Monday, August 20, 2012

Class,

For homework tonight don't forget to read page 59 and answer questions 1-5 on page 64. After reading short stories in our class, what makes a GREAT short story? Post your response and respond to 1 or more classmates. Here's a video clip about The Monkey's Paw.
Post by 10p.m.

41 comments:

  1. what i think that makes a short story great is all the suspense that it has in such little time:)...it just keeps you entertained:)...

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    1. I agree with you but it would also need a good background or plot to create the suspense.

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    2. I agree with you, but suspense isn't the only thing that makes a short story great. Characters, the setting and plot can also make the story great.

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    3. Good point Edwin! The setting helps and the plot can enhance the suspense

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  2. I think a great short story is something that keeps the reader entertained and is suspenseful. I also think that a twist in the story is key as well as a good plot.

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    1. Christian i agree with you however i believe that not all short storys have to be about suspence.

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    2. Indeed Nathalie, i agree with with you short stories don't always have to be about suspense.

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    3. What do you mean by twist? Do you mean surprised endings? Unexpected turns in the plot?

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    4. Yes. Surprising endings such as a story leading you to believe something will happen by foreshadowing and then the complete opposite happens.

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  3. In my opinion i think that a good plot can make a good short story, however suspense can be in any story. Short storys can be romantic, comedy, or anything in reality just like movies or storys.

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    1. I agree. Not all great short stories are full of suspense. Others can include romance or comedy which can also make it great.

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  4. In my opinion a great story has a good plot with the climax being very suspenseful. I also think where the story takes place helps make it great.

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    1. I agree with you however a short story should have more than just suspense.

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    2. i don't agree with you edwin that not all short stories have to have suspence in them to be really good

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    3. Odi...so the conflict needs to really extreme?

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  5. In my opinion a great short story has to have a good plot, lots of action and suspense. It also has to have a good climax and ending.

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  6. I think a the reason why short stories are great is because they are shorter yet still as entertaining as reading a longer story or a book. And also the characters and actions in the story make short stories great too.

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    1. I agree with you that what makes a good short story is that it is short. I also think that a short story should include a good conflict and resolution.

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    2. I agree with you that short stories are good because they are short but sometimes I don't want the story to end, sometimes I want to read more about it.

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  7. What i believe makes a great short story is the attitude and personalities the author gives the characters and how the setting is described.

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    1. I agree with you rosa!
      The characters should always be a big part of a good short story because they are usually what the whole short story is about.

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  8. A great short story consists of characters, a good setting, some suspense, and a good ending. I dont like when stories end and it seems like it should have kept going, especially in a short story.

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    1. I agree 100%. if the story seems like it should be longer it is not a good short story. Twists might be better suited for longer stories where you can develope a norm then switch it around. If you focus to much on setting up a big twist it might push your story out of the "short" catagory.

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  9. A good short story limits the amount of importance that you put on the setting and characters. you have to have one main important character with a name and backstory(maybe), and the rest will just be called grandma, father, etc. you can tell where the story takes place but don't put to much time into just that. a good short story that i would read will have a moral that relates to me or is just a really good moral.
    Example:
    The owner of a farm asked his child to work everyday at the farm.
    His friend said to him: “You do not have to make your son work so hard. The crops would grow just as good."
    Owner of the farm replied: “I am not cultivating my crops, but my child."
    Moral of the story:
    1. A simple way to groom a child is to let him experience some hardships.
    2. If not cut, jade would not turn into useful wares. -Author unknown

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  10. What makes a great short story, is the fact that the author is in a way, limited to how they describe things. Because of the fact that it is a short story, the author must, in little description, describe the plot, setting, tell the story, lead up to the climax, resolve the story, and then end it all. But what really makes it a good short story, is how much they can actually get the reader to picture while they read the story. Going into details with limited space can make a story far more interesting than just stating the obvious, and being boring about it.

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    1. So no matter how great the plot is, if it is not well written it will not make a great short story!

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  11. A good short story has to be really exciting and also has to have some peoples attention on what's going to happen next.

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  12. To make a good short story the characters must be interesting. There must be something that they want to do or accomplish in the story.Also the conflicts and how they will overcome the problems that they will encounter in the story.

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    1. I agrre to that but it should also have suspence and a good setting.

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    2. I agree but a short story should also have a good setting.

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  13. I think a good short story has evil and good. It must also contain a good amount of suspence.

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    1. Interesting point...evil vs good.....never ending ?

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    2. I agree,but i think suspense is not the only thing that makes a short story great but the fact of the conclusion not being so predictable. It should leave us wondering. The characters should be interesting for it to be a great short story.

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  14. In my opinion a great short story should be able to play with your own emotions and make you feel in another place or time. It should also grab your attention right in the beginning so you'll want to keep on reading it.

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    1. I completely agree with you on the part about playing with your emotions and making you believe as if you were actually in the story but I also think that relatable characters are a big part of a short story.

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  15. I think the main thing that makes a short story great is the plot. If the plot is really good then you will be more entertained by the story, therefore you'll enjoy it more. Also, if you can relate to the characters in same way I think that that would make the short story more enjoyable. So overall I believe that the plot and the characters are what make a short story great.

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    1. I disagree because if the plot is to detailed it would give the story away and won't be an intrest to the reader to continue reading.

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  16. The best things about short stories is that you can read them again without wasting a lt of time.

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    1. I agree with you, but there are also other great things about short stories. For example, a short story should have a great conflict, and with a great conflict, there should also be a great resolution.

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  17. I think what makes a good short story is that it has characters that keep a consistent tone that corresponds with the theme of the short story. It has a vivid description that paints a picture in the readers mind as opposed to a long dual story that has noting of importance.

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  18. all posts are good:) nicely don peeps:)

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