Beet scholarship asks you to write a short story to enter the contest but you don't know where to start. This is a guideline to help you win the scholarship and enjoy your stay in England!
Parts of a story
- Beginning: presentation of character and conflict
- Middle: obstacles and action
- End: solving the conflict. The character either wins or surrenders
Elements of a story
Character
Create a character. Here you have questions to guide you.
- What does she look like?
- Where is she from?
- How old is she?
- Where does she study?
- What course is she in?
- Is a she a lonely child?
- Does she have brothers or sisters?
- Is she a child, teenager or a grown-up person?
- Does she have a lot of money?
Although you may not use all these info in your story, you have to know your character well because she will act according to her background. If you find this exercise difficult, just look at real people and describe them.
Setting: Place and time
- Where does the story take place?
- In a small town? in a city? in the country?
- Is it winter or summer?
- Is the story happening these days?
- In 1950?
- 2040?
This information will create an adequate atmosphere for your story.
Conflict
Present your main character with an important problem that seems to have no solution.
Point of View
All stories have a narrator, the person who's telling the story. In this case, The story starts in the third person point of view and Monica is the character's first name.
"Monica first heard the sound far away, but now it was immediately behind her."
( 2011 Beet's scholarship)
How to Write the story
- Read the sentence provided and understand it thoroughly.
- Brainstorm different ideas to see where your imagination takes you.
- Make an outline of your story to know from the very beginning where the story goes.
- Summarize your story in one single sentence to have a clear understanding.
- Write your first draft. Use prose and dialogue.
- Put it away for a few days.
- Read your story aloud and tighten it where necessary.
- Ask a friend to read your story and tell you what he has understood.
- Rewrite your story.
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