Student Models of Short Stories

Short Stories are stories that are normally 2-3 pages long and gets to the point fast.

Student models of short stories http://www.merlynspen.org/read/library.php

Writing Tips http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/creative/shortstory/#Start http://writingcorner.com/young/short-stories/step-1-the-idea/

Short Story Tips

Why do some stories truly ring in the mind while others leave you with the feeling of 'what was the point?'. To make your short stories more effective, try to keep in mind these following points while writing:

1. Have a clear theme. What is the story about? That doesn't mean what is the plot line, the sequence of events or the character's actions, it means what is the underlying message or statement behind the words. Get this right and your story will have more resonance in the minds of your readers. 2. An effective short story covers a very short time span. It may be one single event that proves pivotal in the life of the character, and that event will illustrate the theme. 3. Don't have too many characters. Each new character will bring a new dimension to the story, and for an effective short story too many diverse dimensions (or directions) will dilute the theme. Have only enough characters to effectively illustrate the theme. 4. Make every word count. There is no room for unnecessary expansion in a short story. If each word is not working towards putting across the theme, delete it. 5. Focus. The best stories are the ones that follow a narrow subject line. What is the point of your story? Its point is its theme. It's tempting to digress, but in a 'short' you have to follow the straight and narrow otherwise you end up with either a novel beginning or a hodgepodge of ideas that add up to nothing.

Structure

Novice writers are often given this advice on how to structure their short stories:

 Put a man up a tree  Throw stones at him  Get him down

When you come to think of it, it's good advice for any writer.

Short Story Plan Start with a situation - a problem to be resolved for your protagonist ( the man up the tree).

Then present the problems that can occur (throw some stones):

 Misunderstandings / mistaken identity / lost opportunities etc

The final step is to show how you can solve the problem - get the man down from his leafy perch - safely.

 Love triumphs / good conquers evil / honesty is the best policy / united we stand ...

When you've finished writing, always (always) proof-read your work to check your spelling, punctuation and grammar. Don't spoil all your hard work by presenting an unprofessional image to your readers.

Every piece of writing must have a theme.

This theme is the skeleton or framework on which you hang your plot, characters, setting etc.

As you write, make sure that every word is related to this theme. Focus. The best stories are the ones that follow a narrow subject line. Decide what the point of your story is and even though it's tempting to digress, you must stick to the point otherwise you end up with either a novel beginning or a mish-mash of ideas that add up to nothing.

Time Span

An effective short story covers a very short time span. It may be one single event that proves pivotal in the life of the character or a single day. That event must illustrate the theme.

Characters

Around three main characters is all a short story can effectively deal with because e theme.

Never underestimate the power of dialogue in conveying character, but it must contribute to the main focus of the story - don't just use it to pad out your characters.

Begin with an arresting first paragraph or lead, enough to grab the reader make them curious to know what happens next.

Make sure your plot works - there must be a beginning, a middle and an end but don't spend too much time on the build-up, so that the climax or denouement (as in the twist ending) is relegated to one sentence, leaving the reader bothered and bemused but sadly not bewitched.

And don't signal the twist ending too soon - try to keep the reader guessing until the last moment. If you're telling a fast-moving story then keep your paragraphs and sentences short. It's a trick that sets the pace and adds to the atmosphere you are conveying to the reader.

Proof Read

Readers are easily put off by bad formatting, bad punctuation or spelling mistakes. Don't distract them from your story - always proof read and then proof read again.

The short-short story has been likened by some as being closer to writing a poem than a story. And that makes sense—every word has to be packed with power; every line has to move the story along.

The opening paragraph is the most important one in a short story. Use it to hook your readers and draw them into the ongoing drama of your story.

In the opening lines, you have to do the following:

Set the scene

Introduce the main character

Reveal the main character’s mood, approximate age, his/her goal or problem

Show that something interesting is about to happen

Begin with a character and let this person take you where they want to go—then when the story is written, edit, shape, and tighten your prose.

Decide whose story this is. Choose one viewpoint and stick to it.

Don’t force your characters to speak words that sound out of character or engage in actions that don’t suit their personality.

Avoid detailed descriptions of setting — give the reader a quick ‘snapshot’. A few powerful words or phrases can do a lot of work.

Use the same approach to describe the character’s appearance. Choose words that trigger the reader’s imagination and let him/her fill in the gaps — e.g. “She had a loose-limbed, healthy outdoor look about her”.

Try to avoid plots that hinge on a coincidence or a misunderstanding that could be cleared up if the characters would just talk to each other. (You have to be a very good writer to pull this off so the reader is satisfied.) Very short stories are a bit like jokes: they build up to a twist or a punch line. The difficult part is playing fair with the reader in having all the clues there, without making the outcome too obvious.

Show that your character has grown or changed in some way—she has a new understanding of people or of herself; she has learned a lesson; she has changed her attitude. NOTE: If your character ‘comes to realize’ something important, make sure she comes to this realization through a strong piece of action or a powerful lesson—not through a weak, “Oh, my goodness, I never thought of it that way before — silly me!”

Appeal to your reader’s emotions. We all identify with loss, sorrow, disappointment, frustration — make sure that emotions are powerful elements in your story.

Make every word of dialogue count — avoid aimless ‘how are you today?’ type exchanges; let actions take the place of words on occasions. And remember there’s no need to TELL as well as SHOW — for example, if you write “Marcia was really angry at his words. Her face grew scarlet with rage as she yelled, “I can’t believe you said that! Get out of here!’ then you’ve wasted ten words. You could simply have said: Marcia’s face grew scarlet with rage. “I can’t believe you said that! Get out of here!”

When it’s time to edit, remember that every word has to move the story forward. Yes, I know I’ve already said that — but it’s worth saying a hundred times, because one of the hardest things a writer can do is cut words. You have to be tough. Cut out whatever is unnecessary; poorly expressed; overly detailed. In a very short story, it’s more likely to be what you’ve cut out that sells your work than what you’ve left in.