This unit seeks to provide students with both an understanding of the short story and experience in writing one. Lesson plans and handouts define terms and offer exercises designed to allow hands-on experience of the story-writing process. Teachers are invited to supplement the lessons with outside readings (short stories are suggested periodically) that serve to illustrate further the characteristics and value of specific narrative components (such as point of view and dialogue). A finished original story is the logical culmination of the lessons.

Students examine the history and development of the short story, including the role played by Edgar Allan Poe in defining the form and the evolution of the story since Poe’s time. Then they consider the core components of the short story, such as characters, setting, and plot. Subsequent lessons address the eternal question “How do you decide what to write about?” and engage students in writing exercises that are meant to build the confidence necessary to create a complete short story.