Secondary 2 · English · Literature
Crafting short narratives
Plan and write short stories with a clear orientation, complication and resolution, using dialogue and descriptive detail to show rather than tell.
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These lessons were written around Australian Curriculum strands and matched to Singapore levels by age (Primary 1 is the first year of primary school). They are not aligned to MOE syllabuses or the PSLE, so check them against the syllabus your child is working towards.
Learning goals
Learners will
- Plan a short story using orientation, complication, rising action, climax and resolution.
- Use dialogue correctly and purposefully to reveal character and move the plot.
- Use descriptive detail to show rather than tell.
Success looks like
- I can plan a short story with a clear orientation, complication and resolution.
- I can punctuate dialogue correctly and start a new line for each new speaker.
- I can rewrite a 'telling' sentence so that it shows emotion through action, dialogue or detail.
The big idea
A short story works best when it is focused: one main character, one setting (or very few), one central problem and a short time span. There is no room for long backstories.
Narrative structure: the orientation introduces who, where and when; the complication introduces a problem; rising action builds tension as the character tries to deal with it; the climax is the turning point; and the resolution shows how things settle. In a short story, the orientation should be brief – often just a paragraph – and some writers start straight in the action (in medias res).
Show, don't tell. 'Leila was nervous' tells the reader. 'Leila wiped her palms on her jeans for the third time and read the first line of her speech again' shows it. Showing lets readers infer feelings, which is more engaging.
You can show through actions (what a character does), dialogue (what they say and how), physical reactions (trembling, flushed cheeks) and sensory detail (what they see, hear, smell, touch, taste).
Dialogue rules: put spoken words inside quotation marks; put the punctuation that ends the speech inside the closing mark; start a new line each time the speaker changes; and use a comma before a tag such as 'she said'. Example: "I'm not going," said Leo. "You can't make me."
Dialogue should do a job – reveal character, build tension or move the plot. Avoid long exchanges of greetings ('Hi.' 'Hi.' 'How are you?').
Endings: a satisfying resolution grows from the complication. Avoid 'and then I woke up and it was all a dream', which undoes everything the reader has invested in.
Worked examples
Planning a focused short story
Plan a short story about a lost dog using the five-stage structure.
- Orientation: Ari, 13, is walking his elderly neighbour's dog, Biscuit, in the park on a windy afternoon.
- Complication: a loud bang startles Biscuit, who slips the lead and bolts.
- Rising action: Ari searches the park, the creek path and the streets as the light fades, imagining telling his neighbour.
- Climax: he hears a whimper from under a parked trailer and must coax Biscuit out.
- Resolution: Ari returns Biscuit, admits what happened, and his neighbour thanks him for his honesty and persistence.
Answer: A clear, focused plan with one character, a small setting, one problem and an ending that grows from the complication.
Turning telling into showing
Rewrite to show rather than tell: 'Ari was terrified when Biscuit ran away.'
- Choose physical reactions: a racing heart, frozen feet.
- Add action: he shouts, runs.
- Add a sensory detail: the empty lead in his hand.
Answer: 'The lead hung empty from Ari's fist. For a second his feet would not move. Then he was running, shouting Biscuit's name until his throat burned.'
Punctuating dialogue
Correct the punctuation and layout: where have you been gasped Mrs Patel I've been looking everywhere said Ari
- Put each speaker's words in quotation marks.
- Mrs Patel's words are a question, so a question mark goes inside the closing mark.
- Start a new line when Ari speaks, and use a comma before 'said Ari'.
Answer: "Where have you been?" gasped Mrs Patel. (new line) "I've been looking everywhere," said Ari.
Practice check
Have a go, then check your answers. Each answer comes with an explanation.
Answer guide for parents
What is the opening stage of a narrative, which introduces the character, setting and situation, called? (one word)
orientation — The orientation sets up who, where and when.
In a story, Sasha is enjoying a camping trip until she realises she has wandered off the trail and her phone is dead. Which stage is this moment?
Complication — Being lost is the problem that disrupts Sasha's situation – the complication.
Which sentence shows anger rather than telling it?
Marcus slammed his bag onto the bench and stared at the scoreboard, jaw clenched. — Actions and physical details let the reader infer the emotion.
Which line of dialogue is punctuated correctly?
"I'm not going," said Leo. — A comma goes inside the closing quotation mark before the speech tag.
Which stage of a narrative shows how the problem is solved or settled? (one word)
resolution — The resolution ties up the complication.
What is the best advice for planning a short story?
Focus on one main character, a limited setting and one central problem. — Short stories have limited space, so focus makes them stronger.
When should you start a new line in dialogue?
Whenever a different character starts speaking — A new line for each new speaker helps readers follow the conversation.
Why is 'and then I woke up – it was all a dream' usually a weak ending?
Because it cancels the events and the reader's investment instead of resolving the complication — A strong resolution grows out of the complication rather than erasing it.
Watch out for
- Spending half the story on the orientation. In a short story, the complication should arrive quickly.
- Thinking 'show, don't tell' means never telling. Some telling is fine for quick transitions; save showing for important moments.
- Writing dialogue as one long paragraph. Each new speaker needs a new line.
Tips for parents
- Use a five-box planning grid before your learner writes, and check that the complication is clear before they start.
- Play 'show me': you say an emotion and your learner describes what a person feeling it would do, without naming the emotion.
- Read a short story aloud together and identify where each stage begins.
Go further
- Write a 500-word short story using the five-stage structure, including at least one exchange of dialogue.
- Write the same scene twice – once mostly telling and once mostly showing – and ask a family member which they prefer.
- Write a 50-word micro-story that still has a complication and a resolution.
About 55 minutes
You'll need
- Exercise book
- A planning grid (five boxes: orientation, complication, rising action, climax, resolution)
- A short story collection from home
Key words
- Orientation
- The opening of a narrative that introduces the main character, setting and situation.
- Complication
- The problem or conflict that disrupts the character's situation and drives the story.
- Climax
- The most intense, turning-point moment of the story.
- Resolution
- How the problem is solved or settled at the end of the story.
- Show, don't tell
- Revealing feelings and character through actions, dialogue and detail rather than stating them directly.
- Dialogue
- The words characters speak, written inside quotation marks.
Still tricky?
For parents
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