Weekly Stories

The Assignment: 

Each week write a short/flash story that is between 500 and 1500 words in length. This should be a complete and well composed story. I expect that particular emphasis will be placed on the techniques we’ve discussed for that week. For example, if we’ve discussed character development, I expect that you might incorporate some of the strategies we’ve highlighted in class into your story.

Intended Outcomes:

Practice, practice, practice. Writing continually is one of the best ways to improve your writing. So, it would make sense that in a creative writing course we spend time practicing our writing. I’ve specifically chosen the flash form of storytelling so that we can quickly write a story each week without the pressure of longer lengths. However, just because this is a quick story doesn’t mean it is an easy story. One benefit of the shorter length is that every word has to count, it has to work towards the stories purpose, its so what moment. For this reason, I find flash stories are more conducive to lyrical turns. Another reason why we practice in short forms is because it becomes easier to discuss shape and organization. Sometimes, when we add length to a story, it becomes harder to see how everything works together because you can’t see the beginning and the end; however, in short form writing, oftentimes by the time you reach the end the beginning is still resonating with the reader. 

Grading Criteria:

 The Story—(10pts)

·      Turning in a story (5pts)

·      Following the prompt/incorporating techniques discussed in class (5pts)

 Peer Reviews— (10pts)

·      Take the time to read and reply (2pts)

·      Thoughtful comments with explanations of meaning (8pts)

o   Areas you thought were successful or well written

o   Areas you were distracted by, or needed more development

In general, the expectation is that you take your time and give thorough feedback. This feedback should be more extensive than what the author would receive in our brief in-class responses.