Writing and Evaluating Short Fiction

Short Fiction
When it comes to fiction, a short narrative can be found in many forms, from a slim book to just a few sentences. Short
fiction is any that is shorter than a book (around 7, 500 words).

Short fiction, sometimes called the short story, is a popular form of written literature. Short stories must tell a complete
story, including set-up, conflict, and resolution, in a brief form, often less than 10,000 words (Rankin, 2011).

Forms of Short Fiction

Novelette – A novelette fails in the range of 7,500 to 19,999 words.
Short Story – Short stories fall in the range of about 1,000 to 7, 499 words.
Flash Fiction – Flash fiction is generally used as an umbrella term that refers to super short fiction of 1,000 words or less.

Titles
Titles have a rich history and have been shaped by famous authors who instilled the importance of a good title in the
literary world.
They can make or break a story, as a well-chosen title can pique the interest of potential readers, while a poorly chosen
one can turn them away. (Jenkins P. 2023).

Examples of Iconic Short Story Titles

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
The Illustrated Man and The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Tips for Titling your own story

 Keep it short.
 Make it interesting.
 Make it unique.
 Don’t give too much away.
 Work within your genre.
 Make it memorable.

Byline
A dateline tells the reader where we obtained the basic information for a story. A byline tells the reader who wrote the
story.
Some bylines are more like mini-bios and may include a summary of the author’s background, a photograph, and contact
information.

What are Creative Blocks?

Creative blocks are periods of reduced creative thinking and productivity. Such blocks can occur at any stage of a project.
As parts of real life, they can hinder your design process and impact your overall productivity.

Types of Creative Blockage

1. Idea Scarcity
2. Perfectionism
3. Overthinking
4. Lack of Inspiration
5. Mental Fatigue

Best Practices for Handling Creative Blocks

1. Embrace the “Quantity Leads to Quality” Approach

2. Cultivate Self-Awareness and Mindfulness
3. Seek Inspiration from Diverse Sources
4. Break Routine and Embrace Novel Experiences
5. Embrace Failure as a Learning Opportunity

The 7 Qualities You Need to Become a Fiction Writer

 You need to have a passion for stories.

 You need to create.
 You need your imaginary friends.
 You cannot be afraid of a blank canvas.
 You need to love the process.
  You have to do the time.

How to Write a Fiction Book: 10 Steps You Can’t Miss!

Step 1: Choose a Story Idea

You might already have a compelling idea developing in your head. If
you don’t, here are some prompts to get you started:
 Are there any experiences from your own life you can draw
from?
 Are there any headlines in the news that intrigue you?
 Are there any images or photographs that you could turn into a
story?
 Are there any popular stories you love that you could add a new
spin to? (e.g. Sleeping Beauty in Space)

Step 2: Define the Central Conflict

Ask yourself these two questions:
 What’s the protagonist’s main goal in this story, and why do they want it?
 What’s stopping them from achieving that goal?

Step 3: Develop Your Characters

First, figure out what they sound like. Are they talkative or quiet? What kind of slang do they use? What is their sense of
humor like?
Next, work out what they look like. Do they have any defining gestures? What’s the first thing people notice about them?
Finally, and most importantly, understand their motivations and their internal characteristics. What are their flaws? What
are their values? What are they afraid of? How will they change and grow over the course of this story?

Step 4: Set the Stage

Whatever you choose, you should make sure the setting works well with your story concept and central conflict.
The time and place of your story will really affect its mood and atmosphere, and might even play an important role in how
the conflict gets resolved.

Step 5: Plan Your Key Plot Points

However, you should still plan out the key plot points to give
yourself a sense of direction. At the very least, plan out the
inciting incident, the midpoint turn, and the climax.
 The inciting incident, also known as the catalyst, is an
event that changes your protagonist’s normal life and
propels them into the central conflict of the story.
 The midpoint turn is a major discovery in the middle
of the story that increases the stakes and forces the
protagonist to become more proactive in pursuing their
goal.
 The climax is the culmination of the main conflict of
the story when the protagonist either achieves or fails
to achieve their goal.

Step 6: Pick the POV That Suits Your Story

Here’s a quick reminder of the four most common POVs in fiction writing:
 First person
 Second person
 Third person limited
 Third person omniscient

Step 7: Set a Writing Schedule

Many people have an idea for a novel, but few actually make it to the finish line. That’s because writing a book takes a
long time!
You can set daily word count goals for yourself if you want.

Step 8: Write Your First Draft

Remember that first drafts are meant to be messy! It won’t be perfect. The point of this draft is just to conquer the blank
page and tell yourself the story.
If you get writer’s block, remember that it’s okay to jump forward to a later scene. Many fiction writers draft their books
out of order.
Step 9: Put the Draft Away
This step is difficult, but necessary. Once you’ve finished your first draft, give yourself some distance from your book so
you can come back to it with fresh eyes.
Put your manuscript in a drawer for at least a week, ideally a month. That way, you’ll be able to see its strengths and flaws
more clearly when it’s time to edit.

Step 10: Revise, Revise, Revise

Focus on fixing plot problems, strengthening your character arcs, and adding or deleting scenes if necessary.
After those structural issues are solved, you can go back in and revise the smaller things, such as checking your transitions
to make sure they’re flowing smoothly and making sure your dialogue is clear and readable.

Evaluating Short Fiction

Literature
Consider the narrative technique, character development, thematic depth, and emotional impact.

Evaluating Literature
Contextual Analysis - Consider the historical, cultural, and social context in which the work was produced.
Identify Literary Devices -Analyze how these devices contribute to the overall meaning and effect of the text.
Evaluate Themes and Messages - How are these themes developed and explored throughout the text?
Character Analysis - the characters' motivations, conflicts, and development throughout the narrative.
Evaluate Writing Style - including their use of language, tone, and voice. Is the writing clear, vivid, and engaging?
Critique Literary Merit - based on criteria such as originality, creativity, complexity, depth, and craftsmanship.

Sociocultural Politics
Sociocultural politics refers to the ways in which social and cultural factors intersect with political dynamics to shape
society. Analyze how the story reflects or challenges societal norms, addresses power dynamics, and engages with cultural
issues.

Evaluating short fiction through the lens of sociocultural politics:

Themes and Motifs

Identify the central themes and motifs in the story. These may include issues such as power dynamics, identity,
oppression, resistance, privilege, social justice, inequality, etc.

Characterization
Analyze how characters are portrayed in relation to sociocultural dynamics. Do they represent certain social groups or
ideologies?

Setting
Is the setting symbolic of certain social or political conditions? How does it shape the characters' experiences and actions?

Narrative Voice and Perspective

Whose viewpoint is privileged, and whose voices are marginalized?

Language and Style

How does the author use language to evoke specific sociocultural contexts or to challenge dominant narratives?

Plagiarism, Libel, Sloppiness

Plagiarism
Plagiarism refers to the act of using someone else's words, ideas, or creations without proper attribution or permission,
presenting them as one's own original work.

Types of Plagiarism
Complete plagiarism
• its the entire paper.
Direct plagiarism
• specific sections or paragraphs
Paraphrasing plagiarism
• changes a few words or phrases
Self-plagiarism
• Reusing content
Patchwork plagiarism
• interwoven with the writer’s original work
Libel in Fiction
harms the reputation of an individual, group, organization, or entity.
Libel requires a false and defamatory statement of fact about an identifiable living person.

Sloppiness
in the context of literature, sloppiness can manifest as grammatical errors, typos, inconsistencies in plot or character
development, factual inaccuracies, or general lack of polish in writing style.

Play, Playwright, and Drama

Play
 Plays are stories that come to life through dialogue and staging. Playwrights use only the spoken words of the
characters to tell the story. They describe the setting, actions, and emotions through speech and stage directions. It
is a unique form of writing that requires creativity, imagination, and an understanding of how a play will work on
stage.
 In a play, the story unfolds in the present moment right in front of the audience. This makes it different than a
novel or movie. The live energy of the actors’ performance makes each show unique. The audience laughs, cries,
and experiences the story with the characters.
 It is composed of a single act or a number of acts, wherein each act is further divided into the scene. In each
scene, various characters come on or off the stage, so as to play their respective roles and speak their lines.

Playwriting
 Playwriting is the art of writing plays and scripts for theater. A play is a story that is performed live on a stage by
actors in front of an audience. The person who writes the script for a play is called a playwright.
 Playwrights invent the characters, plot, and dialog for plays. They bring stories to life through only the spoken
words and actions of the characters on stage.
 Playwriting is unique because the writer has to imagine how the play will actually work on stage. Playwrights
write the dialog and give stage directions but don’t control the final performance like a film director does. The
director and actors interpret the script to stage the play.

Playwriting Structure
A play is divided into acts and scenes. Most full-length plays have two or three acts. Each act has multiple scenes in which
characters enter or exit the stage.
 Acts – The major sections of a play. Each act has its own mini storyline.
 Scenes – Smaller sections within each act. Scenes propel the story forward.
 Subplots – Minor storylines related to but separate from the main plot.
 Climax – The most intense moment of the play when the main conflict comes to a head.
 Resolution – The ending when the main storylines are resolved.

Understanding this underlying structure helps playwrights plot out their story effectively. The acts, scenes, character
entrances, and exits all work together to move the narrative forward in an engaging way.

Types of Playwritings (Play Structures)

 Comedies - Comedies are plays that are written to be funny and make the audience laugh. The story and
characters are exaggerated for comic effect. Comedies often have happy endings. Famous comedies include plays
by William Shakespeare like A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
 Dramas - Dramatic plays deal with serious stories and emotions like love, jealousy, anger, grief. They have
intense dialogue and complex characters. Dramas do not always have happy endings. Examples include plays like
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller.
 Tragedies - Tragedies depict serious stories with sad endings. They explore human suffering and often end with
the death of the main character.
 The Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller.
 Historical Plays - Historical plays depict events from history and the lives of real people from the past. They
teach the audience about a particular time period. Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is based on the true story of the
Roman emperor.
 Musicals - Musicals are plays in which the story is told through songs and dance routines performed by the
actors. Dialogue alone does not carry the entire story. Famous musicals include West Side Story, Hamilton, The
Lion King.

Elements of Playwriting
Playwrights use various elements and techniques to develop an engaging story and vivid world for the audience.
 Setting - The setting establishes when and where the play takes place. Playwrights describe the time period,
location, and physical environment either through stage directions or dialogue. Settings can range from everyday
places to fantastical worlds.
  Characters - Characters are at the heart of any play. The protagonist is the central character who drives the story.
The antagonist acts in opposition. Playwrights develop detailed backstories for their characters and write dialogue
that brings out realistic, complex personalities.
 Plot - The plot refers to the main events and storylines in the play. Playwrights structure the narrative around key
elements like conflict, rising action, twists, climax and resolution. A compelling plot keeps the audience hooked
from start to finish.
 Theme - The theme is the core idea or message explored through the play. Love, justice, revenge are examples of
universal themes. Good playwrights weave the theme subtly into the story and dialogue rather than stating it
outright.
 Structure - As discussed earlier, playwrights organize the story into acts and scenes to control the flow of events.
Each scene propels the plot and builds to the climax.
 Dialogue - Dialogue brings the characters to life. Playwrights capture distinctive speech patterns, emotions,
humor and personalities through conversational exchanges. Dialogue reveals action, conflict, and inner thoughts.
 Rhythm - Rhythm refers to the flow and pacing of scenes. Playwrights vary the speed of dialogue, pauses, and
movement to modulate rhythm and build dramatic tension.
 Texture - Texture means the tone and feel of the play. Language, behavior, and lighting help create an atmosphere
that emotionally engages the audience. A farcical comedy will have a different texture than a gloomy tragedy.
 Tone - Tone describes the attitude and mood of the play. It is established through dialogue, music, setting, and
staging. The tone could be somber, tense, melancholy, playful. A consistent tone aligns with the themes.
 Timing - In a play, timing impacts how quickly the story unfolds and how scenes transition. Playwrights control
timing through the pacing of dialogue, scene length, and stage directions. This dramatic pacing keeps the audience
invested.

Playwriting Format
Playwrights follow specific formats when writing scripts. The format helps organize the story, dialogue, and staging
clearly. Here are some common playwriting formats:
 10-Minute Play - A 10-minute play is a very short, one-act play meant to be performed in around 10 minutes
without an intermission. These short plays usually have limited characters and simple staging. They have a
compact storyline condensed to its essence.
 One-Act Play - One-act plays contain a full story arc but are shorter than full-length plays. They are structured in
a single act lasting 30-90 minutes. One setting and just a few characters are typical. One-act plays require concise
storytelling and tight dialogue.
 Full-Length Play - Also called evening-length plays, these are the standard for professional theater. Full-length
plays tend to have 2 to 3 acts and last 90 minutes to 3 hours including intermissions between acts. They have
layered stories, sizable casts, and complex staging.
 Musicals - Musical plays intersperse dialogue with songs and dance numbers that advance the plot. Songs show
inner thoughts while dances convey large crowd scenes. Musicals follow a template with opening numbers, love
songs, comedy relief, finale, etc.

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DRAMA
 Etymologically, the word drama comes from the Greek word 'dran,' meaning 'to do' or 'to act,'
 Drama refers to a type of fictional or non-fictional work, often presented through performance and dialogue in a
theatre, stage, radio, or television, in the form of play, mime, opera, ballet, and so forth. It is a literary
composition, written as prose or poetry, to act a story or to portray a character, having conflict, tension and
various other types of emotions.
 It is also otherwise referred to as ‘staged art’. It is a literary piece which is designed for a theatre performance,
wherein the different characters are assigned roles and they perform their respective roles when the action is
presented on the stage. The characters may include human beings, spiritual beings, animals, etc.
 Drama is characterized by its focus on human experience, use of dialogue, and exploration of complex themes and
ideas.

Types of Drama
1. Tragedy
 Tragedy showcases the protagonist's downfall, evoking strong emotions of pity and fear.
 In many instances, the hero is plagued with a tragic flaw (also known as hamartia) that directly leads to
this downfall.
 One notable example is Shakespeare's Hamlet, where the tragic hero's quest for revenge leads to a series
of tragic events.
 Shakespeare offers a plethora of tragedies from which to pick. Few, however, can compare to “Othello” in
terms of its vicious villain, tragic demise of its hero, and heartbreaking denouement. Because he doesn’t
believe he deserves the life he has, Othello loses everything he has ever loved or desired.

2. Comedy
  Comedy offers light-hearted plots with humorous outcomes. It aims to entertain and bring joy to the
audience.
 Drama which has humor and sarcasm, is comedy. The components of comedy are clever wordplay,
lighthearted tone, happy ending, offbeat characters, comical misunderstanding, and so forth.
 A classic example is Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, a witty and satirical play that
explores mistaken identities and societal conventions.

3. Melodrama
 Melodrama exaggerates characters and emotions, creating intense and dramatic situations. It often
includes exaggerated gestures and passionate dialogue.
 Melodrama, as the name suggests, is the exciting dramatic composition of overstated characters and
sensational events that aim to call for the senses of the viewers.
 A famous melodramatic example is Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell, is a sweeping epic set
during the American Civil War, filled with love, betrayal, and sacrifice.

4. Farce
 Farce relies on slapstick humor and absurd situations to generate laughter. It often involves mistaken
identities, misunderstandings, and chaotic events.
 An extremely comic dramatic work of fiction that uses ridiculous yet amusing behavior. It is
characterized by non-sensical and unrealistic situations.
 One well-known farce is Michael Frayn's Noises Off, a play within a play that hilariously depicts the
backstage antics of a dysfunctional theater troupe.

5. Historical Drama
 Historical dramas depict events from the past, bringing significant moments in history to life on the stage.
 An example is Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton, which tells the story of Alexander Hamilton and the
founding of the United States through a combination of hip-hop, R&B, and traditional musical theater.

6. Tragicomedy
 It is a hybrid form of tragedy and comedy. It has a serious script, which is demonstrated in a humorous
manner. It is characterized by an ambiguous theme and it neither has a happy ending nor a comical one.
 Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire” contains enough comedic aspects to keep it from being
classified as a tragedy – yet no one can argue that Blanche dubois is anything other than a terribly broken
character. It is the epitome of modern tragicomedy.

7. Opera
 A dramatic work in which speaking is replaced with singing or instrumental accompaniment is called as
opera.
 Giacomo Puccini’s “La Boheme” is one of the most famous operas of all time. It portrays the sad
narrative of Rodolfo and Mimi, as well as the world of French Bohemia. The drama unfolds over the
course of a year, set to one of opera’s most unforgettable compositions.

8. Musical Drama
 Musicals are different from opera. While lines in opera are sung, dialogues in musicals are infused with
music and performances.
 A musical drama is one in which the dramatist combines songs, dialogue, acting and dance, to narrate the
story.
 Many musicals, such as “Les Miserables” and “Phantom of the Opera” are based on larger literary works.
Both of these musical dramas communicate their topics directly via song and use musical sequences to
advance the story. They simplify their original material by focusing on the most vital characters and plot
components.

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