Writing Short Stories

How do you write a short story?

First, You have to brainstorm. Think of an event in your life or someone else's life that left a strong impression on you. Think about the circumstances, the setting, the feelings that were felt, the conflict, the resolution if any. If you felt strongly about this event, then you have the makings of a short story.

Second, Make an outline. You have to have a Setting, Characters, Dialogue, a Plot, a Conflict, a Rising Action that has Suspense, a Climax, and a Resolution. These eight parts of the short story are the skeleton of the story. They don't have to be written all at once, but you need to use them like a road map, so you know where you're going.

Third, Fill in the outline with words and phrases that you'll use to describe the different parts. Use words that paint an image. Use action words. As you work on different parts, use transition words to link the parts together.

Fourth, Relax! You tell stories all the time. I know you can make up a good one.
See me if you need help or don't understand the different parts of the story.