2020-2021 Svab Short Fiction Anthology
Short Fiction Essay Explanation & Rubric 2020
Creative Short Fiction
Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, in his novel Paul Clifford (1830), wrote the following opening line, generally considered one of the worst opening lines in English fiction:
"It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents--except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness."
Each year, there is a contest to come up with the worst opening line for a piece of fiction. The results are worth reading.
John Updike's "A&P" - Listen to The New Yorker's fiction podcast of Allegra Goodman reading the story (with some discussion) (also available as a downloadable mp3 file below)
Creative Short Story Explanation & Rubric
Southern Gothic Slide Presentation
"A Rose For Emily" Plot Sequence