Welcome to 101 Ways to Write a Short Story! In this course, students will read short stories from various genres and time periods. We will develop an understanding of the short story form and short story elements that writers use to create exciting plots and deeper meaning. Student writers will participate in open and safe dialogue about their writing and ideas. Students will explore creative resources for writing and publishing work, as well as have an opportunity to write creatively regularly. We will also write two creative short stories during the course to showcase our understanding of short stories and the creative process! As we delve into short stories and the creative writing process, we will consider how and why short stories connect with readers around the world.
As students learn various ways to write a short story, we will explore many elements and devices that make a short story exciting and engaging. We will begin by learning about the basics of a short story and how writers plan for a story. We will also learn what qualifies as a short story. Theme and connecting short stories to the world around us will be a focus throughout the course. In Unit 1, we will learn about the importance of plot and structure, as well as the effect of the sequence of events in a story. We will also learn about the importance of setting and how it can impact a story.
In Unit 2, we will learn about conflict and characters. We will begin by learning about internal versus external conflict, and how to create conflict in a story. In this unit, we will learn about different types of characters and their role in a story. We will learn how to create several types of characters. We will also learn about how to develop a point of view in a story and its importance. We will have an opportunity to use what we learned in units 1 and 2 to create our first original short story.
Unit 3 will focus on creating meaning through literary devices and style. We will look at various ways meaning can be created. We will study literary devices and how incorporating them will add layers of meaning to a story. We will also learn how to adjust style, including diction and syntax, to enhance a story. This unit will also allow students to create character dialogue and learn how to incorporate a theme into a story.
The final unit of the course will focus on the process of planning, writing, and publishing a short story. Students will write their final short story of the course and have an opportunity to give and receive feedback on their short stories.
Each week, the course will begin with a meaningful and collaborative discussion that connects what we are learning that week to the world around us. We will engage in analyses of short stories and how they are created. Students will create various creative writing pieces in their Writer’s Notebook. Students will also have an opportunity to write two full-length short stories.
This course is aligned with the English Language Arts Common Core 9-10 and 11-12 Reading Literature standards. In this standard-level course, students are expected to invest approximately 6 hours per week on their course work.
Course Essential Questions:
- How do short stories and their themes resonate with people around the world?
- How do we use the creative process to write a short story?
Course Learning Objectives:
- Analyze the significance of the theme, characters, settings, plots, and conflicts of a short story and how they are developed and evolve.
- Analyze and develop additional elements of a short story including style, dialogue, and dialect.
- Write short stories incorporating themes, characters, plots, settings, conflicts, and other elements effectively.
- Identify and demonstrate how short stories help readers connect to the world around them.
- Develop clear and coherent writing effectively employing appropriate vocabulary and English conventions.