Year 9: English - Short Stories

In this interview with bestselling author Stephen King, who discusses the art of writing short stories and short fiction, and the fact that many writers today forgo the short story to write the novel, sometimes before they are ready to navigate "the quagmire of the novel."

 

Introductory Power Point

Aesthetic Features and Sentence Style Techniques Bingo Sheet

Horror and Building Tension

"The Hand" Literary Analysis Handout

"The Hitchhiker" Activity Sheet

"The Hitchhiker" Author and Key Terms

"The Monkey's Paw" Questions and Activities

"The White Boat" Story Analysis 

 

Short story, brief fictional prose narrative that is shorter than a novel and that usually deals with only a few characters.

Writer, Edgar Allen Poe, developed the six rules or characteristics of the short story.

1. It must create a single impression.
2. It must be able to be read in a single sitting.
3. Every word must be relevant and contribute to the overall impression.
4. The opening sentence must plunge the reader straight into the action.
5. The story should end immediately after the climax.
6. Use a minimum number of characters and only develop them to the extent required by the story.

Read all about the history of the short story at Encyclopedia Britannica.

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Most definitions of a short story focus on the following key points:

1. A short story is a prose narrative

2. Is shorter than a novel

3. Deals with limited characters

4. Aims to create a single effect

Other definitions, however, are more concerned with word count, stating that a short story may range anywhere between 1,000 – 30,000 words. Anything over 30,000 words, however, tends to be considered ‘too long’, and crosses into the classification of a novella. For more information on the difference between the short story and novella, click here.

(From Writer's Edit)

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“Write a short story every week. It's not possible to write 52 bad short stories in a row.” ― Ray Bradbury

Five Reasons Why Writing Short Stories Makes You a Better Writer (Turner Stories)

An author blogs about why we should write short stories to become better at writing in general [read more].

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Why You Should Write Short Stories (Writer's Edit)

An interesting article about the significance of short stories and why we should try writing them [read more].

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How to Write an Amazing Short Story (Writer's Edit)

A basic 'how to' guide, including tips such as: Eavesdropping and Using Your Own Memory [read more].

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10 Tips to Help You Write a Short Story (Writers & Artists)

Author Susmita Bhattacharya offers 10 of her best tips for short story writing [read more].

 

• The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

  a slow-building, creepy story that will stay with you long after you've read it

• The Landlady by Roald Dahl

  This sweet little old lady is definitely not what she seems.

• Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl

  Will she get away with murder?

• The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe

  A classic horror story from the grandfather of the short story

• The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe

  So famous, The Simpsons have done a spoof of it.

• Man from the South by Roald Dahl

  Would you bet your finger for a car?

• The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs

  Be careful what you wish for.

• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

  Solve the mystery alongside the world's most famous detective. Try "The Speckled Band" or "A Scandal in Bohemia".

• Examination Day by Henry Slesar

  This classic short story has a real twist in the tail and has been made into an episode of The Twilight Zone.

• There will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury

  A lyrical and poignant story from the science fiction master.

• The Hitchhiker by Lucille Fletcher
  A short radio play, first presented in 1941 on the Orson Welles Show.

• The White Boat by Kate Constable
  A short story by an Australian author

There are no rules with short story writing but this guide contains some suggestions that should help most people to improve their writing.

Use the Bitesize guide on Short Stories to quickly revise ways to improve short story writing.

Covers topics like: Characters, Plot, Settings, Dialogue, Openings and Endings and much more.