Short Story Writing Project

DESCRIPTION
For this writing assignment, you will be creating your own short story. We have read two
different short stories in class and have used different skills and knowledge while reading
them. We have worked on reviewing basic story structure, plot structure, and parts of
speech in our interactive notebooks and will be learning about advanced plot techniques
and conflict this week. It is time to use the skills and knowledge of the elements you have
learned while reading short stories and transfer them to your writing. This writing project
will be done as homework assignments throughout the week.
REQUIREMENTS
Your story will need to include the following elements of a short story:
Plot: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution
Setting: when and where story takes place
Characters: protagonist, antagonist, and secondary characters
Conflict: internal, external, or both
Creativity & Imagery: ideas and details that paint a picture; there is dialogue
Organization: the story has a beginning, middle and end with paragraph structure
Grammar & Spelling: correct grammar and spelling
These documents must be completed and turned in with your story:
Document 1:
Document 2:
Document 3:
Document 4:

Setting
Characters
Conflict & Resolution
Plot Diagram

Your short story has the following technical requirements:

Font Style: Arial
Font Size: 12 point
Spacing:
Double Spaced
Page Count: No fewer than 3; No more than 5
TIMELINE
Monday October 5th: Homework: Documents 1 and 2 due Tuesday
Tuesday October 6th: Homework: Documents 3 and 4 due Wednesday
Wednesday October 7th: Homework: Rough Draft of short story Due Thursday
Thursday October 8th: Final Draft of short story done over the long weekend
Monday October 12th: Final Draft and all documents to be turned in for grading
GRADING
A rubric for your short story is included at the end of this document set so you are aware of
expectations and how you will be graded.

Document 1
Directions: Using this outline and the questions provided, type the basic information that you will
need to include about your short story. This will help guide you to put the information you should
include in your story. Remember that you want the readers to be able to picture your story as
though it were playing a movie in their minds. Include as many details as you can here so you
have enough information to help you when you start writing your story.

Setting:
Where does your story to take place?

During what time period is your story?

What time of year or season is your

story?

What is the weather like?

What details can you include to create a

certain mood or paint a picture?

Document 2

Directions: Using this outline and the questions provided, type the basic information that you will
need to include about your short story. This will guide you to include important information to make
your story complete. Remember that you want the readers to be able to picture your story as
though it were playing a movie in their minds. Include as many details as you can here so you
have enough information to help you when you start writing your story.

Characters:
Who is the main character or
protagonist?

Who or what is the antagonist?

Who are the secondary characters?

Is there any background we will need to

know about the characters?

What kind of personality traits or feelings

does each character have?

How can you reveal how the character

feels?

What descriptions can you give to

describe your characters and help the
reader imagine them?

Document 3

Directions: Using this outline and the questions provided, type the basic information that you will
need to include about your short story. This will guide you to include important information to make
your story complete. Remember that you want the readers to be able to picture your story as
though it were playing a movie in their minds. Include as many details as you can here so you
have enough information to help you when you start writing your story.

Conflict/Resolution:
What happens in the story?

What will your major conflict be (internal,

external, both)?

What struggles will the characters

encounter?

Why is it important that the character(s)

solve the problem?

What makes solving the problem

difficult?

How will the character resolve the

conflict?

Document 4

Directions: A short story can be compared to a sandwich. First, you must have a beginning (bottom
piece of bread). Then you must have your middle events that occur (all the yummy ingredients). Lastly,
you must have a resolution or an ending to conclude your story (the top piece of bread). When
sketching your plot, you must have an exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and a resolution.
Think of the exposition and resolution as the pieces of bread. The rising action, climax and the falling
action are the ingredients in the middle that make it yummy, or in this case interesting. Using this plot
diagram, organize your story in sequence of events that will occur using details from your short story
sketch. This will help guide you through your story once you start writing with details later on.

Climax:

Rising Action:

Falling Action:

Resolution:

Exposition:

PEER WRITING REVIEW

Reviewed by:
Creativity & Imagery:
1 Story idea is uninteresting and
the plot is vague. Not descriptive.
2 Story idea is somewhat
interesting. It has some
descriptive language.
3 Story idea is interesting and uses
descriptive language.
4 Story idea is imaginative and
contains figurative language
(metaphors, similes) and sensory
elements (words that help you:
see, hear, taste, touch, smell).
Plot:
1 The plot is not recognizable. The
conflict is not developed and it
may not be resolved in a logical
way.
2 The plot is hard to follow. The
conflict is established and
resolved, but lacks proper
development.
3 The plot makes sense and the
conflict is established, developed
and resolved after the climax.
4 Plot is interesting and has conflict
which is established, developed
and resolved after climax.
Characters:
1 Characters lack any description;
very few details given. No
dialogue or thoughts.

2 The characters are described, but

there is little or no dialogue, or
thoughts.
3 The main character is welldeveloped through dialogue,
actions and thoughts.
4 All the characters are interesting
& well-developed through
dialogue, action or thoughts.
Organization:
1 The story is missing either a
beginning or ending. The
relationship between the events
is confusing.
2 The story does not have a clear
beginning, middle and end. The
sequence of events is sometimes
confusing.
3 The story has a beginning,
middle and end. Events are in
logical order.
4 The story has a clear beginning,
middle and end. Follows a logical
sequence.
Grammar & Spelling:
1 Numerous errors in grammar and
spelling which interfere with
meaning. Dialogue may be hard
to tell from the narrative story, or
it may lack essential elements
such as quotation marks or end
punctuation.
2 There are many errors in
grammar or spelling. These
sometimes make the story hard
to understand. Dialogue is
punctuated and formatted
inconsistently.
3 There are some errors in
grammar or spelling. Dialogue
may have minor errors in
punctuation or format.
4 There are few or no errors in
grammar or spelling. Dialogue is

punctuated and formatted

correctly.
OVERALL SCORE:
1 Poor
2 Okay
3 Good
4 Excellent

Short Story Writing

Rubric

1
0-59

Plot

Story contains only 1 or no

elements of a plot: exposition,
rising action, climax, falling
action, and resolution.

Setting

Setting is described very briefly

or not all.

Characters

Characters lack any description

and very few details are given.
No dialogue or thoughts are
present in the story.

2
60-79

3
80-94

Story contains only 2 or 3

elements of a plot:
exposition, rising action,
climax, falling action, and
resolution.
Setting is attempted and
includes some answers of
where and when the story
takes place.
The characters are
described, but there is little or
no dialogue, or thoughts.

Story is missing one of th

plot elements: exposition
action, climax, falling acti
and resolution.

There is no major conflict and

no resolution.

The storys major conflict is

present but the conflict is not
clearly resolved.

The story has a major co

which is resolved by the e
the story.

Creativity &
Imagery

Story idea is uninteresting and

the plot is vague. No descriptive
writing is included.

Story idea is somewhat

interesting. It has some
descriptive language.

Story idea is interesting a

uses descriptive languag

Organization

The story is missing either a

beginning or ending. The
relationship between the events
is confusing. No paragraph
structure.

The story does not have a

clear beginning, middle and
end. The sequence of events
sometimes confusing. There
is some paragraph structure.

The story has a beginnin

middle and end. Events a
mostly in logical order. Th
paragraph structure.

Grammar &
Mechanics

6 or more major errors; 7 or

more minor errors; skills are
below grade level and causes
confusing in writing

4-5 major errors; 5-7 minor

errors; skills are below grade
level

1-3 major errors; 3-5 min

errors

Conflict

Pre-Write Documents:
Short Story Final Draft
Total Points
Comments:

/100
/100
/200

Percent:

Setting is introduced and

answers where and when
story takes place.

The main character is we

developed through dialog
actions and thoughts.