Reminder on your Birthday   It was September 15, around 19.30 when she got the call. His voice sounded muffled, like when you’ve been to the dentist’s and have a cotton swab plugging a recently extracted wisdom tooth. The 14 th , the day before, celebrated the Holy Cross – Elevation of the Holy Cross in Eastern Orthodoxy to be more precise – a day she was told you should ponder the large burden or burdens you must bear that existentially challenge you. She couldn’t rightly say she had bore excessively backbreaking burdens because she always compared her difficulties to the worst kind faced by the disadvantaged, physically or mentally challenged, those whose childhoods had left indelible scars. No, her mind deleted most things, but here was a day when she sensed she’d have to carry a cross or two for a change.   “I’m in hospital, but I’m ok.” Road accident that could’ve cost him his life, but for now, fractured pelvis and a few cracked ribs to liven things up, scra...

This is the third in our series of sample short story posts which could be part of classroom assignments or a B2-level English exam (e.g. First for Schools or the former FCE exam, ESB or LRN) which requires candidates to write a narrative of approximately 200 words.  Note that even at B1 level (for the Preliminary for Schools exam) such topics can be very effective. Remember to pay attention to the various elements a short story should have as you read it: dialogue, use of adjectives and adverbs to create atmosphere, use of the senses, organization of paragraphs, conflicts that heighten the action, narrator, and the like.  For further information, read my post Writing Stories: Where to Start . It should help you tackle a story from the ground up and make you aware of the

This is the second in our series of short story posts which could be part of a classroom assignment or a B2-level English exam (e.g. First for Schools or the former FCE exam, ESB or LRN) which requires candidates to write a narrative of approximately 200 words.  Remember to note the various elements a short story should have as you read it: dialogue, use of adjectives and adverbs to create atmosphere, use of the senses, organization of paragraphs, conflicts that heighten the action, narrator, and the like.  For further information, read my post Writing Stories: Where to Start . It should help you tackle a story from the ground up and make you aware of the different things that should be included so that the story is worth reading. The assignment or rubric is the following: 

  This is a sample short story based on a typical B2-level English exam (e.g. First for Schools or the former FCE exam, ESB or LRN) which requires candidates to write a narrative of approximately 200 words.    It is, naturally, appropriate for creative writing assignments as well -- especially early October, with Halloween right round the corner -- that should give students and teachers alike the opportunity to get ideas. Ideally, it should be used to show students and ESL / EFL exam candidates what is expected of them when they encounter this type of question, even though it is rather lengthier than required.    As you read, note the various elements a short story should have: dialogue, use of adjectives and adverbs to create atmosphere, use of the senses, organization of paragraphs, conflicts that heighten the action, narrator, and the like.    For further information, read my post Writing Stories: Where to Start . It should help you tackle a story f...

Writing stories for fun, for school or for English as a foreign language (EFL) exams.   Stories, or narratives, are a part of several English language examinations such as Cambridge's First for Schools (formerly known as the First Certificate in English or FCE for short), the Learning Resource Network's LRN and the English Speaking Board's ESB.  Apart from exams though, many students are asked to write a short story as a school assignment and find themselves in a bind.  Add to this crowd those who enjoy writing or want to put pen to paper in the hopes of entering a competition or becoming the next book-to-film adaptation tycoons, but don't know where the launchpad is. Well, this post hopes to get the creative juices flowing.