Short Story Writing Notes
Conflict – internal vs. external
Internal conflict is struggle within the individual (man vs. himself) – eg., physical limitation, fighting temptation, conforming to society, etc.
External conflict is a struggle originating outside of the main character, and is usually not within the character’s control (eg. Wind storm, someone starts struggle/fight/conflict, doesn’t fit in with society and must fight for himself, etc.)
Conflict Exercise
Insert your character in one of the following conflicts:
- a car accident;
- - an emergency;
- - stuck in a stalled elevator with the LAST person s/he wants to see;
- - a very boring lecture/class s/he HAS to sit through; - winning/losing a sporting event, tournament, etc.;
- - a disease (main character or loved one);
- - an angry traffic encounter –
Describe the conflict that develops – try to BECOME that character, to write in that person’s voice!
Defining Setting
1. What is character’s home life like?
2. Describe the character’s work/school environment
3. Describe the nearby landscape – urban? Rural? Is there a “bad” part of town? How wealthy are the people who live there? What do people do for money/fun?
4. What are the laws like? What do you have to do to be considered “criminal?”
My setting:
Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo, next to an all-night copy store. SuperVideo! is a mammoth VHS/DVD rental store that has recently put a smaller, independent film rental store out of business with its “Rent 5 for 5 Days for 5 Dollars!” deal. It is a clean, neon-lit store so bright that it illuminates the entire sidewalk in front of it, spilling light onto the dark street. Patrons are primarily sophisticated, white-collar workers who live in the fashionable neighborhood and college students. It is an upscale neighborhood bordered by low-cost college apartments and projects for welfare families. A 24-hour convenient store is across the street, and frequently there are crack addicts and street people asking for money from the primarily middle-class college students who buy 12-packs of beer and cigarettes here. Marty’s house is on the same side of the street as the convenient store, about a half-mile from SuperVideo! His apartment is the same one he lived in through his college years, run-down, bordered by other college students’ homes and down the street from a crack house. All of his friends have moved out, however, leaving him the “weird, older guy,” as the college kids call him. He’s no longer invited to college parties, because he’s simply the “video store clerk.”
Verb Tense
Choose a verb tense for your story – be consistent, and hold to that tense. Don’t flip between past and present tense. Past tense is the traditional way to write most stories, novels, and poems. Present tense is most typically used in plays and TV/Movie scripts.
Examples:
Past tense – “Henry strode down the street. He never heard the dragging chain until it was nearly too late – he heard a hiss, then a horrible growl as the Doberman jumped at him, too late for him to react. The dog didn’t begin barking until he was foiled in his sneak attack on Henry – the chain snapped him backwards seemingly as soon as he reached its end. His snarling, guttural barking sent Henry into a run, his heart pounding at the shock of realizing he had narrowly missed being mauled by the guard dog.”
Present Tense – “Henry strides down the street. He never hears the dragging chain until it is nearly too late…”
POV: Point of View
Point of view is always measured by the narrator’s voice and his/her knowledge about the characters. Choose a point of view for your story! Be consistent and hold to the point of view you choose!
1st Person: “I walked down the street. I saw Mr. Gilebarto. I pushed him down in the snow.”
2nd Person: “You walk down the street. You see Mr. Gilebarto. You push him down in the snow.”
(What verb tense is the above sentence?)
3rd Person: “Jerry walked down the street. He saw Mr. Gilebarto. He pushed him down in the snow.”
3rd Person omniscient: “Jerry walked down the street. He thought about the countless essays Mr. Gilebarto had been assigning him lately in class. Then he saw Mr. Gilebarto coming out of Davis’s with his submarine sandwich. He gave Mr. Gilebarto a shove that sent him sprawling on the snow-covered sidewalk.”
Omniscient: all-knowing – the narrator knows the thoughts of one character (limited) or all characters (omniscient) in the story.