Aiyan
01-19-2010, 07:16 AM
CONVENTIONAL SHORT STORY WRITING
1.0 BACKGROUND INFORMATION
A short story is a condensed fictional narrative, written usually in prose, that entails a minimal number of characters involved in a single action with one thematic focus. A novel on the other hand concerns many characters that are gradually developed by several interconnecting storylines and confrontations. Before the 19th century, stories were mostly based on mystery, and writers at the time enjoyed detailing the motivations behind their characters, and how they came to reach a conflict.
When writing a short story, it is important to have a good structure of events, exclude extraneous material, have a strict control and focusing of points of view and select precisely appropriate diction. Every word counts, so try not to waste any, i.e. ensure that you have a reason for writing your words.
The purpose of a short story is to entertain the reader and to explore themes and issues. The style one uses is based on selection of points of view, vocabulary, syntax, imagery and form.
2.0 STRUCTURE
The conventional short story begins with an orientation, which leads to rising action and peaks at a climax. After which, the resolution takes place.
2.1 INTRODUCTION
The goal of an introduction is to capture a reader’s interest, as well as to set the scene and give the background needed to understand the story that follows. If you fail to do so in the first paragraph, a person finds no desire to continue reading the story. Therefore, it is crucial that a writer begins effectively.
Devices for interesting introductions:
1. A puzzling or intriguing statement/ paragraph which makes the reader want to know what will happen next.
EG: I am still uncertain of why I did it. Everything and everyone told me to do otherwise. Why didn’t I listen?
2. A startling fact or vivid detail.
EG: The clefthoof species is native to the rolling hills of Nagrand. They are generally a gentle race of creatures, whose diet is mostly composed of grasses. Every so often though, they enjoy the sweet taste of dreaming glory.
I thought this as I slid my blade out of the thick, furry corpse of an elder clefthoof, looking to the clump of glistening herbs to my left.
“My dreaming glory, not yours...”
3. A character description which makes the reader interested enough to want to read more about him/her.
EG: The wife of Bryor the Brave placed her goblet of wine on the table and gazed unseeingly at the puddles outside the cabin’s open door. Not that she was inebriated. She was quite pleased that the first drink of the day was lasting so well. But it wasn’t the best way to be spending her fortieth birthday – stuck in the tedious outer reaches of Westfall. The great Bryor was off slaying undead in the cold North, no doubt laughing and cackling like a madman as he always did. Mythansa, on that other hand, had nothing but time and wine on her hands. So much the better.
4. A descriptive passage which creates an atmosphere or mood appropriate to the story.
EG: The smell of rotten fish had actually seeped into the wood itself, constantly providing a choke-worthy stench that intoxicated everyone aboard the creaking mass of the ship. It therefore came as no surprise to find that all of the sailors had deep, dark circles around their bloodshot eyes. The weather had been extremely foul recently, and as they made their way further and further Northward, it only worsened. They would have prayed to the Light if they thought it would do them any good. But alas, the rough men beneath the yellow-stained sails of ‘The Bountiful’ were beyond hope now. There was only one eventuality awaiting them.
5. Starting in the middle of a piece of important action, raising questions in the reader’s mind that will only be answered if he/she reads on.
EG: The whack on the back of the head felt worse than the slice he’d received across his arm. With a roar, he responded with a strike of his own, before succumbing to exhaustion and collapsing into darkness at the feet of his opponent.
6. Simply and briefly set the scene.
EG: After the sun had gone down, it wasn’t the sort of place you’d want to linger. In winter with a dead, grey fog drifting up from the river, it was even worse. Something had happened in that tower; I’m not sure what but it was enough to keep prudent people away.
2.2 RISING ACTION
This is the bulk of the short story, and builds up to a climax. A good technique for rising actions is to have ‘mini-climaxes’, in which the excitement peaks every so often and keeps the reader ‘on their toes’. It is vital to build tension and suspense well in preparation for the climax of your story. Be sure to remain on track with what you are trying to convey with your short story, and try not to ramble or waste words on things that have no meaning or purpose.
2.3 CLIMAX
The most exciting point of the short story. Be sure not to rush it or describe it briefly. It is important to make this stage as detailed as the others, so bear that in mind when writing. The peak of your story can be many things: an epiphany, a conflict, an intimate action, a victory etc.
2.4 RESOLUTION
The final part of the short story. A powerful ending is effective, and can be achieved in numerous ways. A good ending doesn’t answer all of the questions posed in the body of the short story, leaving doubts, suspicions and assumptions in the reader’s mind that gives the story a sense of intrigue and mystery.
3.0 DESCRIPTIVE PASSAGES
Good description is important in story writing, as it allows the image in the writer’s mind to appear more accurate in the imagination of the reader. Devices for interesting descriptions:
1. Attention to detail.
Pick up on overlooked particulars to turn something normal into something special.
EG: The bark of the tree felt much rougher than usual. The valleys and miniature mountain ranges that sprawled across the expanse of the trunk were mind-boggling to gaze at, stretching on into the high reaches of outstretched branches and golden leaves. A soothing wind scooped up a small portion of leaf litter, carrying it off to another towering plant. The forest was coming alive.
2. Sensory input.
Description that engages the reader by evoking unusual or vivid sensory experiences. 5 senses: see, hear, smell, touch, taste.
EG: Night’s cool touch enveloped him. The coppery taste of blood hung heavy in the darkened air, and coupled with the scent of fresh spring blossoms and moss, threw up a bombardment of the senses to confuse the few people who walked by the house that night.
3. Metaphor.
Drawing direct comparisons to create a sense of associated meaning.
EG: How magnificent they appeared, full-rigged, those towering girls, with their flying hair and billowing blouses, their white-mast arms stripped for work or washing.
4. Simile.
Likening one thing to another to create a sense of associated meaning.
EG: The full moon glowered like a scolding mother’s eye.
5. Personification.
Giving human attributes to animals or objects.
EG: The cathedral beamed at the small company, opening up to welcome them. Its tongue lay on the steps, a rich navy blue, and as she made her way along it, she gazed in awe at the gaping mouth of light awaiting her at the top.
1.0 BACKGROUND INFORMATION
A short story is a condensed fictional narrative, written usually in prose, that entails a minimal number of characters involved in a single action with one thematic focus. A novel on the other hand concerns many characters that are gradually developed by several interconnecting storylines and confrontations. Before the 19th century, stories were mostly based on mystery, and writers at the time enjoyed detailing the motivations behind their characters, and how they came to reach a conflict.
When writing a short story, it is important to have a good structure of events, exclude extraneous material, have a strict control and focusing of points of view and select precisely appropriate diction. Every word counts, so try not to waste any, i.e. ensure that you have a reason for writing your words.
The purpose of a short story is to entertain the reader and to explore themes and issues. The style one uses is based on selection of points of view, vocabulary, syntax, imagery and form.
2.0 STRUCTURE
The conventional short story begins with an orientation, which leads to rising action and peaks at a climax. After which, the resolution takes place.
2.1 INTRODUCTION
The goal of an introduction is to capture a reader’s interest, as well as to set the scene and give the background needed to understand the story that follows. If you fail to do so in the first paragraph, a person finds no desire to continue reading the story. Therefore, it is crucial that a writer begins effectively.
Devices for interesting introductions:
1. A puzzling or intriguing statement/ paragraph which makes the reader want to know what will happen next.
EG: I am still uncertain of why I did it. Everything and everyone told me to do otherwise. Why didn’t I listen?
2. A startling fact or vivid detail.
EG: The clefthoof species is native to the rolling hills of Nagrand. They are generally a gentle race of creatures, whose diet is mostly composed of grasses. Every so often though, they enjoy the sweet taste of dreaming glory.
I thought this as I slid my blade out of the thick, furry corpse of an elder clefthoof, looking to the clump of glistening herbs to my left.
“My dreaming glory, not yours...”
3. A character description which makes the reader interested enough to want to read more about him/her.
EG: The wife of Bryor the Brave placed her goblet of wine on the table and gazed unseeingly at the puddles outside the cabin’s open door. Not that she was inebriated. She was quite pleased that the first drink of the day was lasting so well. But it wasn’t the best way to be spending her fortieth birthday – stuck in the tedious outer reaches of Westfall. The great Bryor was off slaying undead in the cold North, no doubt laughing and cackling like a madman as he always did. Mythansa, on that other hand, had nothing but time and wine on her hands. So much the better.
4. A descriptive passage which creates an atmosphere or mood appropriate to the story.
EG: The smell of rotten fish had actually seeped into the wood itself, constantly providing a choke-worthy stench that intoxicated everyone aboard the creaking mass of the ship. It therefore came as no surprise to find that all of the sailors had deep, dark circles around their bloodshot eyes. The weather had been extremely foul recently, and as they made their way further and further Northward, it only worsened. They would have prayed to the Light if they thought it would do them any good. But alas, the rough men beneath the yellow-stained sails of ‘The Bountiful’ were beyond hope now. There was only one eventuality awaiting them.
5. Starting in the middle of a piece of important action, raising questions in the reader’s mind that will only be answered if he/she reads on.
EG: The whack on the back of the head felt worse than the slice he’d received across his arm. With a roar, he responded with a strike of his own, before succumbing to exhaustion and collapsing into darkness at the feet of his opponent.
6. Simply and briefly set the scene.
EG: After the sun had gone down, it wasn’t the sort of place you’d want to linger. In winter with a dead, grey fog drifting up from the river, it was even worse. Something had happened in that tower; I’m not sure what but it was enough to keep prudent people away.
2.2 RISING ACTION
This is the bulk of the short story, and builds up to a climax. A good technique for rising actions is to have ‘mini-climaxes’, in which the excitement peaks every so often and keeps the reader ‘on their toes’. It is vital to build tension and suspense well in preparation for the climax of your story. Be sure to remain on track with what you are trying to convey with your short story, and try not to ramble or waste words on things that have no meaning or purpose.
2.3 CLIMAX
The most exciting point of the short story. Be sure not to rush it or describe it briefly. It is important to make this stage as detailed as the others, so bear that in mind when writing. The peak of your story can be many things: an epiphany, a conflict, an intimate action, a victory etc.
2.4 RESOLUTION
The final part of the short story. A powerful ending is effective, and can be achieved in numerous ways. A good ending doesn’t answer all of the questions posed in the body of the short story, leaving doubts, suspicions and assumptions in the reader’s mind that gives the story a sense of intrigue and mystery.
3.0 DESCRIPTIVE PASSAGES
Good description is important in story writing, as it allows the image in the writer’s mind to appear more accurate in the imagination of the reader. Devices for interesting descriptions:
1. Attention to detail.
Pick up on overlooked particulars to turn something normal into something special.
EG: The bark of the tree felt much rougher than usual. The valleys and miniature mountain ranges that sprawled across the expanse of the trunk were mind-boggling to gaze at, stretching on into the high reaches of outstretched branches and golden leaves. A soothing wind scooped up a small portion of leaf litter, carrying it off to another towering plant. The forest was coming alive.
2. Sensory input.
Description that engages the reader by evoking unusual or vivid sensory experiences. 5 senses: see, hear, smell, touch, taste.
EG: Night’s cool touch enveloped him. The coppery taste of blood hung heavy in the darkened air, and coupled with the scent of fresh spring blossoms and moss, threw up a bombardment of the senses to confuse the few people who walked by the house that night.
3. Metaphor.
Drawing direct comparisons to create a sense of associated meaning.
EG: How magnificent they appeared, full-rigged, those towering girls, with their flying hair and billowing blouses, their white-mast arms stripped for work or washing.
4. Simile.
Likening one thing to another to create a sense of associated meaning.
EG: The full moon glowered like a scolding mother’s eye.
5. Personification.
Giving human attributes to animals or objects.
EG: The cathedral beamed at the small company, opening up to welcome them. Its tongue lay on the steps, a rich navy blue, and as she made her way along it, she gazed in awe at the gaping mouth of light awaiting her at the top.