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Creative Writing – Creation of a Short Story
Note: Some of you followed this process at this summer’s creative writing camp. Follow the steps again so that you can generate new story ideas!
Use your own paper to follow the following steps. DO NOT write on the handouts.
· Brainstorming (Step I. of Storywriting): Imagine a character who faces a problem. (You can take an ordinary scenario and imagine “What If.”) Silently brainstorm at least six scenarios (number from 1-6).
Examples:
o What if…a girl (boy) like me were kidnapped by space invaders? (14).
o What if…a big, burly policeman were afraid of dogs, even little ones, the way I am? (14).
o What if…my father had not found me that time I got lost in the department store? (14).
· Focusing Initial Brainstorming
o Apply these criteria to your scenarios: 1) Your character must be able to solve the problem largely on his/her own. Example: If someone else has to solve the problem, then the story belongs to that other person. A boy who wants to be on the school baseball team had better be able to make it on his own (or decide for himself that he would rather do something else). If his father must talk the coach into giving the boy a chance, then it is really the father’s story. He is the one struggling to resolve the problem (9).
§ CROSS OUT or modify (mark with an asterisk) any brainstorming ideas where the main character is unable to solve his/her problem largely on his/her own.
o 2) Your character should have to struggle to solve his / her problem. Consider the following scenarios: A) There was a girl who wanted to have a slumber party, but she was afraid her pesky younger brother would ruin it. So, she decided to have her party at a friend’s house instead (10-11). EASY SOLUTION. NO STRUGGLE. B) There was a chimp who fell in love with an alligator. She went to the alligator and said, “Will you marry me?” The alligator said he would and the two lived happily ever after (11). NO CONFLICT. NO DEVELOPED STORY.
§ CROSS OUT or modify (mark with a star) any brainstorming ideas that do not require a real struggle.
§ Brainstorm four more scenarios with a character who faces a problem. Your character should be able to solve the problem largely on his / her own and must struggle to solve it. Number these scenarios 7-10.
· Choose Your Story - Think about what story idea appeals to you the most. Draw and/or draft ideas (bulleted list and / or paragraph form) for your main character and his/her struggle /journey with his/her problem. Star the story idea you choose.
· The Magic of Three
Consider your story. The action / plot of your story should build (each attempt toward the goal must be stronger, more difficult to make, or more important than the one before). That’s how you build story tension. Example:
Story Problem:– A chimp falls in love with an alligator. The problem is that the alligator isn’t in love with the chimp. Perhaps he doesn’t know she exists.
Attempt #1: So first the chimp sneaks up and leaves a bouquet of flowers. The alligator, not knowing what the flowers are for, eats them.
Attempt #2: Next she decides that the poor alligator is hungry. So she brings bananas. The alligator tromps them into the mud.
Attempt #3: Finally, she presents herself, declaring her love. And the alligator, seeing her at last, falls in love, too.
OR Alternate Attempt #3: The chimp declares her love, and the alligator tries to eat her. So the chimp changes her mind. She goes to visit another chimp instead (probably one who had been courting her in the beginning of the story), carrying both flowers and bananas. (In this case you have a circular rather than a linear story).
Character change from beginning to end: The chimp grows in confidence.
Lesson learned: Perseverance can lead to triumph.
· Using the “magic of three,” create your story arc. Fill in the following on your own paper
Story Problem:
Attempt #1:
Attempt #2:
Attempt #3 + Lesson Learned:
Character change from beginning to end:
· Drafting.
· Begin with action, vivid description, or dialogue that centers around your story problem. Draft a 2+ page story that focuses on your main character’s struggle with and resolution of his / her problem