5: short short stories

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

Writing short short stories

Even if your story is extremely short, you want it to feel complete and satisfying.

1) Start late in the story.

• Let's say you're writing a 300-word horror story about a guy who dies in an alligator attack during his honeymoon. 
• There's no time to show the wedding ceremony, the reception, the plane ride to Florida with his new wife snuggling sleepily against his shoulder... 
• Instead, you might want to open with the man walking hand-in-hand into the swamp with his new wife, an avid bird-watcher, who is hoping for snapshots of a rare Florida egret. 

2) Stay focused. 

• In 300 words, there is no space for anything that isn't essential to the story you're telling. 
• If our alligator attack story were a novel , you might tell the reader about the history of this National Park, or about the birds the soon-to-be-widow is trying to capture with her camera -- or about the species of alligator that's trying to capture her unfortunate husband on its teeth. 
• When you're writing very short stories, you can't afford scenic detours -- you have to stick to the path (as our unfortunate hero should have done).

3) Choose the right details.  

• If you want to create the effect of a detailed picture but don't have room for a lot of details, the trick is to choose the right ones. 
• Choose details that suggest the rest. 
• The fact that our doomed hero's hotel room has a king-sized bed, two dressers, a desk, and a desk chair doesn't paint a mental picture of any specific place. 
• A burnt-out fluorescent ceiling light does -- this is not the Ritz. 
• An ugly hotel room and an alligator attack -- our poor hero! 

For a story to feel like a story, something has to change between the beginning and the end. 

What could change? 

• The character's situation. For example, at the beginning of the story, is trying to escape a burning building. At the end, he reaches safety. 
• The character's perspective on the situation. For example, at the beginning of the story, the character believes his wife is as happy in their marriage as he is. At the end, he realizes that she is after his money and trying to poison him. 

 

• The reader's understanding of the situation. For example, the beginning of the story seems to take place at an idyllic vacation resort. At the end, the reader realizes that the resort is haunted and everyone working there is a ghost.

The beginning of the story seems to take place at an idyllic vacation resort. At the end, the reader realizes that ...

To sum up: 

1) Start late in the story. There isn't time for a lot of introduction. You have to jump right into the action.

2) Choose the right details.

3) Imply more than you show.

4)Remove unnecessary words.

https:

www.100wordstory.org

creative assignment: 300 words

• Your best friend suddenly gets the ability to talk to animals. Describe what happens and how it changes your friendship.

• A new student joins your class, but there is something unusual about him/her. Describe getting to know the student and his/her secret.

• You receive a secret Valentine’s note in your locker. Write about who you think sent it and what you do next.