Short Stories
To watch a video lecture about this presentation by Mr. Chilton, click here!
Video lecture by Mr. Chilton about the Powerpoint above: Click here
Flannery O'Connor Short Stories: Click here
I'd like you to read one more famous short story from the list below and post a series of tweets / shortened versions that summarizes what occurred in the story. It can either be written in character of the people in the story or it can be written as a third-person narrator.
See both links below for what stories to read and for models of what it should look like.
Use the following link to find the choices for your one new short story you'll read this week.
The other link is a helpful site that summarizes famous stories in Twitter language. This is a model of what I would like your discussion post to look like above.
The following websites are collections of six word short stories written by famous writers and by random people on the internet. Some are heartbreaking, some are beautiful, some are terribly written, and some are inappropriate. It's the internet, y'all, I can't control everything that people say out there...
Reader discretion is advised.
Please read over these stories to find at least three that you can discuss in a discussion post.
After reading over the links above, post your three favorite six word short stories in one discussion post and for each one please answer the following questions in your post:
1. What is the fuller story going on in these six words?
2. What led you to connect or choose this story?
After posting your own, please respond to at least two of your classmates' posts by answering these questions:
1. What is the fuller story going on in these six words?
2. What do you think about this six word story?
3. How do you agree or disagree with the original poster's thoughts on this story?
I would like you to try your hand at writing your own original six word short stories. This is easier and harder than it sounds. It's only six words, how hard could it be? You want to tell a full story by leaving certain things left unsaid.
Task One: Post a minimum of ten different six word short stories that you came up with originally.
Task Two: Reply to at least 2 of your peers posts by answering these questions:
1. Generally, what do you think about their story?
2. What do you think the story is really about?
3. How do you personally connect to their story?
Choose one of your six word short stories and expand it into a full short story. I would like you to tell the full story, fill in the things that are left unsaid.
Please title the story whatever the original six words were.
Please remember to use the techniques you learned about in the video lecture (narration, dialogue, character development, etc), I will be looking for those techniques as I grade.
Looking for 2-3 pages typed in a Word document and submitted below.
Your overarching assignment for the week is to read two different short stories from different authors in a content box below and to choose one of the following options to write:
1. An original short story that imitates the style of one of your writers. (e.g. You would mimic the style, narration techniques, dialogue, and voice of the author you enjoyed reading)
2. An original short story that puts characters or authors of the stories you wrote in a unique situation together. (e.g. Kurt Vonnegut walks into a bar and strikes up a conversation with J.D. Salinger)
3. An original short story that explores some of the same themes and messages of the stories you read (e.g. if your stories were about the hardships of growing up and having to face your fears, your story would need to focus on these same principles).
Regardless of your choice, you must do the following in your short story:
1. Have an "analysis paragraph" after the story is complete where you detail how and why you wrote the story the way you did. Be very specific about how your short story addresses the prompt
(e.g. How is your short story imitate the style of the author? Why did you make the authors or characters act the way they did in the given situation? Why did you choose those themes and where in the stories did you find these themes?)
2. Make the story a minimum 2-3 pages long (excluding the "analysis paragraph")
3. Demonstrate an understanding of how a short story is structured and flows by using character development, narration, description, and a detailed plot.
If you have questions, please email me. Hope you enjoy this assignment!
The following is a list of hyperlinks to short story PDFs to choose from. Enjoy!
