Creative Writing Assignment – Writing a Short Story
For the fifth six weeks summative writing and project assessment you will write a short story about any
topic you choose, in any genre you choose (fiction [drama, comedy, dramedy], non-fiction, horror, scifi, fantasy, sci-fi/fantasy, screenplay or play, etc.). Along with this short story you will create a visual
representation of/for the short story; some kind of picture that “goes with” your short story – kind of like
the cover of a book or a movie poster.
This assignment consists of writing a short story and creating a visual to represent the short story.
Your assessment grades will be based on the following assignments (not necessarily completed in this order):
1. Prewriting – Brainstorming of Writing Topics, Short Story Ideas
2. Outline of Short Story Elements Using Freytag’s Pyramid
 Including Character Sketches, Description of Setting, Plot Summary
3. Drafting of Short Story – Flow Map & Rough Draft
4. Peer Evaluation – Peer’s Analysis of Short Story
5. Proofreading – Marked Up Rough Draft
6. Visual Representation
7. Final Draft (Summative Assessment)
Requirements for your short story:
1. Short story should be 4-5 pages typed (7-8 pages written)
2. Short story must have dialogue
3. Short story must have the short story elements (characters, plot, conflict, climax, resolution,
setting, theme, mood)
Use the structure ABCDE to guide you as you are writing.
A – Action
B – Background
C – Climax
D – Development
E – Ending
Ideas to help you write your story:
 Begin near or at the end of the story, in other words, begin with a flashback to fill in exposition
necessary to understand the conflict and the characters.
 Write your story revolving a holiday – Halloween, Christmas, Independence Day, etc.
 Use an event that you have experienced (or someone close to you has experienced) and
fictionalize it.
Suggestions for Short Story Topics:
1. Take a short story we’ve read this year and re-tell it from another character’s point of view or
add an element that makes the story science fiction or fantasy.
2. Choose a nonfiction or current events story and fictionalize it – use it to inspire your short story.
3. Write a “Fan-Fiction” short story using characters from a book, short story, or movie you’ve
read/seen.
4. Take a well-known story and re-tell it from a different character’s point of view.
5. Write a first-person short story based loosely on an experience you or someone you know
actually had. I say "based on" -- this means you should feel free to add or subtract characters,
change the time or place, alter the dialogue, etc. In other words, tell a true story but feel free to
embellish or alter any details to make it more meaningful, believable, and dramatic.
Your Short Story’s Elements
Genre –
Working Title –
Theme – What is your short story all about? Does your main character learn a Life Lesson?
Mood – What is the mood of your story?
Plot – What is your story all about? What’s going to happen to the characters?
 2-3 sentence summary –

Breakdown of Elements – (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement)
Setting – When and where does your story take place?
 When –

Where –
Point of View – From what point of view will you tell your story?
Conflict – What is your problem that must be solved? How are you going to resolve the conflict?
Characterization – Who are your characters? (brief physical description, character traits, important background info)
 Protagonist –

Antagonist –

Supporting Characters –