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Writing The Short

Story
CSEC English A
Presented by Kenisha Ram
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Format of the
Short Story
In Section C of Paper 2, CSEC
asks you to write a short story
based on the following:
● A picture
● A written prompt
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What NOT To Do
Do not include things that may trigger your reader in any
way.This includes:

● Graphic depictions of death

● Suicide
● Sex
● Sexual assault
● Racial slurs
● Graphic depictions of violence
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What TO Do
We begin with a plan. Remember PCCT:

● P: Plot

● C: Characters

● C: Climax

● T: Theme
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Plot
● Who are the characters? What is the setting?
● What is the incident which begins the action of your story?
● What changes will happen in the character’s lives?
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Characters
● How do they think?
● How do they behave?
● How do they react to each other and the setting they are in?

TIP: Remember setting is important in determining how your characters

behave. For example, characters in an office behave differently compared to
characters in a bar.
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Climax
What is the crisis going to be? Recall the types of conflict(eg. Person vs. person,
person vs. self, etc.)

How will we keep the readers in suspense before the crisis point is reached?
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Theme
What important lessons are the characters going to learn from their experience
in the story?
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“Include the Sentence”

Note: This example is from May/June 2021.

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“Include the Sentence”

● The sentence MUST be included somewhere in the short story. It
does not matter where you put it.

● However, if the instructions specify that it must be at the

beginning, end, etc. put it there. Read your instructions carefully.
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Examine the Prompt

● Step 1: What information has the prompt provided?

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Examine the Prompt

Upon looking at out prompt, we have identified:

● A character: Sherene(a female character)

● Setting: A place with dark, murky water. What’s a

place with dark, murky water?
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Examine the Prompt

● Atmosphere: Sherene is taking a deep breath and
lowering her hand slowly. This might signify that she
is anxious about something.

● A Point of View: The third person perspective or the

first person perspective. Establish ONE of these and
stick to it.
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Ask Yourself Questions

Step 2: Ask yourself questions upon identifying what was
provided.

Why is Sherene in this place?

Why is she anxious?
Why is she lowering her hand into the water?
What led her to this point?
What’s happening in this place?
Who is the narrator? Is it a third person POV or could another
character be talking about what Sherene is doing?
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Build on the Questions

Build on these questions using PCCT.

● Plot: Hook, rising action, climax, falling action,

conclusion. What’s going to happen to Sherene and
how will she learn from her experience?

● Character: How does Sherene think, behave and act in

this situation? Are there other characters?
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Build on the Questions

● Climax: What is the crisis point for Sherene? What
type of conflict is she going to face?

● Theme: What will Sherene learn?

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Outline the Events

Step 3: Outline your events using the plot structure.
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Hook
Hook
The provided prompt can serve as a hook in this case.
It’s interesting and makes the reader ask questions.

Example: The local river is haunted and Sherene is exploring

it.
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Provided
Hook
Background
sentence/Hook info

Sherene took a deep breath, looked at the dark, murky

water and slowly lowered her hand into it. The coldness
of the water stole her breath as she submerged her hand
deeper. She shivered; her skin prickled with
goosebumps. This was no ordinary river. It was rumoured
to be home to the duppy of a woman who drowned there
three years prior.
“Are you scared, Sheri?” Matthew bantered, nudging her
playfully with his elbow.
Another character is
introduced.
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NOTE: Dialogue
Direct speech:

● "I can't believe we're doing this," said Mark.

Dialogue tag before direct speech:

● Sarah asked, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Dialogue tag after direct speech:

● "We have to try," replied Emily, determined.

Dialogue tag in the middle of direct speech:

● "I'm not so sure about that," said Tom, hesitantly,

"but I guess we don't have much choice."
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Problem
Problem
● Now would be a good time to expound on why Sherene
is doing this.

Example: Matthew dared her to put her hand in the water

and she wanted to prove that she wasn’t a coward.

● A motivation(want) is established for Sherene. She wants

to prove herself.
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Rising Action
Rising Action

Build the tension. Describe what is happening, what the

characters are feeling. Provide a bit of background
information as to why your characters are acting the way
they are.

Example: Providing background information as to what

happened at the river builds tension.
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Problem & Rising Action

Sherene jumped, her heart battering against her chest like a caged animal
trying to escape. Dialogue that
“Stop that!” shows character
relations
Matthew chuckled and a grin flashed across his face.
“Maybe you really are a coward afterall!”
The word ‘coward’ was a slap to Sherene’s pride. Red-hot rage burned within
her chest and for a moment, she almost forgot how cold the water was. It all
began when Mama told them the story of the river duppy. According to the
story, the woman had been trying to run from an abusive boyfriend and in
Motivation
doing so, fell off the cliffside and drowned in the river. Since then, it was established
rumored that the river was haunted and that no one should go there at night.
Sherene had promised Mama that she wouldn’t go. However, after Matthew
called her a coward, she could not sit there and accept that.
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Turning Point/Climax
Turning Point/Climax

● This is where everything changes and there’s no

turning back for our characters.

● The conflict reaches its peak and the characters

must respond to it in some way.
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Turning Point/Climax
“I’m not a-”
Sherene started but before she could finish, her hand made contact
with something soft and cold. Startled, she drew her hand back, only
to find herself face to face with a young woman. The woman’s face
was bathed in silver and framed with golden curls. Sherene forgot
how to breathe.
“Leave this place at once,” she whispered.
Sherene stumbled backwards as the woman’s hollow eyes bore into
her.
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Falling Action
● After the climax, we have to resolve our story in a way that feels
natural.

● We still have to remember to hold our reader’s attention up until

the end.

Example: Sherene and Matthew run for their lives, just narrowly
escaping.
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Our character’s are
actively running from
their problems!
Falling Action
Fear gripped Sherene’s heart. She wasn’t even aware of the fact that
Matthew had grabbed her hand.
“Come on Sherene! We have to run!” He screamed.
Together, they sprinted along the river bank, their footsteps echoing Suspense
in the night. Behind them, the duppy hovered over the water, each is held.
Will they
footstep silent across the ripples. Desperation surged through survive?!
Sherene as she and Matthew raced onward, their breaths coming in
ragged gasps as they fought to outrun the duppy. With each passing
moment, the riverbank seemed to stretch out endlessly before them,
the night shrouded in a cloak of darkness. Branches whipped their
faces and roots threatened to trip them at every turn.
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Conclusion
● The story is wrapped up in a way that doesn’t feel incomplete or
‘lazy’. The theme is restated and it must be obvious that the
characters have learned from their experiences.

Example: Sherene and Matthew manage to outrun the

duppy/jumbie. Sherene learns that pride comes before a fall.
Matthew is also aware that he was being horrible to Sherene.
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Conclusion
As they emerged from the bushes into the town, they dared to steal a
glance over their shoulders. To their relief, the duppy was nowhere in
sight, swallowed up by the darkness of the forest.

Panting heavily, Sherene and Matthew collapsed to the ground, their

bodies trembling with exhaustion and relief. They had managed to
Our characters are safe. The
outrun the duppy. reader breathes a sigh of
relief!
They sat in silence, catching their breath and allowing the adrenaline to
ebb away. The night air was still and quiet around them, the only sound
the soft rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze. Sherene swore that she
would never let anyone influence her like that again.
Lesson learned and theme
stated.