2.3 Writer's Workshop: Short Stories

Writing Goal: Short Story

Stories take us to different worlds where we meet new people and experience new ideas and situations. For example, we can go on an historical journey, take part in an action-packed adventure, or help solve a mystery.

In 2.3, you will review important elements of fiction (make-believe) stories and choose the type you would like to write. You will then plan and write a story of your own, incorporating the necessary elements of setting, characters, plot, and theme. The story you write may be as imaginative or as realistic as you like. You may use your wildest fantasies or your own memories of something that happened to you or someone you know. Be colourful, creative, adventurous, and above all, have fun with your writing

Workshop Overview:  The Writer's Workshop consists of 2 parts.

Writer's Notebook:  As you go through the first five lessons, you will open your Writer's Notebook to complete specific steps that will help you understand elements for your writing piece.  

1. Learn how to punctuate when using dialogue (speaking parts) in a story.

2. Review examples of story types, setting, characters, conflict, characters, and plot.

3. Plan your short story, step-by-step.

Writer's Workshop:  Writing as Story 

1. Write a first draft.

2. Revise your writing. Use a "great beginning" strategy and learn how to use paragraph breaks with dialogue. 

3. Edit your writing. Submit your revised and edited draft for feedback.

4. Apply the feedback from your teacher. Publish. Submit your final draft. 

Writing Targets:

By the end of this workshop you will have incorporated the following into your piece:

  • A clear setting
  • Well developed characters
  • Focus/Development of ideas
  • A strong plot with an exposition, a clear problem, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
  • A clear theme
  • Use of literary devices (simile, metaphor, alliteration)
  • Dialogue with proper use of quotation marks and paragraph breaks