picture of the author’s fictional creations, get a clearer idea of the plot as characters talk about incidents or conflicts and say how they feel about them, and are better able to differentiate among these characters. Dialogue also works to liven up any scene and gives it a greater sense of reality.
When characters speak, they give us an indirect line into their minds and their makeup. In fact, author Rita Mae Brown calls fictional speech a “literary biopsy.” It shows if characters are argumentative or easygoing, if they’re happy or sad, what they like and don’t like, their goals and dreams, how educated they are, where they come from, whether they’re eccentric or down-home, their fears and their past. Everything about characters can be revealed in their speech.
A related literary device is the monologue—when a character talks to him- or herself. Interior monologues and dialogues can point out a character’s uncertainty, inner turmoil, feelings of self-worth or self-loathing, excitement, and anger—the full range of emotions and thoughts.
Viewpoint
Viewpoint is another area in which short stories and longer fiction often differ. While a novel may have several viewpoints—in Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain, both of the lead characters tell us their take on the fascinating story of how they met, separated, and eventually reconnected—the short story generally doesn’t have the luxury of space in which to do this. Varying viewpoints can also disrupt the strong, immediate identification that readers need to feel with short-story characters.
|
|
|