101+Words+Story

= The 101 Words Short Story =

Today, in my absence, you are going to do a "little" writing __and by the end of the period post it to the Discussion Board attached to this page__. Here's a description of the assignment...

Writing a good short story, “one with a beginning, a middle, and an end that closes the circle yet leaves one aching for more,” takes real talent. On Tuesday, 23rd February, the High School's Writing Center launched //101-Words//, a 101-word short story contest which is open to all our high school students. You're going to write a story for class -- and then this story will be submitted to the Writing Center contest.

= The Rules =


 * Stories must be EXACTLY 101 words or less and cannot be poems. (You can do a quick word count in Word to see how you're doing.)


 * Titles are necessary however they are not included within the word count.


 * Hyphenated words that can be broken into multiple free-standing words will be counted as multiple words. (Basically if Word says you have 101 words, then you're okay. Just highlight the text to be counted and the word count will show up at the very bottom of the document.)

= Three Examples =

One or Many? The bus driver was driving at full speed when he spotted the boy. Looking down at the book in his hands, the boy suddenly stepped out onto the road. It was already too late for the driver to save both the boy and the passengers. Should he keep going and kill the boy but save all the passengers or swerve around, flip the bus over and save the boy but kill all the passengers? He continued forward. Later, as the crowd criticized his heartlessness, he whispered through his tears, "I'm so sorry, son. I had no choice." Sheepishly Learning the Truth Jessie was born on the same day as Sarah. They were best friends. For nine years Jessie had snuggled into Sarah's wooly neck, told her secrets and brushed her tail. "Its completely unhealthy!" her father would say angrily, "spending so much time with a sheep." But Jessie wanted no one but Sarah. "She has to learn to understand things!" Her father would rant. One day, Sarah was nowhere to be found, her gate was wide open, her pen empty. Jessie cried silently all through dinner. Her father just smiled knowingly to himself. "Eat your lamb honey."

A Promise The boy waited on a snow covered bench. Gazing resolutely at the train tracks, he smiled as he heard the howl of the approaching engine. Oblivious to the snowflakes falling upon his frozen cheeks, he felt the warmth of delight. “I’m coming home for Christmas,” said his father, whose hollow voice echoed across the empty distances. The boy watched as the passengers stepped off the train into the arms of their beloved. His faith didn’t waver until the station fell silent again. Sliding off the seat, he drifted home, like he did every Christmas since that phone call five years ago.

= Some Suggestions... =


 * Begin in the middle of an event.


 * Should use sensory details rather than long descriptions.


 * Should have no more than two characters.


 * Should have some kind of conflict.


 * Should have an ending or end with a twist. (Please keep the blood and gore to a minimum.)

= Reminders =

If you finish and post the story early and you have some extra time, please work on your project will is due on Friday. I expect BIG things from all of you. And remember what I said in my email to you: I do not want any cut-and-paste jobs -- this is plagiarism. If you borrow text from another website, you do need to cite your sources. Overall, how original is your project?