EXTENDED ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP O.B.E: The Short Story

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The Short Story is an expanded essay - longer than an essay, but shorter than a novel. It captures an event in a short space of time, in contrast to the novel, which may cover a long span of time, more characters and various events.

Writing short stories, fiction and essays aren’t easy – in fact, the relative brevity of these pieces can make them even more challenging to create. Inside you’ll learn the best techniques for doing it well and using those pieces as a springboard for lengthier works.

The short story may be likened to a sausage dog:

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- a small head (short introduction)
- a long body (the development of the story)
- an interesting, twisty tail (climax) followed by a conclusion

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The title of the short story should interest the reader immediately.
A story needs a plot, which should develop towards a climax (peak) and be rounded off to a conclusion.
The setting (time and place) should be introduced at an early stage.

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You should ensure chronological correctness e.g. as regards the dress and the events of the time in which the story is set. The inclusion of a television set during the First World War would be a anachronism.
Each story should be pitched at a definite audience.
This will dictate the style, vocabulary, characters, plot and tone.

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There should be a limited number of characters - too many will fragment the focus.

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Character's names should suit their personalities e.g. a fairy could be called 'Floaterfly' and a gangster could be called 'Nasty Ned'.
Limited and discriminate use of direct speech will aid identity and reality to the characters.
In the use of indirect speech, guard against using 'he said' too often.
This writing format lends itself perfectly to S I D E S and writing through the senses.

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