How to write a short storyHow to write a short story

Your short story will be due on Thursday-Your short story will be due on Thursday-The day of the finalThe day of the final

JournalJournal

Building a character Building a character Entry 1: Who is the most peculiar, colorful, Entry 1: Who is the most peculiar, colorful,

or unique person you know? Describe this or unique person you know? Describe this person in detail without using a name; try to person in detail without using a name; try to capture all the little things the person does, capture all the little things the person does, says, believes that makes him or her says, believes that makes him or her different. Also tell how the person looks, different. Also tell how the person looks, what he or she wears, and even how others what he or she wears, and even how others think about the person. think about the person.

Character ProfileCharacter Profile

In order to know our characters better than In order to know our characters better than anyone, we need to describe our characters anyone, we need to describe our characters as in-depth as possible. It is okay to know as in-depth as possible. It is okay to know more about our characters than the more about our characters than the audience will have to know. audience will have to know.

Short Story TipsShort Story Tips

·Get off to a fast start ·Get off to a fast start ·Has a limited number of ·Has a limited number of characters and scenes characters and scenes ·Starts as close to a ·Starts as close to a conclusion as possible conclusion as possible ·Deals with only one problem ·Deals with only one problem ·Covers a short period of time ·Covers a short period of time

What makes our stories originalWhat makes our stories original

We need: The unusual, The unexpected, We need: The unusual, The unexpected, conflict, and dialogue that moves the conflict conflict, and dialogue that moves the conflict

Short Story Journal #2Short Story Journal #2Answer these questions about your Answer these questions about your

charactercharacter Name Name FriendsFriends Age Age Favorite foodsFavorite foods Job Job Drinking patternsDrinking patterns Ethnicity Ethnicity PhobiasPhobias Appearance Appearance FaultsFaults Residence Residence SecretsSecrets Pets Pets Something hatedSomething hated Religion Religion IllnessesIllnesses Hobbies Hobbies MemoriesMemories Single or married? Single or married? Nervous GesturesNervous Gestures Children? Children? Sleep patternsSleep patterns Temperament Temperament Favorite color Favorite color

What we have to know about your What we have to know about your charactercharacter

Appearance.  Appearance.  Gives your reader a visual Gives your reader a visual understanding of the character. understanding of the character.

Action.  Action.  Show the reader what kind of person your Show the reader what kind of person your character is, by describing actions rather than character is, by describing actions rather than simply listing adjectives. simply listing adjectives.

Speech.Speech. Develop the character as a person -- Develop the character as a person -- don't merely have your character announce don't merely have your character announce important plot details. important plot details.

Thought.  Thought.  Bring the reader into your character's Bring the reader into your character's mind, to show them your character's unexpressed mind, to show them your character's unexpressed memories, fears, and hopes. memories, fears, and hopes.

Brainstorming.  If you are having trouble Brainstorming.  If you are having trouble deciding on a plot, try brainstorming. deciding on a plot, try brainstorming. Suppose you have a protagonist whose Suppose you have a protagonist whose husband comes home one day and says husband comes home one day and says he doesn't love her any more and he is he doesn't love her any more and he is leaving. What are actions that can result leaving. What are actions that can result from this situation?from this situation?

Examples: She becomes a workaholic, she Examples: She becomes a workaholic, she can become an alocholic, she kills him, she can become an alocholic, she kills him, she kills herself, she has a torrid affair with the kills herself, she has a torrid affair with the milk man (Oberweis man), becomes a milk man (Oberweis man), becomes a shopaholic, changes her personality, speed shopaholic, changes her personality, speed dating, maxes out credit cards, takes a road dating, maxes out credit cards, takes a road trip. trip.

8 ways to reveal a character8 ways to reveal a character

#1 Actions#1 Actions As Kevin moved down the street his feet made a steady As Kevin moved down the street his feet made a steady

echo sound against the pavement. He whistled despite the echo sound against the pavement. He whistled despite the loud rumble of the traffic and the car horns. When loud rumble of the traffic and the car horns. When someone yelled out the window of his or her car to watch someone yelled out the window of his or her car to watch where he was going, he just waved back like he was where he was going, he just waved back like he was watching a best friend heading home. He passed by the watching a best friend heading home. He passed by the garbage on the sidewalk and the old woman pushing the garbage on the sidewalk and the old woman pushing the shopping cart filled with newspaper, and continued to smile shopping cart filled with newspaper, and continued to smile as he headed toward Cindy’s house. Nothing could erase as he headed toward Cindy’s house. Nothing could erase that smile from his face, not even the coldness of the that smile from his face, not even the coldness of the streets he called home. streets he called home.

#2 Dialogue #2 Dialogue ““I ain’t gonna leave you here, Ma’am . . . not with I ain’t gonna leave you here, Ma’am . . . not with

you needin’ help and all,” Jimmy said as he you needin’ help and all,” Jimmy said as he walked back to his truck to get the jack. “I’d help walked back to his truck to get the jack. “I’d help anybody who needed it; my momma taught me anybody who needed it; my momma taught me better’en to just leave people. The good Lord’ll better’en to just leave people. The good Lord’ll make it up to me.” make it up to me.”

““I don’t know . . .,” Linda stuttered. She had barely I don’t know . . .,” Linda stuttered. She had barely rolled down her window to hear Jimmy when he rolled down her window to hear Jimmy when he had left his pick-up truck and offered help. “You had left his pick-up truck and offered help. “You know what they say about your kind . . .” know what they say about your kind . . .”

#3 Physical Description #3 Physical Description Other guys walking through the hallway were taller Other guys walking through the hallway were taller

and even more handsome, but there was and even more handsome, but there was something about Billy Belaire. His arms swung something about Billy Belaire. His arms swung loose at his side and his dark hair was long and loose at his side and his dark hair was long and pulled back behind his head, held by a rubber pulled back behind his head, held by a rubber band. The dark jacket he wore was straight out  f band. The dark jacket he wore was straight out  f the local thrift shop, she could tell, but the way he the local thrift shop, she could tell, but the way he wore it suggested a sense of pride, or at least a wore it suggested a sense of pride, or at least a lack of caring what others thought about him. lack of caring what others thought about him.

# 4 Idiosyncracies # 4 Idiosyncracies Junior tapped his fingertips against the table Junior tapped his fingertips against the table

and looked at his watch constantly. His leg and looked at his watch constantly. His leg bounced up and down and he gulped the bounced up and down and he gulped the hot coffee as if it would hurry up his friend’s hot coffee as if it would hurry up his friend’s arrival. arrival.

# 5 Objects/Possessions # 5 Objects/Possessions Michael touched the locket around his neck Michael touched the locket around his neck

and rolled it between his fingers. His mother and rolled it between his fingers. His mother had given him that locket, with her picture had given him that locket, with her picture inside, when he had left to live with his inside, when he had left to live with his father. What would she think of him now? father. What would she think of him now?

# 6 Reactions # 6 Reactions Tony’s words stung Laura. It wasn’t what she Tony’s words stung Laura. It wasn’t what she

expected to hear. They had been dating forover a expected to hear. They had been dating forover a month now, how could he do this to her? How month now, how could he do this to her? How could he break her heart? All three of their dates could he break her heart? All three of their dates had been fun; he had said so himself. As Tony had been fun; he had said so himself. As Tony watched the floodgate of her eyes begin to open watched the floodgate of her eyes begin to open he looked at his watch. Jeez, I hope I can make it he looked at his watch. Jeez, I hope I can make it to the gym on time. to the gym on time.

#7 Thoughts #7 Thoughts He began to remember when he was a He began to remember when he was a

freshman in high school. The seniors really freshman in high school. The seniors really thought they were something back then, thought they were something back then, always trying to play their little pranks on the always trying to play their little pranks on the ninth graders. He knew at that moment he ninth graders. He knew at that moment he couldn’t be one of those kinds of people. He couldn’t be one of those kinds of people. He walked over to Jeff and Larry to tell them it walked over to Jeff and Larry to tell them it was time to stop. was time to stop.

#8 Background Information #8 Background Information Miles knew what it meant to be alone. When he was a child Miles knew what it meant to be alone. When he was a child

growing up his father had been in the military. They had growing up his father had been in the military. They had traveled from Florida, to Georgia, to California, to traveled from Florida, to Georgia, to California, to Kentucky. He had rarely had a friend for very long. By the Kentucky. He had rarely had a friend for very long. By the leap from California he had already decided having friends leap from California he had already decided having friends was a risk; the fewer the friends, the easier it was to leave. was a risk; the fewer the friends, the easier it was to leave. This philosophy had made him a real outsider at Glenview This philosophy had made him a real outsider at Glenview High School. In the six months he had been there he had High School. In the six months he had been there he had not really made a single friend but as he stood there staring not really made a single friend but as he stood there staring at Sheila, he realized that just might have to change. at Sheila, he realized that just might have to change.

Show-Don’t TellShow-Don’t Tell

Obviously in each of the paragraphs, he is “telling” Obviously in each of the paragraphs, he is “telling” rather than “showing” the scene. rather than “showing” the scene.

Please rewrite one of the passages in your own Please rewrite one of the passages in your own words so that you are creating a snapshot in the words so that you are creating a snapshot in the mind of the reader. mind of the reader.

Rewrite the passage below in order to show the Rewrite the passage below in order to show the scene rather than just tell about it.scene rather than just tell about it.

Janie’s room was just the way she had pictured it. Janie’s room was just the way she had pictured it. When Susie walked into her best friend’s room When Susie walked into her best friend’s room she saw a lot of neat stuff. It was just like her she saw a lot of neat stuff. It was just like her friend. friend.

What’s my topicWhat’s my topic

You will receive a story topic in order to You will receive a story topic in order to assure that you are able to get started. You assure that you are able to get started. You may also come up with your own topic if you may also come up with your own topic if you choose to do so.choose to do so.

Requirements: Dialogue, conflict, a couple Requirements: Dialogue, conflict, a couple characters, showing instead of telling.characters, showing instead of telling.

The short story must be 3-4 pages. The short story must be 3-4 pages.

Possible TopicsPossible Topics

The woman in 3B loses weight to find love.The woman in 3B loses weight to find love. Fred, the monster takes up cooking to Fred, the monster takes up cooking to

discover…discover… The cat lady gets married to feel young The cat lady gets married to feel young

again.again. I tried getting on television. I tried wearing a I tried getting on television. I tried wearing a

disguise. I tried writing an anonymous disguise. I tried writing an anonymous letter. I did all of this in order to get God’s letter. I did all of this in order to get God’s attention.attention.