ENG2D: Writing Your Short Story

Now that you are a pro at writing descriptively, you will use all that you have learned about short
story writing to write a final, brain-quivering, gut-busting story. Your story will be a minimum
3- 4 pages in length (double-spaced, 12 point font). Your theme is “healing broken
relationships.”

In Your Short Story, You Will:

 Turn bland sentences into grand sentences

 Pay close attention to detail: “paint a picture with your words”
 Use adjectives to get your image across to your readers
 Avoid passive sentences
 Use adverbs to spice up “boring” words
 Replace vague words (like said and very) with other, more exciting words
 Create characters who “talk and act like real people”
 Use dialogue to develop your characters’ personalities

Before You Begin Writing:

You must first create a plot diagram (pg. 2 of handout) that visually depicts the order of your story.
On your plot diagram, you will write 1-2 sentences that describe each of the following elements
in your story:

 Introduction (exposition)
 Rising Action (where conflict begins)
 Climax (the central conflict)
 Falling Action
 Conclusion (resolution/dénouement)

Answer the Following Questions About Your Story:

(On a separate sheet of paper- see handout)

1. What story from class did you choose to emulate (follow as an example)?
2. What type of conflict will your story have (internal or external)?
3. What kind of conflict will your story have (man vs. man; man vs. circumstances; man vs.
society; or man vs. him/herself)?
4. What point of view will your story be written in (innocent eye, stream of consciousness,
first person, third person omniscient, omniscient limited, or omniscient objective)?
5. What types of characters are you using (individual, developing, etc…)? Explain your
choices.
6. Your main theme is “healing broken relationships.” What kinds of ideas, questions, and
thoughts on your theme are your readers supposed to come away with after reading your
story?

We will spend some time on this in class, and much of the work will be self-directed
(YOU determine how much work you get done in class). This means that if you want
to get finished on time, you will have to keep yourself focused and use your time
wisely.

Follow These Steps to Create Your Story:

(Check each of these steps off the list as you complete the project.)

1. Brainstorm ideas on characters, theme, conflict, etc. (do this on your Elements Handout
sheet).

2. Create your plot diagram

3. Write a double-spaced rough draft (may be completed in class and thus will most likely
be hand-written)

4. Read over your rough draft, making changes and corrections as you go.
5. Type up your rough draft #1 (double-spaced, 12 point font) MAKE TWO COPIES!
6. Ask TWO classmates to edit your rough draft for spelling and grammar, as well as for
ideas and sentence changes.
Everyone will have to edit 2 stories.

7. Discuss the editing ideas with your editors.

8. Take your 2 edited copies with you back to the computer.
9. Make the changes to spelling, grammar, and ideas.
10. Number the bottom of the pages.
11. Staple the pages together.
12. Think of a creative title.
13. Create an image on the cover, and write the title and your name on the front.
14. Bind the “book” using a hole punch and ribbon/twine/string

You Will Be Marked On:

 Your Plot Diagram
 Answers to the 6 questions about your story (completion of planning handout)
 Editing of 2 classmates’ stories
 2 rough drafts (typed, [with editing])
 Spelling, grammar, punctuation of your final copy
 Properly formatted dialogue
 Creativity and effort of your final product

Short Story Elements: Story Title:________________________________

Please turn in your answers to the following questions with the rest of your final draft of your short
story.

1. SETTING

a. Place

b. Time:

c. Weather Conditions:

d. Social Conditions:

e. Mood/Atmosphere:

2. POINT OF VIEW
What point of view or points of view is the story told through?

 Innocent Eye
 Stream of Consciousness
 First Person
 Third Person (Omniscient) Limited
 Third Person (Omniscient) Objective

Explain below using the proper terms, which are listed above:

3. PLOT
 You may draw out the diagram as well, if you wish.

a. Introduction:

b. Rising Action:

c. Climax:

d. Falling Action:

e. Dénouement/Conclusion:

4. CONFLICT
a. Is your (type or types of) conflict: (1) External and/or (2) Internal?
Explain.

b. What kind or kinds of conflict: (1) Man vs. Man (physical); (2) Man vs.
Circumstances; (3) Man vs. Society; and (4) Man vs. Himself/Herself
(psychological).
Explain.
 5. CHARACTER
a. Who is your protagonist?
Explain.

b. Who is your antagonist?

Explain.

c. Describe your characters below (use another sheet of paper if you need more
space), using the terms for different types of characters.
 Individual: round, many-sided, and complex personalities
 Developing: dynamic, many-sided personalities that change, for better or
worse, by the end of the story
 Static: stereotype, have one or two characteristics that never change and
are emphasized (i.e. brilliant detective, drunk, scrooge, cruel stepmother,
etc.)

6. THEME:

Your theme is “healing broken relationships.” What kinds of ideas, questions, and
thoughts are your readers supposed to come away with after reading your story?

Name:______________________ Story title:_____________________________________

 Short Story Rubric ENG 2D

OVERALL PROJECT
Application:_____/5
The following things are turned in with final copy:
 1 web diagram (clear and thoughtfully completed) – completed outline on preceding pages
 1 plot diagram
 1 handwritten rough draft (your very first draft) - not necessary to hand in
 2 typed rough drafts with obvious editing
 1 final copy, with enhancing cover (title) page

PRE-WRITING: PLANNING & ROUGH DRAFT

Knowledge/Understanding:_____/5
 Plot diagram is /explanation of each portion of the plot (exposition, rising action, falling
action, conclusion)
 Answers to the questions about the story (story elements) are clearly written and
thoughtfully completed

FINAL COPY
Communication:_____/10
 Student used class time wisely
 Spelling, grammar, punctuation of your final copy are flawless
 Dialogue is punctuated and indented correctly
 Adjectives and adverbs are used to give the story flair
 Editing/proofreading of rough draft is evidenced by the professionalism of final copy

Thinking/Inquiry:____/15
 Thought and imagination were used in the crafting of this story
 Creativity and effort are obvious in the layout and design of the final copy
 Ideas are original, meaningful, and developed
 The theme, “mending broken relationships,” is imaginatively woven throughout the story
 Title is relevant to story and works to spark the reader’s interest in the story
Marking Scale (mark will be weighted accordingly to reflect proper % of overall grade)
5 Wow! You went above and beyond! (Above Standards)
4-3 Well done! (Meets Standards)
2 Good job—more effort would improve project (Approaching Standards)
1-0 Unfinished portions negatively impact project (Below Standards)

Comments:

Overall Mark: ___/35