Writing a story
 

Example:

A student magazine has asked readers to send in short stories with the title 'The best thing that's ever happened to me'.

When writing about something that happened you should:

• have a plan of what you want to say

• use a variety of verb tenses

• include some interesting vocabulary and idioms

Style

In the case of the sample question above, an informal and relaxed writing style is appropriate. This particular question asks the writer to narrate a personal experience so it's appropriate to use:

— contractions: I'm, there's etc.

— direct speech occasionally: ...and she shouted, `Get out!'

— idiomatic language: I couldn't believe my eyes; he turned up completely out of the blue.

In general, short stories require informal or neutral language — the important thing is to have a story that keeps the reader interested.

Getting some ideas

What is 'the best thing that's ever happened to me' that I can write about?

Passing my driving test!

It doesn't really matter what you choose. It may be easier if you can write from personal experience, but if you have a good imagination, use it!)You can get some ideas by asking yourself:

Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? How long/much/often etc.?

Look at how these questions might apply to the idea of passing your driving test.

Who? me, the examiner, my girlfriend

What? passing my driving test

When? hot, sunny day last summer

Where? in city centre, in rush hour

Why? now I can go and see my girlfriend, who has moved to another town

How? with difficulty — I was nervous; had a bad start

How long? half an hour, but seemed like longer

Organisation

When organising your ideas, think in terms of blocks or paragraphs:

Beginning: set the scene, confirm the title

Middle: describe the event(s) — what happened, why, how you felt etc.

End: the end of the event/day/meal etc.; refer to the title again?

WRITING MODEL

The best thing that’s ever happened to me

Passing my driving test – that’s the best thing that’s happened to me. I’d been learning to drive for a few months, but wasn’t particularly good at it.

Then one day my girlfriend, Daniela, told me that she and her family were moving to a town 200km away. Suddenly, passing my driving test became my number one priority.

So six weeks later I was sitting beside my examiner, Mr Brown. After answering a few questions, I drove away down the busy road. At first, my hands were shaking, but gradually I became more confident. Then the car hit the pavement while I was reversing round a corner, and I thought ‘That’s it. I’ve failed.’

The rest of the test seemed to take ages. Eventually, we drove back to the test centre. I stopped the car and waited. Mr Brown started talking about what I’d done wrong. Then he closed his notebook. By this time, I was convinced I’d failed. In fact, I was just about to ask when I could do the test again when he said ‘You’ve passed’. I couldn’t wait to tell Carmen the good news!

USEFUL LANGUAGE