Assignment:
Plan, write, and revise a short story
Construct a plot outline. Be sure that your plot has a dilemma, at least one complication, a climax, and a resolution.
Write a short story using the plot outline and the character sketches you have prepared in the earlier project. Use dialogue, narration, and description in developing the four short story elements. Briefly state the theme of your story.
When a story has been completed, it should be reread carefully. Mechanical errors should be corrected and any inconsistencies or shortcomings noted. If you find that the plot does not flow smoothly, recheck your plot outline. Make sure that no steps were left out and that your story has no “loose ends.”
Be sure that the style of your story suits the subject matter. Tone should not clash with atmosphere. Check your characters’ diction as carefully as you check your own to be sure that the dialogue is realistic, appropriate to the character, and easy to follow.
Revise your story. Make any needed corrections on your rough draft. When you are certain that it meets all stylistic and technical requirements, recopy it neatly and turn it in.
