1. Before you start your story, you should develop an outline covering the beginning to the end. You need to know where you are going with your story.

2. It is acceptable to amend the outline as you write the story (all good writers do this).

3. Try to pick characters, setting, and plots with which you are familiar. You may wish to pick an event in your life which made an impression on you; don't hesitate to use the event changing names, places, etc. if you wish.

4. Most short stories have only one or two characters, one plot, and no more than two settings in a story.

5. I recommend you develop your story in the following order:

a. Introduce your character and setting
b. As you introduce the characters and setting, give some details about them (appearance, personalities, what a setting looks like, etc.)
c. Have a conflict occur (this may be between the characters, between a character and a force of nature, or between a character and his or her society)
d. The conflict may be external (outside of the character), or it may be internal (in the character's mind)
e. Have the conflict reach a climax (the point of no return or where the events cannot be changed)
f. Have a denouement (falling action leading to a resolution of the conflict)
g. Have the conflict resolved

6. You may write the paper in long hand; however, I hope you will type the story which should be at least eight double-spaced pages using a font of 12. Should you write the paper in long hand, it should be at least 10 pages.

7. The paper is due the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday break. You will receive the equivalent of five test grades for this project. These grades will be posted into the grading system the second nine-week grading period. If you are able to turn in your paper early, additional points will be added to each of the five grades as follows: October 1-16---100 points; October 19 -30---50 points; November 2-20---25 points. No points will be awarded after November 20th.