Once Upon a Time: A Journey in Short Story Writing

In this 6-week class, students will learn to brainstorm, outline, write, and revise a creative short story. 
In week one, learners will brainstorm what type of short story they want to write. They will choose a genre of short story (fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, horror, romance, realistic fiction, etc.). Learners will be required to keep their storyline within the bounds of a PG rating. In this brainstorming session, students will discuss and notate possible settings, characters, and plots. We will discuss the concepts of protagonists, antagonists, problems that characters can face, and actions that characters can take. After this time of brainstorming, learners will be taught how to outline their ideas. They will learn short stories typically cover a short period of time or one event in a protagonist's life. At the end of week one, students will be required to write an outline of their short story to bring to class in week two. 
In week two, learners will be given an opportunity to share their outlines and ideas with other students. They can ask one another questions about the plot and offer constructive suggestions that the authors may or may not incorporate into their stories. After this time of discussion, learners will develop a character sketch. They will learn how to describe the physical features of their characters, how to write personalities, and how to give their characters action. They will learn how to decide how many characters will be necessary for their short stories. At the end of week two, students will be required to write a character sketch of their story's characters. 
In week three, learners will be given the opportunity to share their character sketches. They will be given time to ask one another questions about the characters and to offer constructive suggestions that the authors may or may not incorporate into their characters. After this time of discussion, learners will begin plotting their stories. In this class, I will teach students how to write an active rather than passive plot. They will learn how long a short story is. They will decide whether to use first person or third person narration in their stories. We will discuss the benefits and difficulties of each style. Students will learn how to write good dialogue and descriptions. At the end of week three, students will begin writing their first rough draft of their short story. 
In week four, leaners will, as usual, be given the opportunity to share and discuss their first rough drafts. After this time of sharing, discussion, and suggestions, I will teach the new writers the importance of revision. Students will learn how to revise their scenes. They will learn how to shorten scenes, if necessary, and to use bold and descriptive words. At the end of week four, students will revise their rough draft into a second draft. 
In week five, students will, again, be given the opportunity to share and discuss their revised second drafts. After this time of sharing, discussion, and suggestions, I will teach the new authors how to edit their works for grammar mistakes. This class will cover grammar basics such as subject/verb agreement, correct use of adjectives and adverbs, and the importance of using correct punctuation. At the end of week five, students will edit their draft into a final project. 
In week six, our final week, students can proudly share their final stories. They will be given the opportunity to offer praise to one another for their hard work, dedication, and creativity.  
I will teach this class through direct instruction, PowerPoint slides, and discussion. I believe it is important for learners to discuss their ideas with me and with one another. New ideas arise in such discussion. I believe students learn best when they can have fun and be creative. This class is an arts class because creativity and imagination are the most important aspects of fiction writing. While we will discuss grammar in one of the final classes, the emphasis will be upon the art of writing. 
Students will need to come to class prepared to think creatively. Students can either write their stories by hand or on a computer. They will, however, need to bring a notebook and pen or pencil to class to take notes for each week's homework assignment.