You're going to write an original short story — about 1,500 words — that demonstrates your command of the craft of fiction. Strong short stories aren't just plots; they use carefully chosen language, deliberate structure, and layered meaning to say something worth saying.
This assignment has three stages: a Story Planner where you make and justify your creative decisions, the story itself, and a Writer's Reflection where you analyze your own choices with the same attention you'd bring to someone else's work.
Before you write a word of your story, you'll complete a written planner documenting your creative decisions — conflict, setting, protagonist, and point of view. Submitted separately; you'll receive feedback before you draft.
A polished original short story of approximately 1,500 words using specific literary devices and a complete six-part plot structure. Your story should feel like a real piece of writing — not a checklist.
A structured written reflection in which you analyze your own story — identifying where you used required elements, evaluating what worked and what you'd revise, and reflecting on your process from brainstorm to final draft.
For each section, make a decision and explain your reasoning in full sentences. Don't just describe what you'll do — explain why.
Identify the type of conflict your story will use. Consider: character vs. character, character vs. self, character vs. society, character vs. nature, character vs. fate/supernatural.
Explain why this type of conflict is the right choice for the story you want to tell. How does it shape what happens? What does it allow you to explore thematically?
Why is this conflict the engine of your story, and not a different type?
Describe the time and place of your story. Then explain how your setting connects to both your protagonist and your theme — a setting that's merely a backdrop is a missed opportunity.
How does where and when your story happens shape who your character is and what the story is ultimately about?
Describe your protagonist. Who are they? What do they want, and what do they fear? What makes them interesting as a character?
Then explain why this particular character is the right choice for your story. Could a different kind of protagonist have told this story better — and why not?
Why is this person the right character to carry your story's weight?
Choose your narrative point of view: first person, third person limited, or third person omniscient.
You must justify your choice. Think about what each POV allows you to do — and what it prevents. Why is your chosen POV the best lens for this particular story?
What does your chosen POV allow you to do that the others would not?
Your story must be approximately 1,500 words. The best stories use these elements because they serve the story, not because they tick a box.
Your story must use both types of characterization:
The narrator or another character explicitly tells us something about a character's personality, appearance, or nature.
We infer what a character is like through their actions, dialogue, thoughts, appearance, or how others react to them — without being told directly.
Your story must have a theme — a meaningful idea about human experience — that emerges through what happens and how, not through a character stating it outright. The reader should feel the theme without you spelling it out.
Your story must include at minimum:
At least 1 — a hint or clue about what's to come.
At least 1 — an object, place, or event carrying deeper meaning.
At least 2 — direct comparisons that deepen meaning without "like" or "as."
At least 2 — comparisons using "like" or "as."
At least 5 — specific sensory language covering sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.
Your story must use all six parts of plot structure — in whatever proportions serve your narrative best.
Establish your world — setting, characters, and situation — giving readers what they need to enter the story.
The moment that disrupts the status quo and sets the central conflict in motion.
A series of events that build tension as your protagonist works toward — or struggles against — the conflict.
The turning point — the moment of highest tension where something decisive happens or is decided.
The aftermath of the climax — events that begin to resolve the tension.
The new equilibrium — how things end up, and what has changed.
Analyze your own story with the same attention you'd bring to someone else's. Be specific, be honest, and use the language of literary craft. Vague answers — "I used a metaphor to add description" — do not demonstrate Criterion A thinking.
For each device, identify the specific moment in your story and explain the intended effect. A brief quote is ideal where possible.
| Device | Quote or moment from your story | Why did you make this choice? |
|---|---|---|
| Foreshadowingat least 1 | ||
| Symbolismat least 1 | ||
| Metaphor 1at least 2 total | ||
| Metaphor 2 | ||
| Simile 1at least 2 total | ||
| Simile 2 | ||
| Direct Characterization | ||
| Indirect Characterization | ||
| Imageryat least 5 — one per sense | ||
| — See | ||
| — Hear | ||
| — Smell | ||
| — Taste | ||
| — Touch / Feel |
| Stage | Prompt | Your response |
|---|---|---|
| Brainstorming | What idea surprised you or took you in an unexpected direction? | |
| Planning | How did the planner change or sharpen your original idea? | |
| Drafting | Where did you get stuck, and how did you move forward? | |
| Revising | What did peer feedback make you see that you hadn't noticed yourself? |
Strong reflections are specific. They quote the story. They name effects, not just techniques. They're honest about what didn't work as well as what did. The evidence table is your floor — Sections 3, 4, and 5 are where Criterion A thinking is really demonstrated.
This assignment asks students to make genuine creative decisions, write an original short story, and then reflect analytically on their own work. Your role is not to shape the story — it's to support the conditions in which your student can do their best thinking.