Distinguishing Features of the Short Story
The short story should:
be short enough to read in one sitting;
be streamlined: aimed at one single, unified effect and one plot;
have few main characters;
cover a short span of time;
take up a highly dramatic or crucial moment in the lives of its characters;
focus on plot and characters and then setting;
clearly present either a writer's or a character's tone
contain the ten elements + irony