Short Stories
A short story is a short work of fiction. Fiction is prose writing about imagined events and characters. Prose writing differs from poetry in that it does not depend on verses, meters or rhymes as a means of organization.
Short stories range from lower word counts of 1000 or 1500 words up to around 7,500 words or occasionally as high as 10,000. If a a short story is a long one, say fifty to one hundred pages, we call it a novella.
Some of the world’s best examples of the short story in American literature are: Ray Bradbury, Shirley Jackson, O. Henry, Stephen Crane, Jack London, Mark Twain and Edgar Allen Poe.
What makes these authors such remarkable short story writers? They are true masters at combining the five key elements that go into every great short story: character, setting, conflict, plot and theme. You learned these last school year, but here’s a reminder:
5 Key Elements
Character
A character is a person, or sometimes even an animal, who takes part in the action of a short story or other literary work.
Setting
The setting of a short story is the time and place in which it happens. Authors often use descriptions of landscape, scenery, buildings, seasons or weather to provide a strong sense of setting, which lets the reader know about the time period.
see “The Great Stone Face” by Nathanial Hawthorne
Plot
A plot is a series of events and character actions that relate to the central conflict.
see “The Gold Bug” by Edgar Allen Poe (edited version)
Conflict
The conflict is a struggle between two people or things in a short story. The main character is usually on one side of the central conflict.
On the other side, the main character may struggle against another important character, against the forces of nature, against society, or even against something inside himself or herself (feelings, emotions, illness).
see “The Monkey’s Paw” by W W Jacobs
Theme
The theme is the central idea or belief in a short story.
see “The Happy Prince” by Oscar Wilde
The Assignment:
Firstly, read all 5 short stories – Click on the links above
Next, you have 3 choices for a written assignment:
1. Write a 1000-word biography on a well-known short story novelist. Include at least 3 excerpts from different novels to demonstrate the author’s style. What makes him or her stand out as a writer?
2. Write a 1000-word short story. Please include a list of all 5 elements with your story. Challenge yourself to write in a different style perhaps inspired by one of the authors you read.
3. Write and draw a 500-word graphic short story, which is just like a short story but in comic strip format. Please include a list of all 5 elements with your story.
Due: Friday, May 28.
*Use Grammerly to edit your paper prior to sending.
*Biographies and short stories: upload as a word.doc to Assignment Uploads.
*Graphic novel: upload jpegs of each page to Assignment Uploads.