Writing Workshop Writing a Short Story Feature Menu

Writing Workshop Writing a Short Story Feature Menu Assignment Prewriting Find a Story Idea Plan Your Story Practice and Apply

Writing a Short Story Assignment: Write a short story in which you use your imagination to express yourself and entertain others. Have you ever had an exciting experience and thought to yourself, “This would make a good story”? Ideas for stories are everywhere—in your own life, in other people’s lives, and in your imagination. Here is your chance to try out one of those ideas and write your own short story.

Writing a Short Story Prewriting: Find a Story Idea A short story is a work of fiction, but it can be based on real events. Think about events • in the world an earthquake; a heroic water rescue • in your life competing in a talent show; welcoming a baby brother • in someone else’s life an aunt’s wilderness adventure; a neighbor’s brush with stardom

Writing a Short Story Prewriting: Find a Story Idea Use your imagination for story ideas. Dream up • people and animals a quirky young princess; a man who sleeps standing up • places and worlds a city in 2050; an icy planet • adventures and problems coming face to face with an crocodile; opening a soup kitchen

Writing a Short Story Prewriting: Plan Your Story Every story has five basic ingredients: • Plot—What happens in the story? • Characters—Who are the people in your story? • Point of View—Who will narrate, or tell, your story? • Setting—Where and when does your story take place? • Theme—What idea about life does your story illustrate?

Writing a Short Story Prewriting: Plan Your Story Plot Build the plot of your short story around a conflict, a struggle between opposing forces. External conflict Internal conflict

Writing a Short Story Prewriting: Plan Your Story Plot and External Conflicts Character versus character Hector and his best friend James are both trying for first prize in the school talent show. Character versus environment Miguel gets caught in a blizzard and must find ways to stay warm until help arrives. Character versus situation Cynthia battles city hall to start a meal delivery service for seniors in her community.

Writing a Short Story Prewriting: Plan Your Story Plot and Internal Conflict Character versus himself or herself (a struggle between conflicting ideas and feelings within a character) David wants to take Tasha to the dance, but he has already committed to babysitting that night.

Writing a Short Story Prewriting: Plan Your Story Elements of Plot • Exposition—introduction of characters and conflict • Rising action—events leading to the climax • Climax—emotional high point of the story • Resolution—outcome of conflict tion c a g Risin Exposition Event Climax Event Resolution

Writing a Short Story Prewriting: Plan Your Story Developing Plot Use narrative details to bring your story to life. Describe your characters’ • actions • movements • gestures • feelings a buzz in the auditorium; students from every grade filing in, carrying costumes and props; Hector and James waving to each other but sitting on different sides of the room

Writing a Short Story Prewriting: Plan Your Story Arranging Plot Events Arrange the events in chronological order, the order in which they actually occur. Use flashbacks to provide background information. Event 1 audition day Event 2 Hector and James kid about who’s going to win. Event 3 Hector rehearses his act. Event 4 the big night Flashback Hector and James meet each other for the first time.

Writing a Short Story Prewriting: Plan Your Story The Pace of the Plot Pace the action of your plot to reflect the mood you’re trying to create. Slow pace—tense but thoughtful mood Hector practically drags his feet as he walks up to the cafeteria table to sit with James. Fast pace—feeling of excitement or anxiety The curtains part. Hector takes deep breath. His heart pounds in his chest.

Writing a Short Story Prewriting: Plan Your Story Characters’ Appearance • How does my main character look? dark brown hair, tall and thin, neat, stylish • What are his or her mannerisms? taps his pencil, rubs his chin when thinking • How does he or she act, think, feel, and talk? proud of musical talent, serious, competitive

Writing a Short Story Prewriting: Plan Your Story Characters’ Speech Use dialogue, or conversation between characters, to help bring your characters to life. Make sure your dialogue sounds real to life. “Let’s not let this competition get in the way of our friendship. ” “Wow. Look at that huge trophy! And the winner gets some big bucks too!” “I’m gonna win this talent show if I have to rehearse every single night!”

Writing a Short Story Prewriting: Plan Your Story Point of View First Person—a character narrates the story using the first-person pronoun I. The character can tell only what he or she could logically know and what he or she feels, thinks, or experiences. I could hardly believe how many people were auditioning. When I saw James standing on the other side of the room next to some props, I could feel myself tense up. Why did he have to try out, too?

Writing a Short Story Prewriting: Plan Your Story Point of View Third Person Omniscient—an outside observer tells the story using third-person pronouns (he, she, they). This narrator sees all and knows all and can use shifting perspectives to reveal different characters’ thoughts, feelings, and attitudes. Hector walked into the crowded auditorium. The whole room was buzzing with excitement. When Hector and his best friend James spotted each other, they both tensed.

Writing a Short Story Prewriting: Plan Your Story Setting can play a major role in a short story, or it can be relatively unimportant. Setting can also affect mood.

Writing a Short Story Prewriting: Plan Your Story Setting Use sensory details—words describing sights, sounds, and smells—to help readers picture the setting. Sights Sounds Smells a jam-packed auditorium, students pacing backstage, red velvet stage curtains a student warming up on trumpet; microphone feedback; muffled conversations faint hint of wood cleaner; musty clothing and mothballs; a girl’s strong perfume; hairspray

Writing a Short Story Prewriting: Plan Your Story Theme What idea about life does your story illustrate? Use your characters, plot, setting, and point of view to suggest your theme. As long as the spirit of competition does not turn bitter, good friends can compete with each other and still remain close. Their friendship might even become stronger.

Writing a Short Story Prewriting: Practice and Apply Use the instructions in this section to develop the plot, characters, setting, and theme of a short story. Add sensory details to enhance your story.

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