Here are your goals for this assignment:

Write a rough draft of a short story
Edit your rough draft for punctuation, spelling, and grammar
Write a final draft of a short story

Writing a short story requires a map or outline that is different from the one used for writing an informational essay. As you prepare to write a narrative, try a technique known as storyboarding. With this strategy, you "draw a map" of your story before you begin writing paragraphs.

In the draft form of storyboarding, you begin by using a series of blank squares. In these squares, you sketch out ideas for the action or events in the story. Mapping out the story can help you to create a logical sequence of events. The squares are a place for you to draw pictures, like a cartoon strip. You can even write short phrases of dialogue. Storyboarding can help you think creatively. Imagine how you will solve the problem of getting your hero out of a difficult situation!

Like novels, short stories need to introduce a problem/solution plan in the plot. They may make use of plot twists, flashbacks, or surprise endings. The only condition is that the story is believable.

After you have finished your rough draft, ask someone else to read it before making a final copy. A peer or adult reviewer will ask questions which help to make certain the story is clearly understood. If the questions can't be answered in the text, you may need to clear up some parts of the story.

Finally, correct it for spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Your finished short story should be at least 400 words long.

If you are keeping a composition folder, arrange to have your short story printed out so you can place it in your folder.