Short story.

For this assignment, you will be creating your own short story (500-750 words). Choose a set of three elements and write a story that contains all three of them!

• A stolen ring, fear of spiders, and a sinister stranger.
• A taxi, an old enemy, and Valentine's Day.
• Identical twins, a party invitation, and a locked closet.
• A broken wristwatch, peppermints, and a hug that goes too far.
• Aerobics, a secret diary, and something unpleasant under the bed.
• An ex-boyfriend, a pair of binoculars, and a good-luck charm.
• The first day of school, a love note, and a recipe with a significant mistake.
• A horoscope, makeup, and a missing tooth.
• A campfire, a scream, and a small lie that gets bigger and bigger.

In crafting your story, keep the following in mind:

• Choose a theme/conflict as the basis for your story. Consider the elements you've chosen when you outline this.
• Use indirect characterization (description of character’s appearance, actions, thoughts, words, and other character’s reactions to them) to bring your characters to “life.”
• Think carefully about your lead and your conclusion  -your lead should draw the reader into the story (narrative hook), and your conclusion should provide some sort of resolution.
• Try using thoughts and descriptive pictures to make your story and characters believable.

Reminders
As you write and revise your story, keep the following tips in mind:

Give enough information so the reader can actually picture the story events and characters.

Give details that are specific and relevant.

Consider word choice and sentence structure carefully.

Correct any grammatical and spelling errors.

Given the extent of the assignment, keep the character list short (2-3 characters)