Minds on.

Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now.

Annie Dillard

This is the did you know icon. Did You Know?

Many short stories and novellas, such as Breakfast at Tiffany's, Shawshank Redemption, and Children of the Corn have successfully been made into films. Learn about some of these classics by reading The Must-Read Short Stories Behind 16 Great Movies. Who knows? Perhaps the short story you’re about to write will be ‘coming soon to a theatre near you’...

When Is It Time To Write ‘The End?’

How long a short story can (or should) be is a common question for any writer. Even more confusing is trying to decide when a short story crosses over into a novella.

While there aren’t any official statistics, in his Word Counts of Famous Short Stories, Hawthorn Mineart took 161 famous short stories and ordered them from shortest to longest.

This is an image of a collage of books opened to random pages.

Readers may not want the ending spoiled for them, but they generally expected one...

He discovered that the median word count was 3,081 while 4,052 was the average. The list begins with Virginia Woolf’s A Haunted House (a mere 710 words) and ends with H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine (a massive 33,015 words). Of course, Mineart’s list is far from all-inclusive, but it does showcase the scope short stories can possibly have.

According to Warren Cariou, the novella is generally not as formally experimental as the long story and the novel can be, and it usually lacks the subplots, the multiple points of view, and the generic adaptability that are common in the novel. It is most often concerned with personal and emotional development rather than with the larger social sphere. The novella generally retains something of the unity of impression that is a hallmark of the short story, but it also contains more highly developed characterization and more luxuriant description.

In the end, it can be hard for a writer to write ‘The End,’ but it’s an inevitable part of the story creation process. And while writing the last word of the story can be bittersweet (consider, for example, the complex, conflicting emotions parents might feel when their child leaves home to go to university), that does not mean the story is finished, only that story. Of course, a story still needs some sort of closing resolution. Asking reflective questions is a powerful tool to help you decide if it's time to conclude your story. Consider asking yourself questions such as these.

  • What did you set out to do in the story?
  • Did you accomplish this?
  • What impressions do you want to leave your readers with?
  • Do you think you have satisfied your readers' expectations?
  • Will ‘giving more’ add to your narrative or simply make it longer?
This is an image of a smiling graduating student clad in his gown. He is about to throw his cap in the air.

Graduation is the end of your secondary school story, but not your academic one.

Additionally, having access to a capable and constructive writers’ community can help you decide when the time is right and the story is ripe.

Action.

And the Winner is…

All around the country there are short story writing contests. While monetary prizes range in value, most authors admit that acknowledgement is the greatest reward (after all, isn’t it the goal of a writer to be not only published, but celebrated, as well?). As you prepare to write your longer short story, you’ll be completing a series of preparatory tasks. These tasks will help you expand narratives so that you are ready to write your own!

This is the dropbox icon. Proven Prompts

Read through this list of 365 Creative Writing Prompts. Read at least ten different prompts. Then select any three prompts and copy them in your Writer’s Notebook.

Answer the following questions.

  1. Why did you select the prompts you did?  Is there a common connection?  What does this tell you about you as a reader and/or writer?

  2. For each of the prompts, expand it into a 100 to 150 word postcard (also called flash fiction) story.  

  3. For each flash fiction story, include one or two of the following elements in each of your flash fiction stories. Using a short but specific series of sentences, identify them and explain your writing decision for each element you chose to include (only one or two per story):
    • Showing or telling
    • Perspective
    • Literary device(s)
    • Stylistic device(s)
    • Character Type(s)
    • Sensory detail(s)

This is the discussion icon. Expanding a Proven Prompt

You’ve had a chance to develop some prompts, it’s time to expand further. 

Choose one prompt from the article above. Write a 500 word short story that uses those first words. You are free to take the story in any direction you like, and it’s recommended that you do not research the original story further until after you have completed this task.

Writer’s Notebook

Now that you’ve had a chance to develop and expand some longlist author’s prompts, it’s time to read and reflect on 2019 CBC Short Story Prize winner Krzysztof Pelc’s “Green Velvet.”

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Now, read how Krzysztof Pelc wrote the story that won the CBC Short Story Prize for insights and strategies from this award-winning writer. It would be a good idea to make notes and comment on if these techniques could work for you (and why) in the “monitoring your growth” section of your Writer’s Notebook.

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This is the dropbox icon. You Be The Judge

As you’ve come to learn, writing is both a subjective and an ongoing process. So while Hawley’s "Witching" won the prize, that doesn’t mean that it’s a perfect story. In your Writer’s Notebook, take on the role of a CBC literary judge and write your verdict. In doing so, make sure you decide what place (if any) "Witching" should receive and justify your decision with five specific references to elements within her story. Use the following criteria to assess the story:

  • Showing or telling;
  • Perspective;
  • Literary device(s);
  • Stylistic devices(s);
  • Character Types(s); and
  • Sensory Detail(s).
This is an image of a wooden gavel resting on a wooden block.

You be the judge.

This is the enrichment icon. Enrichment

This is an image of an award ribbon with a number one in the centre.

As Wayne Gretzky noted, “[y]ou miss 100% of the shots you don't take.” Hmm, that would be a good prompt for a story...

Now that you’ve had a chance to read some short story winners and entrants, why not enter some contests yourself? There are plenty of free or small-fee contests in Canada and internationally. A simple Google search for ‘short story contests’ will net you many results.

To assist your fellow writers, research one currently active (or soon to be active) contest and share it with your teacher. She or he will compile the contests and share them with your class.

However, before entering any contest, make sure that you read the rules and regulations carefully. Beyond ensuing that you are meeting all contest criteria (e.g., costs, file types, word counts, and formatting), be aware that some contests have clauses regarding publication rights and ownership. Here is A guide to writing prizes for Canadians to help get your search started.

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Consolidation

This is the dropbox icon. The Big Short

For your final task for this activity, you will write a longer short story between 1000 and 5000 words. Your story can be on any topic of your choice (whether new or expanded from a previous story), though you are welcome to use the Rolling Randomizer to help you generate some ideas. Along with your short story, you need to include an annotated paragraph where you identify and explain your writing decision for each of the following elements.

  • Showing or telling;
  • Perspective;
  • Literary device(s);
  • Stylistic devices(s);
  • Character Types(s);
  • Sensory Detail(s).

Conduct a self-assessment by ensuring that you meet the following criteria.

Yes/No Criteria
Have you considered and incorporated the appropriate and relevant narrative techniques learned throughout this unit?
Have you proofread, edited, and revised your work?
Have you completed the identification and explanation of your writing decisions?

This is the metacognition icon Metacognitive Moment

Now that this unit is complete, reflect on your growth as a writer by writing a two or three paragraph response. Your response should comment on the following questions.

  • What are your strengths as a writer?
  • Refer to the goal for improvement you set at the end of Unit 1. Did you achieve your goal? If yes, give an example from your writing. If not, examine the criteria in the rubric and other materials from this unit to help you focus on improvement.
  • Do you believe that you see narrative writing as a potential art, craft, and/or career? How so? What skills are needed?

Include examples from your works so far, as well as specific references to each activity. As a reminder, here are the activities you’ve completed in this unit:

  • Activity 1 - Tell Me A Story
  • Activity 2 - Show Me A Story
  • Activity 3 - Build Me A Story
  • Activity 4 - Analysing and Acknowledging Authors
  • Activity 5 - The Big Short

Next, select one of your polished pieces from the unit and reread it. Now, in one or two paragraphs, explain what specific Narrative Writing skills are showcased in both your product and its creation. Make sure that you:

  • give an example of a creative choice you made, and how it improved the effectiveness of communicating your message; and
  • give an example of how your own beliefs, values, or experiences are revealed in your writing.

Alternately, you can choose to create a digital mind-map or a digital cartoon showcasing your skills growth. 

Learning Skills Reflection

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