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The Short Story. How to write the best short story ever!. Who are the 2 BEST short story writers ever? (besides you!). Edgar Allan Poe = Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher (also wrote The Raven).
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The Short Story How to write the best short story ever!
Who are the 2 BEST short story writers ever? (besides you!) • Edgar Allan Poe = Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher (also wrote The Raven) • Anton Chekov = The Lady and the Pet Dog, Misery, The Cherry Orchard
These are the ‘rules’ • Purpose = to entertain and instruct • Plot commences in ‘media res’ = gets straight into it • Limited number of characters and events • Should be a ‘snapshot’ = no need to give the background or the character’s life story
Show don’t tell! • Show your reader what is happening don’t explain it to them. • They aren’t dumb dumbs – they can figure out what is happening without you explaining EVERYTHING.
No unnecessary detail! “If I have a gun hanging on the wall…then that gun must be fired by the time the story ends.” Anton Chekov
Short Story Structure Climax 2-3 events which gradually build suspense Resolution = cliffhanger, twist Orientation – grab your reader by the throat!!
Now, it’s time to find these features in a short story! Excellent…
Structure • How does the orientation of the story engage the reader? • What complications occur in the story that build suspense and lead up to the climax? • What is the climax of the short story? • How does the short story end? Why is this ending effective/ineffective?
Find examples in the text of: • Alliteration (1) • Assonance (1) • Personification (2) • Metaphor (3) • Simile (3) • Appeals to the 5 senses (5 – aim for one of each)
How is the woman represented as a supernatural being? Find examples. • Who/what do you think the woman symbolises? • What is the invited reading of the text? • What is your favourite line/description and why?