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Short Story

Short Story. KEY TRAITS. IDEAS. Creates clearly described characters and an interesting plot Uses details to help the reader picture the setting, characters, and events Has a central conflict and provides an ending for that conflict Includes dialogue. . . .continued. Short Story.

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Short Story

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  1. Short Story KEY TRAITS IDEAS • Creates clearly described characters and an interesting plot • Uses details to help the reader picture the setting, characters, and events • Has a central conflict and provides an ending for that conflict • Includes dialogue . . .continued

  2. Short Story KEY TRAITS ORGANIZATION • Follows a clear sequence of events VOICE • Has a consistent point of view • Uses the active voice WORD CHOICE • Uses sensory language . . .continued

  3. Short Story KEY TRAITS SENTENCE FLUENCY • Varies sentence beginnings CONVENTIONS • Uses correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation . . .continued

  4. 1. Find an idea. Make a long list of “what if” questions—on your own or with a friend. Highlight the one you like best. Prewriting What Should I Do? What Does It Look Like? See page 164: “What If” Questions . . .continued

  5. Prewriting What Should I Do? What Does It Look Like? 2. Figure out what happens. Jot down some ideas for the characters, setting, and plot of your story. Use a chart like this one to keep track of your thoughts. . . .continued

  6. Prewriting What Should I Do? What Does It Look Like? 3. Map your story. Think through the plot before you start writing. Then make a flow chart like the one shown here. If you prefer, you can make an outline or a list of events instead of a flow chart. TIP: Is it hard to come up with a great plot? Don’t worry about making it perfect now. More ideas may come to you as you write, and you can always change plot details later. . . .continued

  7. Drafting What Should I Do? What Does It Look Like? 1. Come up with a creative beginning. Capture your reader’s interest right away. You can use sensory details to introduce the setting or the characters, or you can start out with dialogue. . . .continued

  8. Drafting What Should I Do? What Does It Look Like? 2. Decide on a point of view. A character in your story can tell the story using I. This kind of first-person narrator draws your readers in. A third-person narrator is outside the story and refers to characters as she, he, and they. This type of narrator gives a broad view of characters and events. TIP: Either point of view is fine. Just be sure to stick to one or the other. . . .continued

  9. Drafting What Should I Do? What Does It Look Like? 3. Make the order of events clear. Use words and phrases that tell your reader when things happened and how much time passed. . . .continued

  10. Drafting What Should I Do? What Does It Look Like? 4. Solve the central conflict. A conflict is a problem to solve. If you don’t have a conflict, you don’t have a story. Remember that the story’s ending must show how the conflict is resolved. TIP: Before revising, consult the key traits on page 158 and the criteria and peer-reader questions on page 164. . . .continued

  11. 1. Make the dialogue seem real. • Read aloud the dialogue in your story. [Bracket] words and phrases that don’t sound as if the characters would really say them. • Revise your dialogue by adding contractions, slang, exclamations, or phrases that match the speaker’s characteristics. Revising and Editing What Should I Do? What Does It Look Like? . . .continued

  12. 2. Make sure the sequence is clear. • Ask a peer reader to underline places within or between paragraphs where the order of events is confusing. • Add transitions to make the sequence clear. Revising and Editing What Should I Do? What Does It Look Like? See page 164: Ask a Peer Reader . . .continued

  13. 3. Use the active voice. • When the subject acts (Sarah wrote the story), the verb is in the active voice. But if the subject is acted upon (The story was written by Sarah), the verb is in the passive voice—and that can make writing seem dull. • Look for sentences you wrote in the passive voice. Consider changing them to active voice. Revising and Editing What Should I Do? What Does It Look Like? . . .continued

  14. 4. Include descriptive details. • Highlight concrete, specific language that helps your reader understand the plot and characters. • If you don’t have much highlighting, add details to tell your reader what the setting and characters look like and how the events sound and feel. Revising and Editing What Should I Do? What Does It Look Like?

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