Finding the right title for that short story
Dahlia Bartley, Contributor

This week, we will continue to discuss story writing. Let us talk briefly about choosing titles for your stories. Some titles lend themselves to both literal and figurative interpretations. Can you think of different interpretations for the following topics: The Marriage, The Journey and Trapped?

Let us turn our attention to the possible types of questions which have been set in the exam.

(i) A beginning sentence is given:

Write a short story which begins:

"George hid in the branches of the huge mango tree across the road. From there he looked straight into Mr Brown's yard."

Comment: Whatever you write after this sentence must follow smoothly. What plot could you use? You must suggest why George was hiding in the branches of the huge mango tree. You would have to mention what he saw, as well. I leave you to work out a possible twist to this story.

(ii) A concluding sentence is given:

"But there was no pity left in me."

Write a story which ends with the above sentence.

Difficult

Comment: Events must be so arranged that they lead up to this final sentence. Some students may find it difficult to do so. You will not get a good mark for your story if the concluding sentence is merely tacked on.

(iii) A title is given

- Write a story entitled, The prank that backfired.

- Write a story entitled, An unforgettable visit.

These require deep penetration and demand that you look keenly at key words.

Comment: Now, a title such as the second one often traps candidates, as there are some who merely write a descriptive account. Always remember the elements of story writing. (Revisit last week's lesson). Yes, description has its place in story writing, but description does not constitute a story. Another topic that might catch some students is The Wedding. Of course, you can think of many, many interesting plots for this! Several years ago, there were several candidates who simply gave a description of a wedding they had attended.

(iv) A scene or situation is presented -

(a) Write a story which tells of the circumstances which led up to the following headline in a newspaper:

Fire leaves mother and children homeless.

(b) Francois heard a knock at the front door. He knew he was in deep trouble.

Write a story based on this situation.

(v) A series of action is outlined -

Cheering crowds - the sound of music - gay colours - and you in the middle of it.

Tell a story which includes all of the above.

Comment: It is the duty of the student to connect these ideas into a cohesive story.

(vi) Imagining yourself as another person or object -

Peter Patterson has a peculiar habit of collecting things in his pocket. His mother, at sometime or another, discovers insects, leaves, pieces of stone, even used chewing gum in his pockets. Imagine you are an object in Peter's pocket and write a story entitled A Day in Peter's Pocket.

(vii) A story stimulated by a picture -

Comment: You need to examine the picture carefully. Note such evidence as number of characters, possible setting, what the picture represents and incorporate all of this into your story.

(viii) A story which illustrates a proverb -

Comment: Make sure that you understand the meaning of the proverb before you begin to write. If you were given the question: Write a story which illustrates the following proverb, 'Don't put all your eggs in one basket', you should not be writing about a trip to the market where you buy eggs and then put some in a basket and the others elsewhere because you do not want them to break! The question uses the word proverb and it further asks that you illustrate; therefore, you cannot use a literal interpretation.

Be creative

You must choose your topic wisely and you must write on a subject with which you are familiar. Be creative and make your stories interesting. It is a lazy student who will simply rehash plots of movies and novels without even changing the names of the original characters.

Practise to read over your story as it is possible for you to earn full marks once it is well-written. In the exam, short stories are marked holistically and will be considered as incompetent, competent or superior. Aim for the highest level. I must add that there are allowances for minor mistakes, even when a story is seen as superior. Do you remember the word limit? - 400 to 450 words for the general proficiency.

past-paper questions

Now you may want to try the following topics from CSEC past papers.

1. Write a story entitled, The Day The Rains Came.

2. Write a story which illustrates the following proverb 'A stitch in time saves nine'.

3. Write a story which develops from the first sentence:

"I've never felt so proud of anyone in my life," said Mr Jones, looking fondly at his son.

I really hope you are on your way to writing suitable stories which will fulfil the requirements of section three of the English A paper. Write your stories and share them with your friends or classmates.

See you next week.

Members of the Victor Dixon High School Schools' Challenge Quiz team are (from left) Winston Swaby, Abigail Harris, Jonylle Smith and Tanya Scott (captain). - CONTRIBUTED

Dahlia Bartley teaches at Glenmuir High School.