What Makes a Good Short Story free essay sample

Short story writers see by the light of the flash; theirs is the art of the only thing we can be sure of – the present moment. ’ This is a quote from short story writer Nadine Gordimer; referring to how the art of short story writing is to get straight to the point and write everything as it is. This is an art and those who cannot perfect it should admire it instead. Edgar Allan Poe – ‘In the whole composition there should be no word written of which the tendency, direct or indirect, is not to the pre-established design; and by such means, with such skill and care, a picture is at length painted which leaves in the mind of him who contemplates it†¦ a sense of the fullest satisfaction. ’ Edgar Allan Poe is saying that no time should be wasted at the start of the short story and that the reader should be taken directly into the action, wasting no time in describing the layout, but leaving that to be unrevealed later on in the story. We will write a custom essay sample on What Makes a Good Short Story or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A short story doesn’t necessarily have to be a short read. A short story is a snippet of a person’s life that goes into great depth of detail and grasps the reader’s attention and imagination from the very first word. A great example of earning the reader’s attention in the first sentence come from R. K. Narayan’s ‘A Hero’, where the first sentence is ‘For Swami events took an unexpected turn. ’ Because of this you know there is going to be a twist in the story, but you don’t know when and this sets up the whole story as throughout it the reader is thinking about what is going to happen next and they can’t be sure how the story is going to end. This is a great way to keep the reader interested throughout the story and makes a change to those predictable stories, where you can guess the ending before you’re even in the last paragraph. Unlike a novel writer the writer of a short has the freedom to take time to describe and create a clear picture of the scene he’s trying to set. This therefore means that the use of adjectives and colours are essential tools for the writer, helping to describe each and every smallest detail of the scene creating a world, in which the reader can join in and see with their imagination. When reading ‘A Hero’ we can just picture the second sentence where ‘Father looked over the newspaper he was reading under the hall lamp’. This is because of the description of where he was and father like most fathers is sitting there with his arms outspread reading the newspaper, and most people would be able to relate this to a member of their family or someone they know, making this sentence easier to picture. This sentence also suggests to the reader that the father is quite overbearing, checking up on his son, even when reading the newspaper. This is easily relatable to the reader as most people have an overbearing sibling or parent in their life, and can therefore picture the character and scene with little effort. The nature in which the story is written can have a great effect on setting the mood for the story. The short story itself should bring out all the emotions of the reader, using humour and other techniques. The emotions should be changed quickly from one to another, thus giving a short story its gripping effect. R. K. Narayan perfectly uses the reader’s emotions and changes them in an instant, from scared and sad to happy using humour. He does this in lines 102 to 106 in ‘A Hero’, with the text ‘He realised that the devil would presently pull him out and tear him, and so why should he wait? As it came nearer he crawled out from under the bench, hugged it with all his might, and used his teeth on it like a mortal weapon†¦ ‘Aiyo! Something has bitten me. ’’ This is describing the moment when Swami was scared for his life as he thought the devil had come into where he was sleeping, to kill him, but it was actually a burglar. With the burglar screaming ‘Aiyo! ’ it brings a smile to the reader’s face when at first it showed concern. This is an example of changing the reader’s emotions in a matter of a few seconds and it has a positive effect on the feelings towards the story. The story has to have a fast pace to it, meaning that there are no slow starts or moments of the book where the reader can put it down. This means that there should be something humourous, exciting or out of the ordinary that will keep the reader gripping the book and hoping that the story will never end. R. K. Narayan uses irony cleverly in his short story to keep up the fast pace and to keep the reader smiling. The best example of irony R. K. Narayan uses is the actual title of his short story, ‘A Hero’. This is due to the fact that throughout the story there are two examples of boys who are not heroes, but are quite hilariously the opposite: cowards. At the start of the story Swami’s father reads to him an article from his newspaper, reading ‘News is to hand of the bravery of a village lad who, while returning home by the jungle path, came face to face with a tiger’ and then the article goes on to describe the fight the boy endured with the tiger and his flight up a tree, where he stayed for half a day till some people came that way and killed the tiger. This boy was by no means a hero, but a coward who just survived his encounter with a tiger by climbing up a tree and with luck some people came along, who managed to kill the tiger. The second example of his not-so-much ‘a hero’ was Swami himself, where in the extract used earlier he was forced by his father to sleep in his office, away from Swami’s grandmother. Whilst being petrified in his father’s office a figure came into the room, who Swami was convinced was the devil, coming to kill him. As it came nearer he crawled out from under the bench, hugged it with all his might, and used his teeth on it like a mortal weapon†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This figure cried out in his hysterical screech of ‘Aiyo! ’ and was then caught by Swami’s father, cook and servant who dived on the intruder. ‘Congratulations were showered on Swami next day. His classmates looked at him with respect, and his teacher patted his back. ’ He was treated as such ‘a hero’ as the intruder he had bitten into the flesh of was ‘one of the most notorious house-breakers of the district’. This is ironic, because although it is true that he had helped to catch ‘one of the most notorious house-breakers of the district’, he had acted out of fright rather than out of heroism. This effective title which uses irony is very clever and is very good in giving the reader positive feelings towards the short story. The characters in the short story are an essential key to its success and the message or story that the writer is trying to get across. The reader wants to know everything about these characters; their characteristics, what hey look like, what they’re like as a person and how they can change the story in some way thus helping to keep the writer’s options open. Although the characters need to be interesting and keep the reader hooked by their imagination they have to also be realistic and in some ways relatable to the reader. This will help the reader to picture the character and hopefully they can relate them to a real life person they know, thus giving them someone to compare the character to and maybe picture them as. A character is usually shown through the dialogue and in the way the character behaves and what he does. An example of one of R. K. Narayan’s great characterizations is of the Grandmother of Swami. R. K. Narayan characterizes the Granny very well in ‘A Hero’. He does this by making her easily relatable to the reader, as he does with most if not all characters. He portrays the granny as the grandmother who loves her grandson very much and loves to treat him, but is also unintentionally embarrassing and occasionally annoying. He gives the reader a picture of what the granny is like in some of his sentences from lines 39 to 52; ‘Granny was sitting up in her bed, and remarked, ‘Boy, are you already feeling sleepy? Don’t you want a story? ’’, and this shows that she is very caring for him, like most grandmothers are. Another passage which helps us to picture her is ‘Swami threw himself on his bed and pulled the blanket over his face. Granny said, ‘Don’t cover your face. Are you really very sleepy? ’ Swami leant over and whispered, ‘Please, please, shut up, granny. Don’t talk to me, and don’t let anyone call me even if the house is on fire. ’ This shows how the granny’s persistence is annoying Swami as he doesn’t want to speak to her and this is relatable to the reader, as there have been times in everyone’s lives when they just don’t want to talk to anyone and there is always that person who keep s trying to talk to you. The book should always keep the reader’s mind at work, never letting them have time to think about anything but the setting, the scene, the characters and what they think is going to happen next and this brings it perfectly on to the most important part of short story writing. Don’t let the reader know what is going to happen next. Make them expect the unexpected. Keep them hooked at every word and every sentence from the very first word to the very final letter, because that is the key to a successful short story. To do this there must be a twist, something totally unexpected that the reader wouldn’t have ever guessed would happen. The twist could be humourous, there could be a moment of suspense building up to it, it could have been sad, but whatever the twist is the reader must not know how the story is going to end. The placement of the twist is absolutely vital to the story. There may be more than one twist during the course of the story, but your final or only twist should come in the dying pages or paragraphs of your gripping and well constructed short story, which uses so many techniques to keep the reader indulged until they realise that they’ve lost track of time and are late for a meeting or to take the dinner out of the oven. That is what I believe makes a good short story. In ‘A Hero’ the twist, in the story, is also very humourous as well as being unexpected. The night after Swami’s ‘heroic’ act of biting the notorious intruder the reader, as well as Swami’s father believes that Swami will become a grown up boy and will from then on sleep by himself and no longer with his grandmother, but the is what the conversation between his mother and father reads: ‘Where is the boy? ’ ‘He is asleep. ’ ‘Already! ’ ‘He didn’t have a wink of sleep the whole of last night,’ said his mother. Where is he sleeping? ’ ‘In his usual place. ’ By his grandmother’s side we can only assume and this is the humourous twist to the story, and it is not the most hilarious bit of writing known to man but it’s enough to amuse the reader and a great way to finish off the story, leaving the reader with a positive mood. R. K. Narayan as well as being a v ery powerful writer, bringing out all the emotions of the reader, has the ability to write from Swami’s voice, making the story very believable and very realistic. He really captures the reader’s imagination and he makes it as if Swami has written it himself. R. K. Narayan also uses the technique of placing a story within a story, which is very clever and quite hard to do, to make it fit in with the storyline. He does this at the start of the whole short story, where the father talks to Swami about the article he read in the newspaper, about the boy who survived coming face to face with a tiger. This technique also brings the reader further into the story, making their imagination wander and work almost twice as hard to picture it. It is a very powerful way of engaging the reader into the short story. R. K. Narayan really perfects the art of short story writing. His precision and detail whilst writing are what every writer dreams of mastering. ‘A Hero’ is semi-autobiographical, as the main character Swami, a 10 year old, cricket loving boy, who finds comfort sleeping by his grandmother’s side, is based on the child R. K. Narayan was when he was 10 years old. His success I believe comes from him writing about his own experiences. This helps him to picture the scene he is setting and describe it to every single tiny detail. A short story of his which I have studied is ‘A Hero’, a part of his series of books ‘Malgudi Days’. This is a series that he has written from his own experience about the life in India, changing the names of certain locations and people. In his short story ‘A Hero’ R. K. Narayan is very successful in portraying his main character of Swami. He is successful in portraying Swami as he writes from something he knows very well and that is himself. Writing from own experiences and things you know about well give you a great advantage in short story writing. R. K. Narayan is able to write about what Swami would say and how he would act so well, because it is infact based on himself when he was younger and this makes his portrayal of Swami so successful.

Complete Guide on How to Write a Top-Notch International Trade Research Paper

Complete Guide on How to Write a Top-Notch International Trade Research Paper Introduction: General Concepts of International Trade Research Paper The International Trade research paper is a type of academic writing that is based on the prolonged and well-developed research of the author. Since International Trade is a discipline that has become one of the leading topics of discussion in both domestic and global political arenas in the recent years, it provides a great number of captivating topics to be researched. For that reason, it is possible for you to conduct research on one of the issues related to International Trade and make its thorough analysis. In addition, you are expected to present a personal evaluation of the chosen issue, make its comprehensive analysis, and discuss all the final findings. It is important for you to remember that International Trade is one of the most significant elements for the economy of many world countries. A considerable number of the studies related to this subject prove the fact that trade relations between different states have been a decisive economic factor for the large empires, various countries, and even small settlements for many centuries. Nowadays, it is crucial for the world states as the modern international economic relations are interested in developing their trade routes more than ever. Another important feature is that International Trade can force the development of international relations, provide interdependence between the countries, and force the development of both national and international economies. Thus, it is possible for you to write your International Trade research paper as the ordinary research of the particular topic or present it as a literary work with a purpose of creating a significant ground for the other wor ks in the future, would it be a thesis or a dissertation paper. The paper can also discuss relations between international trade and technological progress, its significant influence on transportation costs and communication services, related policies, the flow of goods, and various political and economic barriers. Each of these topics provides a great field for research. That is why, it is crucial for you to practice your research and writing skills, and consider easy and useful tips on how to create the well-developed and interesting International Trade research paper. Guiding You through the Process of Selecting a Research Topic Before starting the research paper, it is necessary to choose a topic. Choosing a topic may be considered the most important step as it sets the tone for the whole paper. For that reason, you should choose a captivating issue to discover that would allow you to conduct the effective research, find out new information, and evaluate it thoroughly. The topic may represent one particular area or discuss several small issues. Because International Trade represents a significant section of economic globalization, it provides a great number of topics to choose from. Thus, the controversies between interest groups and various groups of activists present an excellent discussion topic about trade policies, their advantages, disadvantages, and general influence on the global society and environment. Next, many companies that are export-oriented and obtaining significant profit. However, this approach puts pressure upon various international and local liberalization agreements that are in turn a nother topic that worth discussion. In addition, it is a well-known fact that domestically oriented companies do not support the development of the liberalization of trade and increase the influence of the WTO, and numerous regional trade contracts. This issue also presents a great topic to examine and evaluate as it has a straightforward influence on the development of international and local economies. It is important to remember that the primary goal of the International Trade research paper is to introduce a considerable and valuable theoretical discussion related to international trade, to provide numerous pieces of evidence, to mention recent events, decisions, and implementations, and to make a personal conclusion or to suggest new approaches to the chosen issue. While choosing the topic, pay attention to the themes that you are interested in as it would be much easier for you to conduct research and work on the paper. Besides, if you are interested in the topic, you are highly motivated to bring personal efforts and enthusiasm to discover the related information and think of your own conclusions. Despite the variety of the topics, it may appear to be quite difficult to choose a proper one. Thus, to make the right decision, focus your thoughts on one of International Trade issues and gradually develop it into the large and well-written paper. Don’t forget that the chosen topic should be manageable. Otherwise, it would be quite difficult for you to find valuable information and evaluate it properly. Here are some useful tips to make the process of choosing the topic for your International Trade research paper much easier: Look through the notes you made during the course and remember the subjects discussed in the books you were recommended to read. It is a great way for you to think of an interesting topic; Brainstorm the themes by remembering all the significant and captivating issues you have dealt with during the course. Thus, you will remember an interesting and suitable theme you want to discover; Think of the keywords of the topic and make a list of all the words you can remember. This approach allows you to discover a number of related themes, issues, and definitions, and develop a good topic; Research the answer to the research question and develop your topic from the obtained information; The thesis statement is another way to choose a topic. Usually, it already includes the answer to the research question and explains the object of your International Trade research paper. That is why it can be used as a topic as well. Finally, it is possible to develop one of the following topics: International Taxations and Their Impact on the International Trade; Impact of the Globalization Trends on the Tax Design; The Similarities and Differences Between Management Practices Across Companies in Different Countries; Comparative Analysis of the American and Chinese Trade Systems; Comparative Analysis of Wages and Employment in the United States of America and China; International Migrants and Their Selection by Global Companies; Analysis of Advantages and Disadvantages of the American Wage Structure. The Pre-Writing Process: Stages Activities Our Writers Use The Research Stage of Writing The next step after choosing a topic is to search for the related information, evaluate it properly, and make some conclusions. You may start by checking the available resources on the Internet. They include different databases, a lot of background information provided by reliable sources, and professional opinions of different well-known and respected specialists. In order to write the well-constructed International Trade research paper, discover all the possible information about the countries you are about to examine. Take into account the economic situation in the countries, their political stability, different social and cultural issues, and the most significant controversies to be solved in the nearest future. It is important to remember that economic background is one of the most important features for the field of International Trade. For that reason, discover GDP of the chosen countries, their financial debt, and purchasing capacity of the average resident. You should also surf the net searching for a number of peer-reviewed articles that are traditionally published in specialized journals. What is more, there are many credible journals, official reports, and other online sources where you can obtain background information. You can go to the local library and find books that include detailed information about International Trade, its major issues, and implemented decisions. Using the book as a source, pay attention to the year of publication as information published many years ago is usually irrelevant. Instead, use the sources published recently, and be sure that all the data you use has been collected recently. Finally, bookmark the most interesting and valuable materials while searching for information in the library and on the Internet to save them. Put down the titles of the books and articles, their authors, and dates of publication as they are required for a reference list. Creating a Thesis Statement A thesis statement is the core element of the paper as it presents the main purpose of the academic work, explains its primary arguments and gives the comprehensive answer to the research question. For that reason, the arguments in your paper should be grounded on the peer-reviewed sources that include relevant data. According to the traditional structure of the research paper, the thesis statement should include one well-developed sentence that transmits the message of the whole paper. An excellent example of a thesis statement for the International Trade research paper is the following: â€Å"Because separate companies usually depend on each other and rely on the facilities of each other, either a manufacturer of different products or a customer for their particular production, a developing financial stocks tend to affect separate firms and obtain control over the productive chains.† Making an Outline that Makes Sense The International Trade research paper usually includes: a title page that corresponds to the required format of the paper; an abstract (optional); an introduction part; three or more well-developed body paragraphs; the research materials and methods; the final results; the conclusion; the reference page. In addition, the paper may include additional information that cannot be added to the mentioned sections. Thus, all the tables, photos, pictures, and appendices should be added at the end of the work and followed by short explanations, if necessary. If it is quite challenging for you to write a paper from scratch, create an outline that would help you to organize your ideas and present them in an understandable and logical order. According to the general outline, your introduction part should include a thesis statement, explain the purpose of the paper, and mention discovered results. In addition, the body paragraphs should evaluate the mentioned arguments, and a conclusion should restate the thesis and present the final results. Title/Thesis Statement/Body Paragraphs It is important to remember that your International Trade research paper should have a clear title that is not overwhelmed with many words and a comprehensive introduction that includes a thesis statement and provides interesting information that grasps the attention of the audience. Next, it should include three or more body paragraphs that provide the arguments of the author and are supported by facts and pieces of evidence. Connect the paragraphs with transitional words to make it complete and stylistically appropriate. In the concluding section of the paper, you should mention all the sufficient claims and convince the readers of their validity. Post-Writing Stage: Round up the Paper with Something Powerful When the paper is accomplished, it is necessary to check it for misspellings. In addition, it should not contain irrelevant words, citations and wordy sentences. Every paragraph of your paper should present a separate argument and lead the reader to a logical conclusion. What is more, all the arguments should be supported with facts and quotes that must be cited according to the required format. Read the paper once more. This time do it aloud and check it for content errors to ensure the quotes correspond to the general idea of the paragraph. Check the facts thoroughly since the wrong data can affect the final results of the paper and put all your efforts in vain. If the structure of the paper is appropriate and the text is formatted according to the demands, check the text for plagiarism and cite borrowed information. Following these easy and understandable international trade research paper writing tips will allow you to write the excellent International Trade research paper that will be marked with the highest grade. References International Trade Research Paper. (2018). Retrieved from https://research-paper.essayempire.com/examples/political science/international-trade-research-paper/ McDonald, B. (2017). Finance Development. Retrieved from imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/basics/trade.htm NBER Papers on International Trade and Investment. (2018). Retrieved from nber.org/papersbyprog/ITI.html Research Guides: ECON 508/580 International Trade: Topics. (2018). Retrieved from https://guides.emich.edu/econ508 Topics in International Trade. (2012). Retrieved from https://gps.ucsd.edu/_files/faculty/hanson/hanson_research_spring2012c.pdf