CBSE Class 9 English Writing Skill Story Writing Assignment

STORY WRITING

A short story is a narrative of moderate length that revolves around a single incident involving one or more characters. It usually has a well marked beginning, middle and end. The beginning sets up the action, gives a background of the story or builds a setting in a way that catches reader’s attention. The middle develops the action, introduces the element of conflict and arouses reader’s interest further. The end is the climax of the entire narrative and brings it to a close, quite often in a totally unexpected manner.

Elements of A Short Story

Character: A character is a person, or sometimes even an animal, who takes part in the action of a short story or other literary work.
Setting: The setting of a short story is the time and place in which it happens. Authors often use descriptions of landscape, scenery, buildings, seasons or weather to provide a strong sense of setting.
Plot: A plot is a series of events and character actions that relate to the central conflict.
Conflict: The conflict is a struggle between two people or things in a short story. The main character is usually on one side of the central conflict.
On the other side, the main character may struggle against another important character, against the forces of nature, against society, or even against something inside him or her (feelings, emotions, illness).
Theme: The theme is the central idea or belief in a short story.

Question. Sunder started writing a story but couldn’t go beyond a few lines. Using the information given in the input along with the introduction made by Sunder, develop the story in about 150-200 words.
Darius was the king of Persia. Zubaid, his only son fell seriously ill. The ...
Answer. Father’s Love Saves the Son
Darius was the king of Persia. Zubaid, his only son fell seriously ill. The king was worried. He called all the best doctors from Persia. They examined the prince. They tried every medicine. Even doctors from India and China were called. But the prince did not get well. On the other hand, Zubaid’s condition became still worse. The king had no other child to sit on the throne after his death. He cursed himself and his stars. He gave alms to the poor. But that too made no difference. Zubaid showed no sign of improvement. The king was heartbroken. He was convinced that the prince would die sooner or later.
At last, the king had lost all hope. He came, to his sick son. He looked at his weak and lifeless face for the last time. He stood up and walked round the prince’s bed for seven times. Every time he prayed, “Allah! save my son. Take my life instead.” Then a miracle took place. Zubaid started showing signs of improvement. On the other hand, Darius fell ill. The prince was on the road to recover but the king was nearing death. One day Zubaid got well and came out of the sickman’s bed. The moment he got up, Darius fell down dead never to rise again.

Question.You are Anil/Aradhna, the student-editor of your school magazine. You have been asked to write a short story titled ‘Shakuntala and Dushyanta’. Using the information given in the verbal input below along with your own details write the story in about 150-200 words.
Answer. Shakuntala and DushyantaShakuntala was the adopted daughter of the sage Kanava. She grew up as a very beautiful girl. She played with the deer and a number of female friends in the jungle. One day King Dushyanta was out for hunting. He was chasing a beautiful deer. It was Shakuntala’s deer. It ran back to her hut. The king caught sight of Shakuntala. He took a fancy for her. He decided to marry her. Kanava consented to the marriage. After the marriage, the king went back to his palace. Before departing, he gave a ring and promised to come back soon to take her away. He went back and got busy in the affairs of his state. He totally forgot about his marriage with Shakuntala. Poor Shakuntala waited and waited for the king but he never came back. She gave birth to a son and named him Bharat. Shakuntala went to see the king with her son. The king didn’t listen to her story. He thought it was a made-up story. Shakuntala wanted to show the ring. But it was no longer on her finger. She had lost it while bathing in a river. She came back disappointed. A fisherman came to the king and handed over the ring to him. The king was reminded of his marriage. He at once sent for Shakuntala. Both of them were received warmly by the king and lived happily with him in his palace. When Dushyant died, Bharat ruled over India. He was a just and wise king.

Question. You are Raghav/Radhika, the student-editor of your school magazine. You have to write a short story titled ‘The Magic Gold-Fish’ for your school magazine.
Using the information given in the input below alongwith your own details, write that story in 150-200 words.
Answer. The Magic Gold Fish
Once a poor fisherman lived with his wife in a hut. One day as usual he cast his net into the sea. He caught a small gold-fish. To his surprise the fish could speak and pleaded with him to free her. She promised to compensate him handsomely. If he needed anything he could come and call her. He returened home empty handed and told the whole story to his wife. His wife called him a fool and pressed him to demand a new tub as the old tub leaked. The fisherman went to the sea and told the fish about the wish of his wife. ‘Go back home’, replied the fish. The fisherman was happy to find his wife washing her clothes in a new water-tub. The wife was not satisfied and pressed him to ask for a new house. The fish granted the wish. The greedy wife had no satisfaction. She demanded a marble palace, silken dresses and jewels. The fish again granted him his wish. She liked to be a queen to rule over all lands and seas. She wanted all men, animals, birds and fish to serve her as slaves. The fisherman went to the fish and told her about the wish of his wife. This time the fish didn’t speak but disappeared at once into the sea. The fisherman came back home. He was surprised to see his wife sitting outside the old hut washing the clothes in her old leaking tub.

Question. You are Javed/Zahira of Rishi Valley School, Madnapally, Andhra Pradesh. You have been asked to write a short story to be published in your school magazine ‘Lotus’. Using the information given in the input alongwith your own views, write a short story titled ‘A Blind Girl’ in about 150-200 words.
Answer. A Blind Girl
Once there was a blind girl. The world was a dark and dull place for her. She despised herself because of her blindness. She hated everyone, except her beloved. He was at her disposal. She promised to her boyfriend, ‘If I could only see the world, I will marry you.’ The lover was worried. He could do anything to make the girl happy.
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend. He asked her, ‘Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?’ The girl gazed at her boyfriend intently and found that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn’t expected that. She refused him to marry without any inhibition. Her boyfriend got disheartened and dejected. After some days he wrote a note to her revealing the fact: ‘Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine’. This shows how thankless and selfish the people are. They don’t recognise and value the sacrifices done by others to make them happy.

Question. You are Jacob/Juli, the student editor of your school magazine ‘Star’. You are to write a short story titled ‘Learn and Earn’ for your school magazine. Taking help from the information given in the input below along with your own details,attempt that story in about 150-200 words.
Answer. Learn and Earn
Chuan and Jing joined a wholesale company together just after graduation. Both were sincere workers and worked very hard. After some years, Jing was promoted to Sales Executive but Chuan remained a Sales Representative. One day Chuan got exasperated. He could not pocket this humiliation and tendered resignation to the boss. He complained the boss that he did not value hard working staff, but only preferred flatterers. The boss knew that Chuan worked very hard for years. But in order to make Chuan realize the difference between him and Jing, the boss asked Chuan to go and find out anyone selling watermelon in the market. Chuan returned happily and informed the boss that he found the watermelon seller. The boss enquired the rate of watermelon per kg. Chuan went back to the market to ask and returned to inform the boss the `12 per kg. Boss told Chuan, I will ask Jing the same question. Jing went, returned and informed that only one person was selling watermelon in the market at the rate of `12 per kg, `100 for 10 kg. He had displayed 58 melons; every melon weighed about 15 kg. He bought these melons from the South two days ago. They were fresh, red, and good in quality. Chuan felt impressed and realized the difference between himself and Jing. He decided not to resign but to learn from Jing.

Points to Remember

1. Have a clear theme. What is the story about? It is the underlying message or statement behind the words. Get this right and your story will have more resonance in the minds of your readers.
2. An effective short story covers a very short time span. It may be one single event that proves pivotal in the life of the character, and that event will illustrate the theme.
3. Don't have too many characters. Each new character will bring a new dimension to the story, and for an effective short story too many diverse dimensions (or directions) will dilute the theme. Have only enough characters to effectively illustrate the theme.
4. Make every word count. There is no room for unnecessary expansion in a short story.
5. Focus. The best stories are the ones that follow a narrow subject line. What is the point of your story? Its point is its theme. It's tempting to digress, but in a 'short story' you have to follow the straight and narrow otherwise you end up with either a novel beginning or a hodgepodge of ideas that add up to nothing.

SAMPLE

THE TEEN BATIA BHAVAN

Col .Vishwanathan retired from the Army and bought a house called the Teen Batia Bhavan in the quite town of Hazaria. Having fought three wars, it made no difference to him that the house was supposedly haunted. On his first day in the Teen BatiaBhavan, Col. Vishwanathan settled down in an arm chair in front of his T.V suddenly, the lights went off and the room was plunged into darkness.

“Here, Gitten Ram ,” Col. Vishwanathan called to his house-keeper.
“Beware. Don’t shout,” said a hoarse voice.
The Colonel looked up in surprise. Hovering him over the air was a soldier in armour.
“My dear fellow,” said Col. Vishwanathan in a voice filled with admiration , “ I don’t know how you do this levitation. Especially seeing as you are dressed in a fancy dress party.”
The ghost gave a withering cry.
Oh Sir, don’t scream so. I like a bit of peace in the evening,” said the colonel. “Would you like to have a drink with me?”
The ghost screamed again and continued to float walk through walls and doors. The colonel laughed at his antics.
“Sir, I have never been so diverted before. You must entertain my friends too.”
The ghost gave a loud yell and vanished. Col. Vishwanathan shook his head and muttered, “It’s a pity he left in a huff. The others would have been amused by his antics.”

PRACTICE QUESTION

a) Imagine that two giant aliens, who look like giant ants, came to your school one day. Write a story in about 120 words about the incident.
b) An eminent bacteriologist, Dr.Hargobind Narula , went to the tropical rainforest of South America to study some new strains of disease causing bacteria. There, while carrying out his explorations, he came across a remote uninhibited area and set up his camp there. A few months later he wrote to his friend.
Given below is an excerpt from his letter:

“You are aware that around the country only some parts of amazon are still partially explored. I had an occasion to spend a night at a small village at a point where a certain tributary – the name and position of which I withhold- opens into the main river. There perched on a tree I saw a dimorphodon or pterodactyl, a flying reptile of the Jurassic period”.

As Dr.Hargobind Narula, write a story about your adventure with the dinosaurs. Do not exceed in more than 120 words.