Short Story
Day 1: Introduce
1. What is "Short Story?"
To learn short story, let's watch a video first.
To learn short story, let's watch a video first.
So, as you have already known, the short story is a narrative of interrelated events, involving a conflict and a resolution. The following are essential features of the short story.
A short story is fictional work of prose that is shorter in length than a novel. Edgar Allan Poe, in his essay "The Philosophy of Composition," said that a short story should be read in one sitting, anywhere from a half hour to two hours. In contemporary fiction, a short story can range from 1,000 to 20,000 words.
Because of the shorter length, a short story usually focuses on one plot, one main character (with a few additional minor characters), and one central theme, whereas a novel can tackle multiple plots and themes, with a variety of prominent characters. Short stories also lend themselves more to experimentation — that is, using uncommon prose styles or literary devices to tell the story. Such uncommon styles or devices might get tedious, and downright annoying, in a novel, but they may work well in a short story.
A short story is fictional work of prose that is shorter in length than a novel. Edgar Allan Poe, in his essay "The Philosophy of Composition," said that a short story should be read in one sitting, anywhere from a half hour to two hours. In contemporary fiction, a short story can range from 1,000 to 20,000 words.
Because of the shorter length, a short story usually focuses on one plot, one main character (with a few additional minor characters), and one central theme, whereas a novel can tackle multiple plots and themes, with a variety of prominent characters. Short stories also lend themselves more to experimentation — that is, using uncommon prose styles or literary devices to tell the story. Such uncommon styles or devices might get tedious, and downright annoying, in a novel, but they may work well in a short story.
Features
1. CHARACTERISTICS OF A SHORT STORY
- A short story should create a single impression.
- It should be highly economical with every word, all characters, dialogue and description designed to develop single predesigned effect.
- Most short stories revolve around a single incident, character or period of time,
- Should be capable of being read at one sitting.
- Opening sentence should initiate the predetermined or predesigned effect.
- Once climax reached, the story should end with minimal resolution.
- Character should only be developed to the extent required by the story.
2. ORGANIZING PATTERNS OF SHORT STORY WRITING
- Take a PLOT and fit characters to it.
- Take a CHARACTER and choose incidents to develop it.
- Take an ATMOSPHERE and get actions and characters to develop it (Atmosphere is is the mood or feeling created in the reader in relation to some aspect of setting.)
- Take an IDEA and use characters and action to develop this.
3. NARRATIVE STRUCTURE OR THREE PART STRUCTURE OF A SHORT STORY
Orientation:
o Presents who, when, where what and why;
o Introduces complication or problem which triggers the action
o Focuses readersÍ attention, engages them with story / character / conflict / mood.
Complication: rising action and conflict
o Presents a series of crisis points consisting of actions and reactions.
Resolution: climax, falling action, denouement
o Resolves the complication with the climax.
Very often, people will use this following diagram to show what the narrative structure of short story is:
Orientation:
o Presents who, when, where what and why;
o Introduces complication or problem which triggers the action
o Focuses readersÍ attention, engages them with story / character / conflict / mood.
Complication: rising action and conflict
o Presents a series of crisis points consisting of actions and reactions.
Resolution: climax, falling action, denouement
o Resolves the complication with the climax.
Very often, people will use this following diagram to show what the narrative structure of short story is:
4. POTENTIAL AIMS OF SHORT STORY
- Entertain
- Suspense / conflict / mystery
- Emotional impact
- Character in action
- Provide insight
- Into characters motivation / fears / beliefs
- Into the world / life / truth / justice / reality
Day 2: appreciate some Short Stories
There are both written or viewed short stories, that written on a paper or shown with a video. It is normal to see the written one, so what about the visual short story? Let's just be a kid and take a look at the Three Little Pigs and The Big Bad Wolf.
Day 3: What should be contained in a short story?
To explore the elements which are required by short story, the slideshow below is a helpful tool.
1. Conflict
This is an essential element in every short story. The conflict tells of some type of struggle:
Man (person or character) against man;
Man against society;
Man against his environment / nature;
Man against himself. (This may be physical or psychological, but whatever it is, the conflict propels the story on to its final solution.)
Conflict may be internal or external. The tension created by this conflict gives rise to drama and action in the story. Is the conflict evenly balanced? By identifying commonly experienced conflicts in a novel, we can identify THEME; ie.: how character's attempt to deal with and resolve major conflict in their lives is what the author wants us to consider.
This is an essential element in every short story. The conflict tells of some type of struggle:
Man (person or character) against man;
Man against society;
Man against his environment / nature;
Man against himself. (This may be physical or psychological, but whatever it is, the conflict propels the story on to its final solution.)
Conflict may be internal or external. The tension created by this conflict gives rise to drama and action in the story. Is the conflict evenly balanced? By identifying commonly experienced conflicts in a novel, we can identify THEME; ie.: how character's attempt to deal with and resolve major conflict in their lives is what the author wants us to consider.
2. Point of View
Every story is told or narrated from at least one position or point of view. Some stories are told using several different points of view. ( For example, a novel written in the third person may contain letters from character's, providing us with a separate first person perspective.)
In every story the reader can discern one (generally) of four basic points of view:
Every story is told or narrated from at least one position or point of view. Some stories are told using several different points of view. ( For example, a novel written in the third person may contain letters from character's, providing us with a separate first person perspective.)
In every story the reader can discern one (generally) of four basic points of view:
- The omniscient narrator knows everything about the characters, even their most inmost thoughts, but choosing to reveal only information that is relevant to the story. This is the most common point of view.
- A limited omniscient narrator is an all knowing about one character through whose eyes and thoughts the story is filtered.
- In a first person narration, the narrator can only report what he/she sees, hears or is told by others. He/she only has insight into the thoughts or motives of the characters if they have been told or overhear.)
- first person major : a character either tells his own story or one in which he is one of the participants;
- first person minor : here the character is a minor one, observing and reporting the life of the story's main character.
3. Character
Character development in short story is generally limited to the major character. Such a character can be said to be complex or rounded, as distint from simple or a flat character. Most characters in short stories don't need to be developed.Other names for types of characters are stock characters or stereotyped characters ; they are like cardboard cut-outs. |
Day 4: Start writing
I'm sure that you have learnt a lot about Short Story, so now, it's time for practicing! But first of all, I will give some tips for you to start.
Before you starting writing, make a plan first:
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Short Story Plan
The following questions will help you nail down your short story. This is not your final draft. You can change your mind on these decisions at any time during the writing process. Feel free to go out of order while filling this out.
Title of Story: __________________________________________________________________
Genre (What type of story): _______________________________________________________
Setting
Time Period (Era, Year, Season): ___________________________________________________
Place (Country, Rural/Urban/Other, City): ____________________________________________
Notable Places (Farm, Mall, Warehouse, Spaceship): ___________________________________
Culture (Explain their social surroundings): ___________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Protagonist
Name of Main Character (MC) : ____________________________________________________
Occupation: ___________________________________________________________________
Family Background: _____________________________________________________________
Good Qualities: ________________________________________________________________
Negative Qualities: _____________________________________________________________
Friends/ Relationships: ___________________________________________________________
Physical Description: Height-______________ Weight-______________ Build-______________
Eye Color-__________________ Normal Expression-_____________________________
Hair Style/Color-_______________ Other______________________________________
Plot
The Problem (What does the MC need to change about the world or themselves before the end of the story?): ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
Introduction (How does the story begin?): ___________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Stuff Gets Real! (What happens that throws the story into motion?): ______________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Rising Action (The main plot. Three points minimum): 1.________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Climax (The most interesting part. The main character either succeeds or fails. Do not kill the maincharacter): _________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Falling Action (What happens right after the climax): ___________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion (Wrap up the loose ends of the story): ____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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If you want a document of the form of the plan, click the document below.
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Short Story Plan
The following questions will help you nail down your short story. This is not your final draft. You can change your mind on these decisions at any time during the writing process. Feel free to go out of order while filling this out.
Title of Story: __________________________________________________________________
Genre (What type of story): _______________________________________________________
Setting
Time Period (Era, Year, Season): ___________________________________________________
Place (Country, Rural/Urban/Other, City): ____________________________________________
Notable Places (Farm, Mall, Warehouse, Spaceship): ___________________________________
Culture (Explain their social surroundings): ___________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Protagonist
Name of Main Character (MC) : ____________________________________________________
Occupation: ___________________________________________________________________
Family Background: _____________________________________________________________
Good Qualities: ________________________________________________________________
Negative Qualities: _____________________________________________________________
Friends/ Relationships: ___________________________________________________________
Physical Description: Height-______________ Weight-______________ Build-______________
Eye Color-__________________ Normal Expression-_____________________________
Hair Style/Color-_______________ Other______________________________________
Plot
The Problem (What does the MC need to change about the world or themselves before the end of the story?): ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
Introduction (How does the story begin?): ___________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Stuff Gets Real! (What happens that throws the story into motion?): ______________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Rising Action (The main plot. Three points minimum): 1.________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Climax (The most interesting part. The main character either succeeds or fails. Do not kill the maincharacter): _________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Falling Action (What happens right after the climax): ___________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion (Wrap up the loose ends of the story): ____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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If you want a document of the form of the plan, click the document below.
short_story_plan.docx | |
File Size: | 21 kb |
File Type: | docx |
After finishing you short story, you can grade your story using this rubric:
short_story_grading_rubric.pdf | |
File Size: | 76 kb |
File Type: |
Work Cited
"Short Story." My Class Notes. 3 Jun. 2015. <http://johnwatsonsite.com/MyClassNotes/myclassnotes.html>.
"What is 'Short Story.'" YouTube. 18 Sep. 2012. 4 Jun. 2015. <https://youtu.be/T7wYMRpFKmE>.
"The Three Little Pigs and The Big Bad Wolf | Kids Short Story." YouTube. 5 Sep. 2014. 5 Jun. 2015. <https://youtu.be/TrcWstqwA4M>.
Cook, Carl. "Tips to write a short story." Pre-AP class teacher visual-aid.
Cook, Carl. "short story grading rubric." Pre-AP class handout.
Cook, Carl. "short story plan." Pre-AP class handout.
"Short Story." My Class Notes. 3 Jun. 2015. <http://johnwatsonsite.com/MyClassNotes/myclassnotes.html>.
"What is 'Short Story.'" YouTube. 18 Sep. 2012. 4 Jun. 2015. <https://youtu.be/T7wYMRpFKmE>.
"The Three Little Pigs and The Big Bad Wolf | Kids Short Story." YouTube. 5 Sep. 2014. 5 Jun. 2015. <https://youtu.be/TrcWstqwA4M>.
Cook, Carl. "Tips to write a short story." Pre-AP class teacher visual-aid.
Cook, Carl. "short story grading rubric." Pre-AP class handout.
Cook, Carl. "short story plan." Pre-AP class handout.