Story Writing

1.0What is story writing?

• A story is meant to be read in a single sitting and therefore it should be as direct and brief as possible.
• It is a work of fiction and it usually focuses on one plot, one main character and a central theme.
• Stories contain underlying idea that teach us to draw wider conclusions and to think on a broader level.

2.0A story has five key elements

Characters : A story has few characters. Setting : Time frame and place constitute setting of stories. Plot : As simple and as engrossing as possible. Conflict : It is the struggle between two sides of the theme of the story. Conflict can be between characters, emotions, beliefs or thoughts. It gives life to stories. Theme : The central idea or the main belief of the story is the theme. Every word of the story should be written related to the theme.

3.0Value Points for Writing a Story

Your story needs a strong beginning. You can achieve this using one of the following methods:

• A Question
• A Vivid Description
• An Interesting Fact
• Dialogue

A Question

A Vivid Description

An Interesting Fact

Dialogue

Paragraphs

Capitalization & Punctuation

• Capitalize
• Punctuate

Wow Words

• Simile
• Metaphor
• Alliteration
• Onomatopoeia

Plot Structure

• a plot, including setting and characters
• a climax (This is when the plot is solved.)
• an ending

Beginning

• In the beginning of your story, you should introduce your characters.
• The reader should also know about the world your characters live in (the setting) and something about each of the characters in your story.
• The beginning of your story is also the place where your plot (e.g. the problem) is first introduced.

Middle

• Actions
• Dialogue
• Sensory Details
• Thoughts and Feelings
• Suspense (Remember to build to a climax.)

The End

• This is the big finish. The end should reveal how you overcame your problem. All conflicts are resolved and everything goes back to normal

POINTS TO REMEMBER

• Always use past tense
• Focus on a single incident
• Add twists and turns
• Stick to the word limit
• Give an appropriate title

4.0SOLVED EXAMPLE

Q. Write a story in 150-200 words with the help of the following outline. Give it a suitable title also.

Anil was a foolish boy, who was an attention seeker. He was a woodcutter and would go deep into the jungle to cut trees. One day he wanted to do an act of mischief. He shouted at the top of his voice, "There's a tiger, tiger, there's a tiger ... ...." Ans. The False Alarm Anil was a foolish boy, who was an attention seeker. He was a woodcutter and would go deep into the jungle to cut trees. One day he wanted to do an act of mischief. He shouted at the top of his voice, "There's a tiger, tiger, there's a tiger ... ...." even when there was no trace of it. The villagers came running hurriedly thinking that Anil was in danger. Anil's mother had tears in her eyes. The villagers came ready with their safety weapons and upon reaching, they saw no tiger but just Anil laughing on playing them. The villagers were hurt and they started swearing out of disappointment. Anil had no realisation as to what he had done and he continued laughing stealthily. A week passed by and everyone was ignoring Anil. One fine day, he and his friend went into the woods. Just like any other day, they started doing their job while chatting with each other. Suddenly, they heard a roar nearby.

The tiger was towards his friend's side of the jungle. Anil went running to the villagers asking them for help. No one listened to him as they thought it was one of his pranks. He cried for help, but no one trusted him. He ran towards the tea vendor and told him the entire story. The tea vendor gave him the benefit of the doubt and went with him. Till the time they reached there, his friend could be seen nowhere. They called out his name and looked in the woods, but it was too late. Anil realised and accepted that it was all his mistake.

Moral of the story is, "Truth doesn't cost you anything but a lie could cost you everything".

5.0Recall

• Stories are accounts of real or fictional incidents narrated in an interesting manner.
• A story needs to be planned well.
• Every story has some people who are the characters, their actions and reactions form the story.
• Start with clue given in question.
• Ensure clarity of plot.
• Logical sequence of plot.
• Well defined characters.
• Prefer conclusion.