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Short Stories

Writing a Short Story

Construct the Plot

1. GET AN IDEA for your story –

It is difficult to write convincingly about things you don’t know first hand; therefore, draw upon real experiences as much as possible. Try to think of an unusual, humourous or unforgettable event.  Perhaps you can set your story in an interesting place you’ve actually visited – or set your story around a scene you’ve witnessed.

2. Identify the main CONFLICT on which your story will be based. 

3. Decide what COMPLICATIONS you will use to add to the intensity of the conflict.  What unexpected events will interfere with the plans of your character?  What occurrences will increase the reader’s involvement in the character’s problem?  How can you create suspense?  Make sure the complications you add are believable.

4. Decide on the CLIMAX.  The reader should be anxious to know how the problem will be resolved.  Remember that the climax comes very near the end of the story.  The conclusion which follows should be brief; you will ruin the story if you drag out the ending.

Create the Characters

Your characters should be convincing and lifelike.  A character should be revealed in a variety of ways.  Do not simply describe him/her to the reader.  Let him reveal himself by what he says, does, thinks.  Or let the character be developed by the attitude of others toward him, shown by their actions and their conversation.  SHOW, don’t tell. 

Beginning the Story

Whatever way you begin your story, you must capture the reader’s interest. 

Begin with :

-         a conversation between two characters with some indication of the setting

-         a description of the main character – emphasizing the key trait that will be seen in the story.

-         Describe an interesting feature of the setting.

Remember that the mood/atmosphere should be established in the beginning.

Choose a point of View

Do you want a character in the story to tell the events (first person p.o.v)?

Do you want a 3^rd person omniscient (all knowing) narrator – who can see into the minds of the characters and describe several characters’ emotions and thoughts?

Revising

1. Is the beginning effective?  Does it harmonize with the general tone of the story?  Will it arouse interest in the reader?
2. Is the conflict sharp enough to be interesting?  Is the complication plausible?
3. Does the action leading up to the climax create genuine suspense?
4. Have you made good use of contrast in your characters?
5. Is the story unnecessarily drawn out after the climax?
6. Is there enough dialogue, or could you heighten interest by making your characters talk more?  Does your dialogue help define the character and advance the plot?
7. Have you used effective synonyms for SAID?
8. Have you employed figurative language for description where it would be effective?
9. Is your title suggestive? Is it brief?  Does it reveal too much?

Happy Writing!

Developing a "real character"

Short Story Writing

Quantity Assignment #1 Due: ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!

Description Prose

Description

Descriptive writing answers the question, “What is it like?” Description underlies all effective writing and is, inevitably, embedded in most other types of writing.  Through description the writer helps the reader to better understand the object, the process, place or event about which they are writing. 

Description is not a list of details; it’s not the passive experience of sitting back and looking at a scene.  It’s the story of a character’s encounter with a person, place or thing.

Observation:  Careful observation of details answers the question

WHAT IS IT LIKE?

Word Choice:  One precise adjective will serve better than four carelessly chosen.

                        Words must show as well as tell.

Element of Surprise: Challenge the reader to see something in a new way or context.

Make an impression:  Concentrate on one dominant impression that you wish to leave the reader with.

-          what it looked like

-          how it felt

-          what it meant

-          what it was worth

-          what people do with it

-          distinctive markings or

Precision:  Be as precise as possible in the description.

-          there are five senses: touch, smell, taste, sound, sight.  Appeal to your reader’s senses by making him/her feel, smell, taste and hear as well as see what you are describing. 

-          There are two other senses: thermal [temperature] and kinetic [movement]

Organized:  organize information in a way most appropriate to the subject i.e.

-          SPACE [inside to outside, front to back, etc.]

-          ASPECT [focus on one aspect, such as colour, then move on to another characteristic, like texture]

-          PERSPECTIVE [multiple perspectives paint a more complete picture of that subject; when describing wars, you could include the perspective of more experienced soldiers vs. fresh new recruits; the enemy and the allies = comparative descriptions]

-          Arrange your details in some kind of logical order that is significant

o       Inner-outer

o       Outer-inner

o       Top-bottom

o       Bottom-top

o       Edge-centre

o       Centre-edge

o       Present-past

o       Past

Resources:  Use a thesaurus (electronic or print) and dictionary to find vivid words for your piece.

Literary Devices:  Use devices such as similes, metaphors, personification etc. to make abstract concepts or unfamiliar subjects more concrete, more visual to your reader. 

WATCH OUT!

Avoid clichés:  This is part of being specific.  Clichés are tired and hurt your writing’s originality and precision. 

“He ran like a madman, she was as pretty as a summer’s day, Bob fought like a tiger…” Find some other way to visualize the scene or appeal to a different sense.  If you can’t picture it, how will you enable your reader to do so?