3.2 Creative Writing
Write short stories in English.
50 min
5 oppgaver
Creative writingStoriesCharacters
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Creative Writing: Short Stories
Creative writing lets you use your imagination to create stories, characters, and worlds. Writing stories in English is a great way to practice the language while having fun!
Why write creatively?
- Express your imagination
- Practice vocabulary and grammar in context
- Develop your own writing voice
- Entertain yourself and others!
Elements of a Good Story
1. Interesting Characters
- Who are they? What do they want?
- What are their strengths and weaknesses?
- Who are they? What do they want?
- What are their strengths and weaknesses?
2. Engaging Setting
- Where and when does the story take place?
- Create atmosphere with descriptive details
3. Clear Plot
- Beginning: Introduce characters and situation
- Middle: Problem or conflict develops
- End: Resolution and conclusion
4. Conflict/Problem
- Every good story needs tension!
- Person vs. Person
- Person vs. Nature
- Person vs. Self
- Person vs. Society
5. Theme
- What message or lesson does your story share?
Creating Characters
Give your characters:
Physical appearance:
- What do they look like? (height, hair, eyes, clothing)
Personality:
- Are they brave, shy, funny, serious?
- What are their quirks or habits?
Background:
- Where are they from?
- What is their family like?
Motivation:
- What do they want? (goals)
- What are they afraid of? (fears)
Character development:
- How do they change during the story?
- What do they learn?
Tip: Even in short stories, give your main character at least one clear want and one obstacle!
Show, Don't Tell
"Show, don't tell" means using actions, dialogue, and details instead of just stating facts.
TELLING (weak): "Sarah was scared."
SHOWING (strong): "Sarah's hands trembled as she backed against the wall. Her heart pounded so loud she was sure everyone could hear it."
More examples:
❌ "He was angry."
✓ "He slammed his fist on the table, his face turning red."
❌ "The room was messy."
✓ "Clothes were scattered across the floor, empty pizza boxes were stacked on the desk, and a half-eaten sandwich sat forgotten on the windowsill."
❌ "She was happy to see him."
✓ "Her face lit up with a wide smile, and she ran to hug him."
Good dialogue:
- Sounds natural (how people really talk)
- Shows character personality
- Moves the story forward
- Breaks up long paragraphs
- Sounds natural (how people really talk)
- Shows character personality
- Moves the story forward
- Breaks up long paragraphs
Punctuation rules:
- Put quotation marks around spoken words
- Start a new paragraph when a new person speaks
- Use said, asked, replied, whispered, etc.
Example:
"I don't think we should go in there," Maya whispered.
Tom shook his head. "We've come this far. I'm not turning back now."
"But what if something happens?"
"Then we'll deal with it together."
Tip: Don't always use "said" - vary your dialogue tags!
said, asked, replied, muttered, shouted, whispered, exclaimed
Strong Story Openings
Your first sentence should grab the reader!
Types of strong openings:
Action: Start in the middle of something happening
- "The glass shattered as Jake dove through the window."
Dialogue: Start with speech
- "'Whatever you do,' my grandmother said, 'never open that door.'"
Question: Make readers curious
- "What would you do if you woke up with superpowers?"
Surprising statement:
- "The day my life changed forever started like any other Tuesday."
Setting the mood:
- "The old house at the end of the street had been empty for as long as anyone could remember."
✏️Example: A Short Story Opening
Write the opening of a mystery story.
Opening:
The moment Emma touched the ancient book, the lights in the library flickered. She froze, her fingers still resting on the leather cover.
"Did you see that?" she whispered to her friend Leo, who was checking his phone nearby.
"See what?" He looked up, clearly uninterested.
Before Emma could answer, the book fell open by itself, revealing pages covered in strange symbols. As she leaned closer, one word appeared, glowing faintly in gold: BEWARE.
Emma's heart raced. This wasn't an ordinary library book. And she had a feeling she had just made a very big mistake.
Why this works:
- Starts with action (touching the book)
- Creates mystery (flickering lights, strange symbols)
- Introduces two characters with different personalities
- Uses dialogue to break up description
- Ends with tension (she made a mistake)
📝Oppgave 1
Which is an example of "showing" instead of "telling"?
📝Oppgave 2
Rewrite these "telling" sentences to "show" instead:
a) "He was nervous."
b) "The house was creepy."
c) "She was very happy."
a
"He was nervous."
b
"The house was creepy."
c
"She was very happy."
📝Oppgave 3
Create a character profile for a story. Include:
- Name
- Age
- Physical appearance (3 details)
- Personality (2 traits)
- One goal and one fear
📝Oppgave 4
Write the first paragraph of a story using ONE of these openings:
a) "The letter arrived on a rainy Monday morning..."
b) "'You have to promise me you won't tell anyone,' she said..."
c) "Looking back, I should have known something was wrong when..."