Essay Writing: Story Writing

A story is a description of events and people that a writer or speaker has invented in order to advocate or entertain. Examples include love story, detective story, adventure, science fiction story e.t.c.

 

There are two types of story writing  that are tested by WAEC and NECO:

1. A story that is meant to illustrate a particular saying e.g. Write a story to illustrate the saying: As one makes one’s bed, so one must lie on it. WASSCE June 2006.

 

2. A story which must be ended with a particular expression e.g. Tell a story the ends with the advice “Cut your coat according to your cloth” WASSCE June 1988

 

Basic Features

1. A story must have a heading, which should be written in capital letters. The given expression in the question should not be used as heading.

 

2. A story must have an introductory paragraph, which serves as the beginning of the story.

 

3. The body of the story should contain at least three well developed paragraphs which should show the complication (i.e. how events got to their highest height of intensity)
4. The concluding paragraph serves as the resolution or dénouement. In this paragraph, one ends the story by resolving all complicated issues that were raised in the preceding paragraphs

Sample question: Write a story which illustrates the saying:  The early bird catches the worm.

Paragraph 1         –           Introduction.  The protagonist, his, birth, background,

community assignment.

Paragraph 2         –           His religious life.

Paragraph 3         –           He, as usual, though mocked, is the first to get to the library

after a new set of books were delivered to the library by UNESCO.  He borrowed the most relevant ones.

Paragraph 4         –           When project topics were assigned, the books made his work easy.

Paragraph 5         –           He was awarded a first class in computer science and being

faithful to hand in his academic gown, he was given the address of a telecommunications company who came for recruitment.

Paragraph 6         –           Conclusion – Today, he is the MD of Bright Telecom Company.

 

EVALUATION

Read p.87 main text. (Effective English)

 

See also

Speech Work: Stress Placement on Two or More Syllable Words

Grammar: Rules of Concord

The Use of the Dictionary

Structure: Prepositional Phrase

Writing: Article Writing