Components of a short story plot include the introduction or beginning, the rising action, the climax which occurs about two thirds through the story, and the falling action that leads to the final conclusion and denouement. This outline is a useful skeleton for authors to base their stories upon in order to make sure their story includes a sound structure that flows and moves the action along.
Choosing an appropriate setting for your short story is important, as this creates the fictional world where your tale will unfold and your characters will frolic. In order to establish the setting of the story, you must decide on factors including the date and time frame of the story, the season and weather conditions, the geographical place where the action occurs and the social conditions.
Characters are the people populating the world of your short story and are the driving force of your plot. The main character is the protagonist, and the story is often told through their point of view. The antagonist is the character whose central role is to provide conflict, in some form, to the protagonist. Often short stories will only include a small group of characters, as the reduced length of the short story does not allow for the writer to digress into subplots with minor characters.
The point of view is the perspective through which the short story is told or narrated. The two most common point of view used in short stories are third person limited-omniscient and first person. Third person is when the tale is communicated by a person unknown who does not take part in the story, but closely follows the events occurring, focusing on specific characters at specific times. First person point of view is when the story is seen through the eyes of a character within the story, primarily the protagonist, and the readers are privy to the thoughts and feelings of that character and only that character.