What Are the Parts of a Short Story (How to Write Them)

Short stories have a relatively broad range of lengths, between 1,000 and 7,500 words. If you are writing for a class or publication, your teacher or editor might give you specific page requirements. If you double space, 1000 words in 12-point font cover between three and four pages. However, it is important not to limit yourself to any page limits or goals in the initial drafts. You should write until you get the basic outline of your story intact and then you can always go back and adjust the story to fit any set length requirements you have. The toughest part of writing short fiction is condensing all the same elements necessary for a full-length novel into a smaller space. You still need to define a plot, character development, tension, climax, and falling action. Point of View One of the first things you want to think about is what point of view would work best for your story. If your story centers on one characters journey, the first person will allow you to show the main characters thoughts and feelings without having to spend too much time demonstrating them through action. The third person, the most common, can allow you to tell the story as an outsider. A third person omniscient point of view gives the writer access to the knowledge of all the characters thoughts and motives, time, events, and experiences. Third person limited has full knowledge of only one character and any events tied to him. Setting The opening paragraphs of a short story should quickly depict the setting of the story. The reader should know when and where the story is taking place. Is it present day? The future? What time of year is it? The social setting is also essential to determine. Are the characters all wealthy? Are they all women? When describing the setting, think of the opening of a movie. The opening scenes often span across a city or countryside then focus in on a point involving the first scenes of action. You could also this same descriptive tactic. For example, if your story begins with a person standing in a large crowd, describe the area, then the crowd, maybe the weather, the atmosphere (excited, scary, tense) and then bring the focus into the individual. Conflict Once you develop the setting, you must introduce the conflict or the rising action. The conflict is the problem or challenge that the main character faces. The issue itself is important, but the tension created is what creates reader involvement. The tension in a story is one of the most important aspects; its what keeps the reader interested and wanting to know what will happen next. To write, Joe had to decide whether to go on his business trip or stay home for his wifes birthday, lets the reader know there is a choice with consequences but does not elicit much reader reaction. To create tension you could describe the internal struggle Joe is having, maybe hell lose his job if he doesnt go, but his wife is looking forward to spending time with him on this particular birthday. Write the tension that Joe is experiencing in his head. Climax Next should come to the climax of the story. This will be the turning point where a decision is made, or change occurs. The reader should know the outcome of the conflict and understand all the events leading up to the climax. Be sure to time your climax so that it doesnt happen too late or too soon. If done too soon, the reader will either not recognize it as the climax or expect another twist. If done too late the reader might get bored before it happens. The last part of your story should resolve any questions left after the climactic events take place. This could be an opportunity to see where the characters end up sometime after the turning point or how they deal with the changes that have occurred in and around themselves. Once you get your story drafted into a semi-final form, try letting a peer read it and give you some feedback. You will most likely find that you became so involved in your story that you omitted some details. Dont be afraid to take a little creative criticism. It will only make your work stronger.

Christian Speculation about the End of Times - 1807 Words

Religions do not only relate to the past but also to the future: beliefs about resurrection or further rebirths, hopes of a better future, or even fears of apocalyptic tribulations. In this essay, various religious ‘futures’ will be investigated: the evolution towards spiritual individualism and consumerism, the success of yoga and the Christian speculations about the end of times. It will be easily demonstrated that each of these ‘futures’ is highly controversial – but are they controversial primarily because of the way in which they reinterpret the past? The essay will argue that the reinterpretation of the past should better seen as a legitimating force rather than the primary cause of the controversy. Sociologist Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) described religion as ‘a unified system of beliefs and practices (†¦) which unite into one single moral community called a Church’: for him, ‘the idea of religion is inseparable from that of the Church’ (Durkheim cited in Harvey, 2013, p. 8). This definition fits well with established religion in the past – a strong cohesive force within society, bounding its members together, most often centralised and institutionalised (as the Roman Catholic Church). By contrast, in our modern society, individual choices tend to be prevalent in religious matters, allowing people to freely shift their religious affiliation or even build up their own spirituality – a trend sometimes labelled ‘the privatisation of religion’. People are increasinglyShow MoreRelatedChristian Allegory in Beowulf1027 Words   |  4 Pagesback into a time long past; one of family, fate, and fealty. Beowulf offers a glimpse of a society struggling between two different paths, one path being the assimilation into the new Christian traditions and the other is the fast fading past of glorified warriors and family ties. In the poem, the reader can see the attempts of the poet to convey the values and stories of Judeo-Christianity in a society of Anglo-Saxon paganism. 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From the author to the intended audience, and from the land of its origin, to its travel across the ancient world, and its eventual acceptance into the compilation of scripture, much of what we know about the book of Hebrews is speculation. This article seeks to delve deeper into the questions regarding the book s origin and to the overall purpose of the book which led to its inclusion in the New Testament. The book of Hebrews was written with the intention of makingRead More Jewish ROles in Medieval Europe Essay521 Words   |  3 Pagesin medieval civilization became apparent to the Christian and Islam peoples of the time. Various time periods are claimed by various different authors, however in this particular case I have utilized the historical writings of Louis Finkelstein. In one of his many books, we find that his perception of Jews in this time are from about 1000 AD to 1603AD. 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Also according to Wikipedia, In philosophy, optimism is linked with the name of Gottfried Leibniz, who held that we live in the best of all possible worlds, a theodicy for which he was famously mocked by Voltaire in his satiricalRead MoreShirley Jacksons The Lottery Essay examples1067 Words   |  5 PagesShirley Jacksons The Lottery After reading Shirley Jackson’s short story â€Å"The Lottery† several times over the many years, this story has many meanings beyond simply the words on the pages. These are left up to the speculation of the reader for the most part, which lets each individual come up with his or her own opinions to fuel an argument. I feel that much of the symbolism revolves around religion, in particular Christianity. To take the story at face value would nearly be an exercise in futilityRead More`` The Handmaid s Tale `` By Margaret Atwood And Gary Ross1542 Words   |  7 Pages‘Speculation on the future reveals the present’ The 1986 Novel ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ written by Margaret Atwood and Gary Ross’ 2012 film ‘The Hunger Games’ are dystopian texts that reflect the genre of dystopian literature and the context in which they were composed. The conventional themes through which they do this are uniformity, technology and removal from present time as well as how these concepts are manipulated to create new meanings. In Atwood’s 1986 novel ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ the themeRead MoreThe Emperor Constantine Is One Of The Major Figures Of1253 Words   |  6 PagesThe Emperor Constantine is one of the major figures of Christian history (89). After his transformation, Christianity moved quickly from the separation of the tombs to the esteem of castles. The development began the fourth century as an oppressed minority; it finished the century as the built up religion of the domain. Consequently, the Christian Church was joined to the energy of the state and accepted an ethical accountability of the entire society. To serve the state, it refined its principleRead More The Rise Of Christianity Essay1320 Words   |  6 PagesBut only Christianity had the right combination of ingredients to appeal to both the masses and also eventually the ruling elite. Based on ancient scriptures, with a solid creation myth, its own collection of inspired writings, a convincing story about the ap pearance of God as a man (e.g. Jesus), a morality based upon personal maturity rather than harsh punishment, role models for both men and women, and a good organizational structure. Christianity was destined to grow to become the dominant religionRead MoreSt. Patrick As A Middle Class Deacon And Tax Collector1480 Words   |  6 Pagesdreams about the Irish people needing him to come to Ireland. Patrick was then ordained as a bishop and journeyed back to Ireland to preach the gospel. Today, St. Patrick is seen as the missionary who brought Christianity to Ireland. Some believe that St. Patrick went to Ireland to truly preach the gospel and save souls. Others believe that St. Patrick wanted to bring Roman Catholic order to the Christians and non-Christians of Ireland. Both of these views are based on the knowledge about St. Patrick

Impacts of Energy Consumption Free Essays

The Impacts of Energy Consumption Coming home from a long day at school, I tell myself, â€Å"Damn, I’m tired! † On top of that, it’s blazing hot outside, so I set my thermostat to the lowest possible temperature so that my apartment can cool down quickly. After I adjust the temperature, I go to the bathroom and then leave the lights on from laziness. Finally, I turn on the television to watch something until I fall fast asleep. We will write a custom essay sample on Impacts of Energy Consumption or any similar topic only for you Order Now The end of the month comes along and I walk to my mailbox to check for any bills and next thing you know I have a staggering bill from Georgia Power! It’s nothing that I should be surprised about because I have ridiculous habits when it comes to leaving things on and setting my thermostat. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only person with an energy-consuming problem. I know that millions of people do the same things I do. Reducing my energy consumption is a challenge that I want to take on to better myself and the environment, which is a change for the good that i have great interest in. I looked at my energy bill for the past month and I did some calculations money wise. When looked over some energy facts on the Energy Star site, it made me realize something. According to Energy Star, the government agency that helps us all save money on energy and protect the environment at the same time, the air conditioning unit consists of approximately 50% of your monthly electric bill (â€Å"Save Energy at Home†). Last month, my bill came up to $70. 71, which is high for me because I don’t really run anything in my apartment but T. V, lights, internet, and my laptop. I barely use my stove or microwave because I’m one of those college students who eats out all the time because I can’t cook. Half of $70 is $35. On top of that, the unit can possibly use more than fifty percent if you don’t maintain it properly. Sealing and insulating ducts can improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling system by as much as 20 percent – and sometimes much more (â€Å"Save Energy at Home†). That being said, it would use less energy and cost less. Energy Star also says that leaving things plugged in even when they are not using it, can consume energy. It does indeed show a difference if you practice leaving things that you don’t use unplugged (â€Å"Save Energy at Home†). It saved me around 50 kWh which doesn’t seem like much but it’s something. Next, since an HVAC unit can possibly take over your energy costs, we should all know how to reduce our consumption when it comes to the HVAC unit itself. Installing a programmable thermostat can help your HVAC system become more energy efficient (â€Å"Energy Saving Tips†). I was reading a article from the ConsumerMan section of MSNBC and came across an article stating that installing a programmable thermostat can cut your energy costs by 20% (Weisbaum). These systems that we cherish so much can also be sources of emission into the environment we inhabit. It is said that HVAC systems can be contaminant emission sources (Batterman). Have you ever left some food laying around and come to realize that it starting growing mold? The EPA conducted a few studies that shown that the HVAC systems are the causes of biological growth, and moisture of which molds use to multiply and grow (Batterman). Therefore, it would probably be a good idea to use programmable thermostats to lower costs and emissions into the indoor environment. These thermostats can minimize the emissions when we are not at home or sleep. Aside from the costs of using the infamous HVAC units that we all cherish so much, the environmental changes is something that goes on unnoticed to people including myself. I think that it’s something that we should consider because of a number of reasons. Energy generation impacts our environment in a way that we don’t see. Most of the energy that we use is produced by power plants that use non-renewable resources such as natural gas, oil, and coil, all of which are considered as fossil fuels. â€Å"Fossil Fuels†) Fossil Fuels account for 83% of the Unites States energy consumption (â€Å"Fossil Fuels†). All of these fuels can release harmful things like carbon dioxide, which is a dangerous greenhouse gas (â€Å"Fossil Fuels†). Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere by agricultural practices and by the burning of fossil fuels (Michaels 5). According to many people and scientists, they believe that this is what may be causing global warming. Another energy generating method is Nuclear power plants. This, in my opinion, is the most harmful way to produce energy. When nuclear plants are producing energy, they are rapidly changing the temperature, which also increases evaporation. This then increases rainfall, which can affect agriculture with a lack of good soil (â€Å"Fossil Fuels†). The environmental concern of nuclear energy production comes from the disposal of nuclear waste. Spillage and leakage of nuclear radiation into the environment can cause people to develop cancer if they inhale these gases (â€Å"Fossil Fuels†). That being said, I feel as if when I use too much energy at home and in other places, I cause the releases of these harmful gases my elf. Environmental Impact of Power Generation explains that 39% percent of the energy generated today is used to make more energy (Hester 15). So this book argues that consumption is, in fact, an important factor of a consumer’s environmental footprint. All forms of electric generation can have some type of environmental impact in the world (Hester 17). For example, hydr oelectric power plants may not have any impact on the air, but to construct these dams can significantly affect our natural river systems as well as the wildlife that inhabits these rivers (Wittwers 25). What about coal? When coal is used to generate power, things like carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides are released into the atmosphere (Rowland 35). The Environmental Protection Agency requires that the burners of these particular plants have control devices aimed at reducing the amount of emissions that are released. I looked up carbon dioxide in the dictionary just to have an idea of why exactly is it related to global warming. It is said that it is a greenhouse gas that affects the earth’s radiated balance, which also means that it is directly related to global warming. Another way to think about the greenhouse effect is to consider that according to physics the radiation we receive from the Sun must be equally balanced by the heat Earth radiates out to space. If we were to give back less energy than we receive, our planet would soon be too hot for life. † (â€Å"The Greenhouse Effect†) According to the research that I conducted, it is like a chain reaction. We use too much energy at home, the power plants produce more energy for our high demands, and next thing you know we humans are causing global warming. For the past couple of months, I have been getting significantly high electricity bills and I wanted to know exactly what it is that i have been doing to get such high bills when the only things i constantly run in my two bedroom apartment is: one television, a wireless router, a MacBook, and of-course, my HVAC unit. I learned that the problems are exactly what I just said, â€Å"I constantly run. † Not only that, according to online source, your HVAC unit consumes the most electricity in any household that contains one. I decided to do a project to see what I can do to help lower my energy costs as well as have a lesser impact on the environment. I looked over my Georgia Power bill and I apparently consumed 532 kWh costing me $70. 71, and 640 kWh the month before costing me a whopping $82. 69. That’s a lot for one person with only a TV and a computer running. So my goal was to lower those numbers as much as i can by the next billing cycle. Throughout all the research that was conducted, I decided to do exactly what my sources suggested. I set my thermostat to 77 degrees and left it there. I unplugged all of my electrical devices that were not in use and only plugged them in when I was ready to use them. The next billing cycle was up and I got my bill. For the cycle of March- April, I consumed a nice minimum of 364 kWh costing me only a small $52. 55 for that billing cycle. I was excited because my research project had turned out to be a success. Since the last bill, I saved 168 kWh. That was almost gave me $20 dollars in savings. In conclusion, I honestly feel guilty. Before all of this, I left my light on when I wasn’t using them, left my television on when I wasn’t watching it, and I even leave my office active when I wasn’t in my office. When I say active, I mean my printer stays on at all times as well my desktop and monitor. I just never turn off my computer. It almost seems as if I’m harming the environment with my bad habits especially because I have a habit of leaving on my air conditioning because I either like my apartment freezing cold or blazing hot, depending on the weather and how I feel. The sources that I have introduced have plenty of reasons why people should strive to reduce our energy consumption so we can less impact the environment, ozone layer, and our utility bills. For one, I now feel better about knowing that I’m are contributing to a change that is bettering the environment and I’m even happier with myself knowing that I cut my electric costs by a percentage. Nowadays, I plug out everything electrical when I go to class and I now normally cut off my HVAC unit a majority of the day to reduce the humidity in my apartment, which contributes to mold and mildew. Works Cited Batterman, Stuart. HVAC Systems as Emission Sources. Washington: U. S Environmental Protection Agency, 1995. Print. â€Å"Energy Saving Tips. Efficiency Smart. Energy Star. Web. 20 Apr. 2012. . â€Å"Environmental Impact of Nuclear Power. † Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 04 Jan. 2012. Web. 02 Apr. 2012. . â€Å"Fossil Fuels. † Institute for Energy Research. Web. 20 Apr. 2012. . Rowland, R. H. , K. E. Gould, and E. McDonald. Environmental Impacts of Dispersed and Concentrated Siting of Coal-fired Power Plants. Palo Alto, CA: Electric Power Research Institute, 1984. 35. Print. â€Å"The Greenhouse Effect. † Earthguide: Educational Resources in Earth, Marine, Environmental and Planetary Sciences. University of California. Web. 20 Apr. 2012. . Michaels, Patrick J. , and Robert C. Balling. The Satanic Gases: Clearing the Air about Global Warming. Washington, D. C. : Cato Institute, 2000. Print. â€Å"Save Energy at Home. † Saving Energy At Home. Energy Star, 03 Jan. 2012. Web. 02 Apr. 2012. . Weisbaum, Herb. â€Å"Will Programmable Thermostat save Me Money? † Msnbc. com. Msnbc Digital Network, 26 Sept. 2007. Web. 20 Apr. 2012. . Wittwer, S. H. Food, Climate, and Carbon Dioxide: The Global Environment and World Food Production. Boca Raton: Lewis, 1995. 25-26. Print. How to cite Impacts of Energy Consumption, Essay examples