ENG 204: SHORT STORY PROJECT
INTRO TO CREATIVE WRITING
Instructor:
Catherine Keefe
Spring, 2013
Email: keefe@chapman.edu
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You will create 5,000 words (maximum) of short fiction.
You may select to turn in three pieces of flash fiction (1500 words each) OR one full-length story.
If you select three pieces of flash fiction, there should be some sort of unifying theme between the three
works.
You will also create a 250 word Author's Statement of Intent that explains the personal Theory of Fiction
evident in your work. Select work we've read in class to use as samples of particular writing techniques
that you are practicing in your short fiction.
Your intended audience is your class peers, other students, and potentially, readers of literary journals.
The completed assignment is due by 5 p.m. on Fri. March 22.
Note other dates on ENG 204 Class Schedule for draft and workshopping deadlines.
Please attach file as a document and submit to Blackboard. You'll find the Submission Site on this
class Blackboard site under the "Discussions" tab.
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ASSESSMENT:
Value: 200 points
Grading will be based on:
Critical Engagement: Have you included an Author's Statement of Intent? Does it use at least
three specific examples of techniques you've discovered through the fiction we've read for this
class? Does it clearly state what you're hoping to achieve with your fiction and give specific
examples from your own work to show a reader that you've accomplished what you set out to do?
Plot: Does the story move forward with purpose and tension? Is each scene progression built
upon a previous scene? Is the action "true" to the characters, setting, time/space constraints?
Does the story end when it's over? Does it begin in the middle of action? Have you found an
effective balance between scene and summary?
Character Development: Does your protagonist end in a different place from where he or she
began? (Remember this can be a better place, like in "Chlorine," or a worse place, as in "Black
and White.") Do the details of your character - food choice, clothing, car, hobbies, living space add to character exposition?
Language: Do the characters' personalities show through with word choice? Is there a
discernable purpose to your choice of setting, time period, and character names? Is the language
consistent with setting and time period?
Voice: Have you created a living, breathing, believable character with a distinct voice? Does each
character have an individual voice? Have you heightened the voice so much that the reader will
fall in love or disgust with your character?
Depth: Is your story "about" something more than first appears on the surface? Can the reader
discover new meanings with repeated readings? Will the reader learn something new about the
human condition by reading your story? Is that something new essential, or told in a new way?
Format – Does your story have a title? Is your name on your document? Have you included
word count? Have you included all the required elements? Have you checked for spelling,
grammar, and word usage errors?