how to plan & write short stories

[clearsky]

Hello, I'm helping ds to practice creative writing for Birmingham Kes test in Jan 2015, he is very creative and comes up with some great original ideas, however he makes all his compositions very complex and as long as 6 paragraphs instead of 3 or 4. It takes him over 1 hour or more to write them, the longer he takes the better the writing, but I need to help him to come up with ideas that is shorter so that he can complete them in 30 mins. Anyone have any ideas how to make stories shorter, ds allways struggle with the middle part of the story where he puts too much action and writes about 3-4 paragraphs.He says he likes writing long stories and not keen on coming up with shorter ideas, I know the timing will not be a issue and quality of his writing will go up if only I can get him to plan and come up with shorter stories.

[Joamit]

I used Tutor master - writing short stories Book 1 and 2.It really helps boys to organise themselves for writing.Boys just jump from one end to other quickly.their writing will be complex, confusing and sometimes meaningless but a tint of humour.After using these books, he knows what is expected out of him!
Hope it helps you too.

[MedievalBabe]

One of the English teachers I work with suggests using a joke and then expanding it into a story. If the right joke is chosen it can work quite well as I have seen some brilliant stories written from a joke.

[fatbananas]

One of the English teachers I work with suggests using a joke and then expanding it into a story. If the right joke is chosen it can work quite well as I have seen some brilliant stories written from a joke.

That sounds interesting. Can you give an eg of the right sort of joke?

[MedievalBabe]

I was trying to remember one of the better ones converted, it was about a couple who went on a sudden holiday for their anniversary and an email, the story written was brilliant as the twist at the end was amazing and the description used to expand the joke also helped make the story, but I couldn't remember it all.

I have had a look to see if I could show you the type of jokes and this is an example which could easily be improved;
Three men who were lost in the forest were captured by cannibals. The cannibal king told the prisoners that they could live if they pass a trial. The first step of the trial was to go to the forest and get ten pieces of the same kind of fruit. So all three men went separate ways to gather fruits.
The first one came back and said to the king, "I brought ten apples."
The king then explained the trial to him. "You have to eat the fruits whole without any expression on your face or you'll be eaten." The first apple went in... but on the second one he winced out in pain, so he was killed.
The second one arrived and showed the king ten berries. When the king explained the trial to him he thought to himself that this should be easy. 1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8... and on the ninth berry he burst out in laughter and was killed.
The first guy and the second guy met in heaven. The first one asked, "Why did you laugh, you almost got away with it?"
The second one replied, "I couldn't help it, I saw the third guy coming with pineapples."

Imagine it with description added, how they were captured, why they chose their fruit etc and you have a short story with a twist.

[fatbananas]

Thanks! That's brilliant, isn't it. What a great teacher!