Developing a Story
1.A storyteller
usually reports in his own words what the characters say. But if this is done
throughout the story, it can become monotonous, Quoting the actual words of the
characters will at times breathe life into the story.
2.A story must
have a natural and definite ending. It should not just stop abruptly, leaving
the reader in the air unhappy, dissatisfied and wondering. The ending should
give the feeling of completeness like the final knot on a garland of flowers.
To sum up, the
characteristics of a good story are:
1. A good story
has a beginning, a middle and an end.
2. The beginning
sets the scene and the mood.
3. The narration
usually follows the sequence of action.
4. Each part of
the story forms a separate paragraph.
5. The characters
are believable and have individuality.
6. The choice of
events and their interpretation depend on who is telling the story.
7. The story has
appropriate quantities of direct speech and reported speech.
8. The story ends
with a sense of completeness and satisfaction.
EXAMINATION-STYLE QUESTIONS ON STORY WRITING
Set-1
Develop each of the following outlines into a story.
Also supply a suitable title to each:
1. INVITING DEATH THROUGH SMOKING
Outline:
Sohan a carefree
college student spent time amongst friends gossiping..... loafing.....
smoking..... puffing out curls of smoke thrilled him would lie to his
parents....... father was offended..... mother defended..... Sohan would always
ask for money..... turned a chain smoker spent life with the habit developed
cancer of the tongue...... jaw was removed scared of the mirror..... money
could do little to save him from pain misery and death.
Story: Sohan used to be a carefree student during his
college days. He never took any interest in his studies and spent most of his
time among friends. He would gossip and keep loafing with them here and there
purposelessly. Just for the fun of it, he started smoking also. Puffing out
curls of smoke thrilled him as if he had landed in a fairyland. Thus he would
spend whole day gossiping, loafing and smoking with his friends. He would come
back home only at the fall of night and then tell all sorts of lies to his parents.
His innocent parents believed him and never said anything.
However, after
some time, his father began to feel offended with Sohan's ways and tried to
stop him, but then his mother would step in. She was an indulgent mother and
always sided with her son, right or wrong. She would give Sohan all the money
he would ask for. The father found himself helpless and stopped saying anything
to Sohan. There was hardly ever any conversation between the father and the son
for days and days.
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With no check from
any quarter, Sohan turned into a chain-smoker. Now ee started smoking at home
also in the presence of his parents.
The mother would
curse herself in her heart, but now, things had gone too far. Sohan did not
care a fig for his mother also.
It was no surprise
that after a couple of years, Sohan developed cancer of the tongue. To save him
from imminent death, his jaw had to be removed. His father had to spend a lot
of money on him. Sohan was now scared of even looking at himself in the mirror.
Cancer had gone deeper into his throat.
Money could do nothing to save him from pain, misery and death. Poor parents
lost their only son.
