Types
Fairytale - The best-known would be Grimm's fairytales
about imaginary folk, such as elves, giants, witches, gnomes, and fairies.
Closer to home is Mary and the Leprechaun, by Irish-Australian writer John
Kelly.
Tall
tale - an exaggerated story, often humorous.
Legend - a story based on the life of a real person in which events
are depicted larger than life, for example, The Stories of Robin Hood, or King
Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Myth - a story about gods and heroes, explaining the workings of
nature and human nature. 
Steps to follow When Writing a
Story
SETTING --
The time and location in which a story takes place is
called the setting. For some stories the setting is very
important, while
for others it is not. There are several aspects of a story's setting to
consider when examining
how setting contributes to a story (some, or all, may
be present in a story):
a) place - geographical
location. Where is the action of the story taking place?
b) time - When is the story taking place? (historical period, time
of day, year, etc)
c) weather conditions - Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc?
d) social conditions - What is the daily life of the characters
like? Does the story contain local colour (writing that focuses on the speech,
dress, mannerisms, customs, etc. of a particular place)?
e) mood or atmosphere - What feeling is created at the beginning
of the story? Is it bright and cheerful or dark and frightening?
The plot is how the author arranges
events to develop his basic idea; It is the sequence of events in a story
or play. The plot is a planned, logical series of events having a
beginning, middle, and end. The short story usually has one plot so it
can be read in one sitting. There are five essential parts of plot:
a) Introduction
- The beginning of the story where the characters and the setting is revealed.
b) Rising
Action - This is where the events in the story become complicated and the
conflict in the story is revealed (events between the introduction and climax).
c) Climax
- This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of the
story. The reader wonders what will happen next; will the conflict be
resolved or not?
d) Falling
action - The events and complications begin to resolve themselves.
The reader knows what has happened next and if the conflict was resolved or not
(events between climax and denouement).
e) Denouement
- This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story.
Conflict is essential to plot. Without
conflict there is no plot. It is the opposition of forces which ties one
incident to another and makes the plot move. Conflict is not merely
limited to open arguments, rather it is any form of opposition that faces the
main character. Within a short story there may be only one central struggle, or
there may be one dominant struggle with many minor ones.
There are two types of conflict:
1) External - A struggle with a force outside one's self.
1) External - A struggle with a force outside one's self.
2) Internal
- A struggle within one's self; a person must make some decision, overcome
pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc.
There are four kinds of
conflict:
1) Man vs. Man (physical) - The leading character struggles with
his physical strength against other men, forces of nature, or animals.
2) Man vs.
Circumstances (classical) - The leading character struggles against fate,
or the circumstances of life facing him/her.
3) Man vs.
Society (social) - The leading character struggles against ideas,
practices, or customs of other people.
4) Man vs.
Himself/Herself (psychological) - The leading character struggles
with himself/herself; with his/her own soul, ideas of right or wrong, physical
limitations, choices, etc.
There are two meanings for the
word character:
1) The person in a work of fiction.
2) The characteristics of a person.
1) The person in a work of fiction.
2) The characteristics of a person.
Persons in a work of fiction - Antagonist and Protagonist
Short stories use few characters. One character is clearly central to the story with all major events having some importance to this character - he/she is the PROTAGONIST. The opposer of the main character is called the ANTAGONIST.
Short stories use few characters. One character is clearly central to the story with all major events having some importance to this character - he/she is the PROTAGONIST. The opposer of the main character is called the ANTAGONIST.
The Characteristics of a Person -
In order for a story to seem real to the reader its characters must seem real. Characterization is the information the author gives the reader about the characters themselves. The author may reveal a character in several ways:
a) his/her physical appearance
b) what he/she says, thinks, feels and dreams
c) what he/she does or does not do
d) what others say about him/her and how others react to him/her
In order for a story to seem real to the reader its characters must seem real. Characterization is the information the author gives the reader about the characters themselves. The author may reveal a character in several ways:
a) his/her physical appearance
b) what he/she says, thinks, feels and dreams
c) what he/she does or does not do
d) what others say about him/her and how others react to him/her
Characters are
convincing if they are: consistent, motivated, and life-like (resemble
real people)
Characters are...
1. Individual - round, many sided and complex personalities.
2. Developing - dynamic, many sided personalities that change, for better or worse, by the end of the story.
3. Static - Stereotype, have one or two characteristics that never change and are emphasized e.g. brilliant detective, drunk, scrooge, cruel stepmother, etc.
1. Individual - round, many sided and complex personalities.
2. Developing - dynamic, many sided personalities that change, for better or worse, by the end of the story.
3. Static - Stereotype, have one or two characteristics that never change and are emphasized e.g. brilliant detective, drunk, scrooge, cruel stepmother, etc.
Point of view, or
p.o.v., is defined as the angle from which the story is told.
1. Innocent
Eye - The story is told through the eyes of a child (his/her judgment
being different from that of an adult) .
2. Stream
of Consciousness - The story is told so that the reader feels as if
they are inside the head of one character and knows all their thoughts and
reactions.
3. First
Person - The story is told by the protagonist or one of the
characters who interacts closely with the protagonist or other characters
(using pronouns I, me, we, etc). The reader sees the story through this
person's eyes as he/she experiences it and only knows what he/she knows or feels.
4. Omniscient-
The author can narrate the story using the omniscient point of view. He
can move from character to character, event to event, having free access to the
thoughts, feelings and motivations of his characters and he introduces
information where and when he chooses. There are two main types of
omniscient point of view:
a) Omniscient
Limited - The author tells the story in third person (using pronouns
they, she, he, it, etc). We know only what the character knows and what
the author allows him/her to tell us. We can see the thoughts and feelings of
characters if the author chooses to reveal them to us.
b) Omniscient Objective
–
The author tells the story in the third person. It appears as though a
camera is following the characters, going anywhere, and recording only what is
seen and heard. There is no comment on the characters or their thoughts.
No interpretations are offered. The reader is placed in the position of
spectator without the author there to explain. The reader has to interpret
events on his own.
THEME
The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea
or its central insight. It is the author's underlying meaning or main idea
that he is trying to convey. The theme may be the author's thoughts about
a topic or view of human nature. The title of the short story usually
points to what the writer is saying and he may use various figures of speech to
emphasize his theme, such as: symbol, allusion, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or
irony.
Some simple examples of common themes from literature, TV, and film are:
- things are not always as they appear to be
- Love is blind
- Believe in yourself
- People are afraid of change
- Don't judge a book by its cover
Description
(b) You can describe by using:
- figures of speech like similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, alliteration & personification
as much as possible to make your writing vivid and original!
(c) Describe the setting, i.e. the physical environment, the place where the action of the story is taking place, and the time it is happening, if appropriate. You can let the setting change later in the story if the mood of the character changes. * If the character becomes despondent, you may choose to let the rain fall. This is known as pathetic fallacy i.e. allowing the weather to take on human qualities and emotions to emulate what the present situation is. For e.g. the father dies in the story and as he breathes his last breath, the rain starts to fall.
(d) Describe your characters according to the role they are playing
(e) Describe by using gripping, detailed facts, powerful
adjectives, adverbs and verbs. For
e.g
(f) “Once upon a time,” is a boring
way to start. A more interesting way would be to start by describing the
setting or a character or with a quotation, proverb etc.
Characters
Decide how many characters are
necessary for your story to develop the way you want it to, keeping in mind
that the fewer characters you use, the easier the job of developing the story
properly. Therefore, identify your MAIN character and his/her role & your
SUB CHARACTER/S and his/her/their roles. Characterisation is also important.
This includes:
- the appearance (the way the
character looks),
- personality (the way the character
thinks or feels)
- and behaviour (the way the
character acts or feels) of the characters.
Style
There are varying styles of writing your essay. Remember that the purpose of a descriptive piece is to bring your story, make the imagination flow and make the reader believe, enjoy and understand your thoughts. First Person: i.e. use of yourself as the main person telling the story. In these types of stories, the author will refer to himself in the first person, i.e. “I” or “we” or “our.” This is really used when the person has decided to use himself as the victim/author/narrator of a situation or story or event that has happened. Third Person: i.e. writing the story through the eyes or experiences of another person as the main character. The writer will refer to the character as “he” and use words like “they” or “them or “theirs.” Reflective: i.e. use of main character being in the present but is thinking about a situation that happened to him/her in the past. This can be ideal for picture essays. For e.g. the examiner may present you with a picture of a child crying, or a house burning and you can use the reflective style as if someone is looking at the picture and telling the tale behind that picture/actions in the picture.
There are varying styles of writing your essay. Remember that the purpose of a descriptive piece is to bring your story, make the imagination flow and make the reader believe, enjoy and understand your thoughts. First Person: i.e. use of yourself as the main person telling the story. In these types of stories, the author will refer to himself in the first person, i.e. “I” or “we” or “our.” This is really used when the person has decided to use himself as the victim/author/narrator of a situation or story or event that has happened. Third Person: i.e. writing the story through the eyes or experiences of another person as the main character. The writer will refer to the character as “he” and use words like “they” or “them or “theirs.” Reflective: i.e. use of main character being in the present but is thinking about a situation that happened to him/her in the past. This can be ideal for picture essays. For e.g. the examiner may present you with a picture of a child crying, or a house burning and you can use the reflective style as if someone is looking at the picture and telling the tale behind that picture/actions in the picture.
This is an example of a picture essay for students to reflect on what is being presented in the scenery.
Other Techniques
Some techniques that make a story
interesting: A surprise ending Suspense A sudden twist in the plot Irony Strong
emotional appeal – touching the reader’s emotions deeply Humour- a light touch
that is, making the reader smile or laugh The use of short sentences for
dramatic effect. Avoid overdoing this though. The use of a sentence-paragraph
for dramatic effect. Avoid overdoing this we all. Dialogue that fleshes out
characterization realistically –characters and their relationships. The use of
apt, excellent description, especially the use of figurative language that adds
originality and freshness, e.g. similes metaphors etc. Appeal to all 5 senses
High quality language of language, including active verbs.
Structure Of Story
Like any story, your short story
needs to have a beginning, middle and end:
- The beginning is where we’re introduced to the characters, especially the main character and his/her problem
- The middle is where the action and plot develops. The main character will face difficulties such as opposition from other people or a challenging environment.
- The end is where the main character triumphs over his/her biggest challenge (or fails, in the case of a tragedy). The resolution should be satisfying and conclusive for the reader.
Other information, please click on link below:
http://wizznotes.com/english/storydescriptive-writting/the-broad-outline
http://www.dailywritingtips.com/story-writing/
ENG 1 Short Story - Develop
the ability to appreciate real and imagined experiences.Develop the
ability to use language with precision, clarity, and grammatical
correctness.
Short Story Writing Powerpoint Powerpoint presentation
Eng Mod 1 Short Story L1 SIM PDF document
Short Story Video 1 file
ENG 1 Descriptive Writing - Organising and sequencing ideas to communicate emotions and imaginative interpretations of experience
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