Writing Short Stories

Ailsa Cox is Reader in Creative Writing and English at Edge Hill University, UK.

Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Spinning a Yarn What makes a story Finding a voice Where to begin Building suspense and narrative drive First thoughts on structure: Crime fiction and the supernatural Linear narrative Plot resolution Telling Tales Creating Suspense: `The Fall of the House of Usher’ Tall Tales Games and puzzles: `The Red-Headed League’ Structure Writing in the Dark Activities 2. Capturing the Moment Imagery and symbolism Using the senses The epiphany Internal monologue Stream of Consciousness Non-linear narrative Open endings The Mind’s Eye Using the Senses: `Bliss’ Epiphany: `The Dead’ Playing Around With Time Stream of consciousness: `Not not while the giro’ Activities 3. Humour Sketches, anecdotes and parody Comic tension Character and dialogue Irony First person narratives Unreliable narrators Laughing Out Loud Irony Character Observation The Anecdote: `News’ Parody and Satire: `The Hands of Dingo Deery’ Activities 4. The Fantastic Fantasy, reality and the imagination Fables, fairy tales and magic realism Myths and symbols Intertextuality Viewpoint: focalization Multiple narration and the `story within a story.’ Inventing other worlds Voluntary Dreams Altering Reality: `Metamorphosis’ Myth: `The Company of Wolves’ Parallel Worlds: `Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius’ Activities 5. What If? Visions of the future: science fiction, speculation, cyberpunk Researching short stories Getting ideas `Journey’ structures Openings The Unknown: `In The Abyss’ Utopias and dystopias Cyberpunk: `Burning Chrome’ Activities 6. Reality Social observation Reportage, life writing and autobiography Fictionalising reality Condensing time: ellipsis Linked stories and story cycles The Heat of the Moment The short story and journalism Social observation: `Country Living’ Memories: `Family Furnishings’ Activities 7. Love, Sex and Shaping a Story Erotic writing Writing with passion Revenge narratives Past and present tense Last thoughts on structure Controlling pace Final edits Sex, Love and Romance Desire: `Death Constant Beyond Love’ Adultery: `Lady with Lapdog’ Revenge: `Dr Frankenstein, I Presume’ Activities Resources Bibliography