how to write short story in english class 10

Class 10 Short Story Writing​

Class 10 short story writing page 1.

Some solved examples of Short Story Writing for Class 10  CBSE Board   are given here-

1. Seema decided to write a story for her school magazine, but after some time, she could not complete the story as she had to go out for some urgent work. Complete the story on the basis of the beginning given below, in about 150­-200 words. “ An old man had two daughters. He loved both of them. Once, he asked them …”

Salt and sugar.

An old man had two daughters. He loved both of them. Once, he asked them, “what is the sweetest thing in the world?”

“sugar,” said the older girl. “salt, “said the younger girl.

The old man thought the younger daughter was mocking him. He said, “if salt is sweeter than sugar, you had better find another home where the cooking is more to your taste”. And he pushed her out of the house. 

It was a beautiful summer night. The pretty maiden sat singing in the forest near her father’s cottage when a young prince, who had lost his way hunting, came to her. Struck by her beauty and gaiety, he fell in love with her and took her to his palace and married her.

The bride invited her father to the wedding banquet without telling him who she was. All the dishes were prepared without salt. The guests began to murmur.

“Oh”, said the bride’s father, “salt is truly the sweetest thing in the world. But when my daughter said so, I threw her out of the house. If only I could see her again and tell her how sorry I was!”

Drawing the veil from her face, the happy girl went to him and hugged him. Then, the properly salted dishes were brought in and all the guests ate their fill.

2. Knowledge is power. Based on the following visual, along with your ideas, develop a story based on the theme of helping children from economically weaker sections of society (EWS) and below poverty line (BPL), in about 100-150 words. (10 marks)

The khusboo in my life.

For the past few days. I had been observing a thin, frail girl coming and sitting on the bench and looking continuously for hours together at the passers-by without playing or talking to anyone. From her appearance, I concluded that she was from the economically weaker section of society. That day, I could not control myself and went to talk to the sweet girl. After talking to her, I found that her father had died in a crash during a street violence and that her mother had gone out to work. Her name was Khushboo. When I talked to her, she replied with ‘jee’ every time which showed that she was a cultured girl. I pointed towards a house and told her that I stayed there and asked her if she wanted to come along with me. The girl thought for a while and then held my finger. I was elated. I offered her something to eat which she ate after washing her hands. All my family members were impressed with that sweet girl. I showed her some storybooks with illustrations that she looked at very carefully. I asked her if she went to school. She told that her mother could not send her to school as they were very poor. Tears filled her large innocent eyes. So, I decided to teach her.

As soon as I reached home from my college, she would run to me. This became a routine. I was glad to find that she was a book-lover. For hours together, she would turn pages of storybooks and enquire in detail about what was being spoken by the characters. Her desire to learn led me to wonder if I could ever teach her. And one day, I held her tender fingers to teach her to write. Since that day, there has been no looking back. We both share a wonderful relation with each other. My mother says that she looks like my sister. And I have pledged to educate khushboo.

Short Story Writing Class 10

3. Write a story, in about 150-200 words. Use the clues provided to begin the story. Provide a suitable title. Aman – sixteen years old – returns after school – next door building – thick smoke from window – old couple lives there – a man must take immediate action

Aman saves the old couple.

Aman said bye to his friends Nikhil and Nysa, and got down from the bus. It had been a hectic day. Exam were round the corner and his teachers had started taking regular tests. On Monday was the dreaded subject, mathematics. Aman knew he had to work hard to get good marks. His parents were working hard, 

so that he could secure admission in a good school. He reached home and opened the door with his key. He was just about to drink water when he noticed thick smoke billowing from the window of the adjacent building. Mr and Mrs sikand lived there. They were old. Aman often visited them. They also located him and had gifted him a bat on his sixteenth birthday. Aman ran to the building and alerted the watchman. Both of them rushed upstairs and knocked on the door.

 After repeated knocks, when there was no response, they broke it open along with the other neighbors, who had gathered there by then. They found Mr and Mrs sikand on the floor. Aman found the source of the smoke –a short circuit. He informed his parents and took the old couple along with another neighbor to the hospital.

 The doctor examined them and said that they were fine and would be discharged soon. Aman went to meet them. He told them what had happened and asked them to be careful in the future. The islands thanked Aman and promised to be careful in the future.

4. Write a short story, in about 150-200 words, on the basis of the hints provided. (10 marks) Branches of huge banyan tree-parents-starvation-problems-trend setters

Never say die.

The sun shone through the branches of the huge banyan tree in the front yard of the Yadav household, ushering in another wonderful day. Time had not been very kind to manic and Hariyali. They were only in their teens when they lost their parents to starvation. The village headman Shastri Ji said, “what will happen to these orphans? How will they live? God knows!!”

The listeners sighed in response. No one cares to offer any help. Manik, the elder child was fighter. He refused to fall prey to any problems. Along with 10-year-old hariyali, he began cultivating vegetables in the backyard of their small house. “where there is a will there is a way”.

 The Yadav siblings, blessed with green fingers, gradually began to taste the fruits of success. They moved into a bigger house that had a huge terrace. They revolutionized the process of vegetable and fruit farming, developed simple indigenous farming machinery, set up vermicompost pits, propagated using discarded plastic to grow plants, and extended support to anyone who sought their experience and expertise. They became trendsetters.

 A few years later, they were in for a huge surprise. The village headman came visiting along with some local elders. “come here, dear children”, he said. With folded hands, Manik and Hariyali stood at a distance. “No no, not so far away. Come close to me.” He said loudly, “these two Yadav children have made our village famous”. Everyone was surprised. “They have been selected by the municipality as green warriors,” said the headman. They continued their efforts and gradually began crossing the seas.

5. Write a short story on the basis of the hints provided, in about 150-200 words. (10 marks) Loved reading about life on other planets-one day-walking in the school, suddenly heard a noise-strange man, no creature-an alien saying something-then more come-abducted me. Begin the story with:

I loved reading about life on other planets………, an encounter with an alien.

I loved reading about life on other planets. Well, that is what I loved to do, of course, the only other thing was watching movies like ET, Alien, men in black, etc. the commonality being the aliens. My friends and parents laughed at me and said that I was moving away from the real world. I was also told that I might end up looking like an alien if I do not pay attention to other things in life. But my love for aliens was beyond all this. Whatever anyone said, I loved anything and everything about them. One day, I was walking in the school all alone thinking about the new alien fiction that someone had told me about I wanted to check if our librarian had ordered it. How I would have loved to lay my hands on it! Suddenly, I heard a strange whirring noise. I turned around and saw some strange creatures. It was in fact as one of those alien creatures that I had seen in the movies—-big eyes, green in color, two pairs of heads and arms with multiple tentacles on their heads. Thinking it to be a figment of my imagination, I pinched myself hard, only to realize that they were in fact there. One of the aliens said something to the other. Some more aliens joined him. They abducted me and took me to their planet. When I came about I could see people in white coats standing all around me with needles and various other instruments in their hands. scared I tried to push away their hands. Suddenly, I heard one of them speaking in English. The voice seemed to be quite like that of someone whom I knew. The person was asking me to be given an injection. I tried to resist but couldn’t and slept off. The next day, when I woke up, I was in my bed with my parents near me. It seems I had a high fever and had fainted in school. Now the truth, what was the truth, was that really the case? Did I just imagine because of my sickness or did all that happen? Only God knows!

6. Write a story, in about 150-200 words, based on the input given below. The parent-teacher meeting was scheduled for tomorrow – scared of informing them – had been scolded for missing school – no way out – cooked a story……

Forgiveness: a great virtue.

It was late at night. Rahul was wondering what to tell his parents. The parent-teacher meeting was scheduled for tomorrow. But he was scared of informing them. He had forgotten to finish his homework and therefore, bunked the school. He had played in the park the whole time and returned home only in the evening. He had been scolded for missing school. There was no way out. His father was very strict and his mother would also get angry if she come to know. His teacher was sure to inform his parents. He decided to cook up a story. By night he thought of a story, mustered up courage, and after dinner, went to his parent’s bedroom. He knocked on the door lightly. His parents asked him to come inside. He went inside, opened his mouth to speak, but then no words came out. He decided to try once again but the same thing happened. Finally, he tried time, but failed again. Tears started rolling down his eyes. Concerned, his mother rushed to him and asked him why he was crying. Slowly, Rahul told his parents the full incident. His parents were angry at first, but then when they saw that Rahul was feeling really guilty and was apologetic, they pardoned him. Rahul promised to be regular in going to school and in doing his homework every day. Since that day, Rahul’s grades began improving, everyone was amazed, but no one knew the real reason.

7. Write a story, in about 150-200 words, based on the input given below. They started a trek to the peak of the mountain-supposed to be a very hard journey-a five-day long trek-when they started…..

An adventurous trip.

They started a trek to the peak of the mountain. It was supposed to be a very hard journey, but all my friends were enthusiastic about it. They had prepared well and now wanted to enjoy. They had a very hectic semester and wanted to have a blast before the next semester began. It was a five-day long trek and they had informed their parents about their plans. They promised to call their parents before starting the trek. But then when they reached, they forgot all about about it. Next day, when they started the climb, they heard people calling their names. Taking it to be the enthusiasm of the people, they did not pay any attention and moved on. Suddenly, it started snowing. They were in a predicament and realized that the people might have been warning them. Somehow, they reached the first camp and decided to take a break there. They also got to know how some parents had come looking for their kids. Though they made fun of the idea that time, it was only later that they realized it was none other their parents. Their parents scolded them and told them how worried they were after hearing about the impending heavy snowfall and the lack of communication on their part. The boys apologized and promised to be more careful in future.

8. Write a story, in about 150-200 words, based on the input given below. She finally had it – the key to the treasure – the map – she trembled – excitement – anticipation

The treasure hunt.

It had been a long way up. Radhika was tired, but she did not want to give up. She was determined to win the competition. After all, she had prepared very long for it. Moreover, she could not lose to Ravi.  He was always after her and wanted to prove that girls could not do anything right. Radhika was determined to prove him wrong. After a few more steps, she checked the route map, given by the organizers. She was near the location. Now, she started looking carefully for the markers. Finally, she found it, the key to the treasure, the final map. Trembling with excitement and anticipation, she slowly opened it, only to find a blank page. She threw it away in anger. A minute later, she realized her folly. The organizers would have put the information secretly. They would not make it so easy. She ran to get it before anyone else found it. She finally found it and bought it back to the large tree. She slowly opened it again and tried to look at it closely. Suddenly, she saw some letters. She held the sheet to the sun and looked closely again. There it was—-the secret code for reaching the treasure point. She checked her compass, she was moving in the right direction. Trying to keep her cool, she made some calculation using the information in the map. She was just 500 meters away from the place. She ran and started digging at the specified spot. She pushed the mud hard with a stick. Suddenly, there was a sound. Slowly she peeped in. it was a small tin. Taking it out, she checked it. There lay the final treasure—a cheque for Rs. 10,000. She could not contain her joy and shouted loudly. She had finally won. 

9. write a story, in about 150—200 words, based in the input given below. Learning to swim—enjoy—not fully trained—pushed inside—started drowning….

Never give up.

The summer vacation had begun. I had finally got the opportunity to learn swimming. I know this wasn’t an age to learn such activities, but then being alone in this world now, I needed something to keep myself busy. All the children were settled and I had a lot of time to spare. At my age, it is necessary to keep oneself active, and to learn swimming had been my dream. And before I die, I wanted to fulfill all my long wished. So here I was with my instructor who had told me the starting steps and asked me to get into the pool and start kicking water as the first step. For some time, I did that. But knowing that I did not have a long time left (just like the others there), made me restless. I had taken some basic training earlier too, so when the instructor went to the office, I decided to test myself. I managed to swim. I came out and decided to take a break. Suddenly, one of the kids decided to play a trick on me. He pushed me into the water. Being not fully trained, I started gasping for breath. I started seeing stars, I was drowning. Suddenly, I felt two hands pulling me. I did not want to die and somehow, the hands pulled me. By the time I came out, I was tired. I saw the same boy and another boy near me. The instructor was also nearby. Everyone was trying to talk to me. I just said that I was fine. The instructor started shouting at the young boy who had pushed me. I felt bad for the boy who looked really repentant and on the verge of tears. I told sir how the boy had just accidentally pushed me and just left at that. That is how, my adventure with swimming ended, but that was only for that day. I am determined to swim again tomorrow. 

10. Complete the following story. Some inputs are given to help you start.

A merchant riding home from fair. always negative thinking …….. had earned lot of money money got wet …………… cursed god thanked god for rain realized whatever happens, happens alright. attacked saved life sudden rainfall got fired at but due to wet gun powder not hit by robbers.

There was a merchant called Salim. He was a money-minded person and usurer and always thought only about money and nothing else. Though he had a lot of money but he was never satisfied. He could be very often heard complaining about the lack of money with him. One day he went to the fair where he did brisk business and earned plenty of money. But instead of being grateful for the money earned he fretted over the fact that others made more money than him. It suddenly rained on the way home and all his money got wet unfortunately. He cursed God in his anger. Little did he know that his negative thinking had a bearing on his destiny. His plight for the day wasn’t over as he was attacked by the gang of robbers. The robbers demanded money from him but he refused to part with them. Livid with anger the leader of the robbers shot at him but the gunpowder being wet did not explode. Salim, relieved, thanked God for the rain. The robbers heard some voices approaching. They decided to let go of Salim. Salim learnt that day that whatever happens, it happens alright. He also pondered and said to himself, “Man is the architect of his own fate. But nobody can deny the outcome of his deed.” Henceforth, he never remain a poisonous person. Salim became a philanthropist.

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CBSE Class 10 English Story Writing Assignment

Read and download free pdf of CBSE Class 10 English Story Writing Assignment. Get printable school Assignments for Class 10 English . Class 10 students should practise questions and answers given here for Story Writing English in Class 10 which will help them to strengthen their understanding of all important topics. Students should also download free pdf of Printable Worksheets for Class 10 English prepared as per the latest books and syllabus issued by NCERT, CBSE, KVS and do problems daily to score better marks in tests and examinations

Assignment for Class 10 English Story Writing

Class 10 English students should refer to the following printable assignment in Pdf for Story Writing in Class 10. This test paper with questions and answers for Class 10 English will be very useful for exams and help you to score good marks

Story Writing Class 10 English Assignment

Story writing class 10 english.

Question. Write a story in 150-200 words based on the points given below : A poor lady at a traffic red light had a doctor’s prescription. She wanted ………….

Answer. A poor lady at a traffic red light had a doctor’s prescription. She wanted to cross the road and approach the chemist shop. She was crying. Though she was trying to control her tears, she couldn’t succeed. The traffic police inspector, who was on duty at that crossing was observing her. She had a prescription in her hand. It meant some near or dear one of her might be seriously ill. He couldn’t control himself. He went near the lady and addressed her, “Amma! What happened, where are you going ?” On hearing the words, full of affection and warmth, she couldn’t control herself. She started crying bitterly and embraced the inspector. She told him that she was a widow. She had a son who had met with an accident the previous day. Some people took him to the hospital and he was admitted there. Her son was suffering from serious injuries. His condition was critical. Doctor had asked her to submit the hospital fees and to bring some particular ‘life saving injection’. To pay the hospital expenses, she had sold her only gold bangle that she had got from her in-laws at the time of her marriage. Now she didn’t have enough money but she couldn’t afford to lose her only son. So she had come to purchase that injection. Without sufficient money how she could get that injection, but she had full faith in God. And lo! God came in the form of an inspector. He consoled her that she need not worry. He was there to help her. He took the prescription from her, bought that injection and accompanied her to the hospital. After the recovery of her son, she realized that God had blessed her with one more son.

Question. Complete the following story. Some inputs are given to help you start : Lion in the forest....Killing animals.....the animals gathered.....approach the lion with an offer.....turn of one of  the animals.....rabbit’s turn.....old rabbit wise and old.....strode along to the lion by sunset.....the lion was angry....  wise rabbit calm......told about other lion.

Answer. The Wise Rabbit Once there was a ferocious and greedy lion in the forest. He started killing animals in the forest indiscriminately. All the animals were worried. They gathered and decided to find out a solution. They approached the lion with the offer of one animal to be eaten by him every day. One day, it was the turn of a rabbit. The rabbit chose an old wise rabbit among them. He took a lot of time to reach the lion. The lion was getting impatient on not seeing any animal coming to him and swore to kill all the animals the next day. The rabbit then strode along to the lion by sunset. The lion was angry at him, but the wise rabbit remained calm. He told the lion that it was not his fault. He added that on the way, another angry lion attacked on him. Somehow, he escaped to reach safely. He said that, lion had challenged the supremacy of his Lordship. The lion was enraged and asked him to show the location of the other lion. The wise rabbit led the lion towards a deep well. It showed the lion’s reflection in the water of the well. As the lion roared on seeing the reflection, it seemed to him that the other lion was roaring at him. He, at once jumped into the well to attack the other lion and lost his life. In that way, the wise rabbit saved all the animals from the lion. 

Question. Write a story in 150-200 words based on the given clues. A little girl was walking down the street. She saw a poor old man shivering on the pavement. She ….

Answer.   She went near that old man and gave him the blanket which she was carrying with her. Then she asked him if he would come with her to her house. The poor old man had no choice. He quietly stood up and walked to her house. When they reached home, the girl asked the old man to wait there just for a few minutes. Then she went inside her house. There she asked her parents the whole story. She wanted them to give shelter to that man. Actually, her father was the richest man of the town. He owned a very big house with outhouse for servants. The girl wanted her parents to allow that man to live in one of the outhouses. In the beginning, they refused to agree with her proposal. Then she asked her parents if they give him shelter then it would be her best ‘birthday gift’. That day was her birthday and she was the only child of her parents. On hearing such words, her parents agreed. They also felt proud of their daughter that she had such a great moral values at a very little age. Afterwards she came out and held the hand of that man and brought him inside the house. After a few days of care and affection, the man became healthy. Then he started looking after their garden. Flowers bloomed in the garden and happiness bloomed in the family because of the little angel.

OR An injured horse was lying on the road in a pool of blood. People surrounded it and one out of the crowd ..... … and a man out of the crowd came ahead. He was a veterinary doctor. He asked the people, surrounding the horse to move behind so that fresh air might not be blocked. Then he observed the horse thoroughly. He asked the people if anybody knew what had happened there that had left the horse in such a serious condition. Then one man out of the crowd appeared and told that he was the eye-witness of all the incident. One man from the city point was going through that way. From his appearance, he seemed to be a merchant. Suddenly, two young boys, with covered faces rushed from the opposite side on a bike.

The pillion rider, very quickly, snatched the bag of that merchant, fired gun shots and disappeared from the sight. The man died on the spot and the horse got serious injuries. Being frightened of all that happened, nobody showed courage to come forward to see the fate of the horseman and the horse. Then somebody made a call to police. The police came and took the dead body for the post-mortem. But nobody took care of that speechless creature. After hearing all that, the doctor decided to take the horse to his hospital for proper treatment. Meanwhile, he telephoned his hospital staff to bring the ‘ambulance’ so that the horse should be transferred there. Then, with the help of his first-aid box, he served the animal. Everybody, present there, praised the doctor for his selfless-services and generosity.

Question. ‘‘That day my father came home with a kitten............’’ Complete the story in 150-200 words. You may use the following hints : Cute animal—named Dumpy—became very friendly—gave him milk—my mother angry—food disappeared—scratches on  furniture—socks torn into shreds—mother gave away Dumpy to a neighbour.

Answer. ‘Dumpy—The Cutest Pet ! That day my father came home with a kitten. He saw it shivering in the cold at the door of a shop and was overwhelmed with concern at the thought of freezing temperatures of the January night. I, for one was overjoyed, for I’ve always nurtured a keen desire to own a pet, but never got my mother’s approval for it, for she detests the idea.

The kitten was adorable and extremely cute. I instantly decided to name it ‘Dumpy’. I fed it milk and made a cozy bed for it, putting an old blanket in a broken basket. I really felt good to see Dumpy warm and comfortable. Dumpy was a very friendly creature and soon got comfortable in its new surroundings. I loved its company and its playfulness. It would crawl under the sofa or just frolic around the house, much to the annoyance of my mother. She complained about the nuisance it created and fussed about the scratches on the furniture. Moreover, my school-socks were turned into shreds. Then one day, Dumpy sneaked into the kitchen ! It went about exploring the various preparations for dinner. My mother was out of her wits when she discovered Dumpy’s mischief and made up her mind to give it away to a neighbour. So that was the brief fulfillment of my dream. But my cute Dumpy is not far away. I go to play with it daily for an hour and we are good friends. 

Question. Complete the following story in about 150-200 words : Ravi was one of the intelligent students of the class. He was also the victim of insecurity of getting less marks in the Boards. Mr. Shekhar, English teacher ……………

Answer. Ravi was one of the intelligent students of the class. He was also the victim of insecurity of getting less marks in the Boards. Mr. Shekhar, the English teacher worked like a touchstone as his attitude was absolutely different from that of other professionals. In fact, he was a wonderful person with wonderful achievements. He had been admired by all. Since, he was an acquaintance to Ravi when he was six years old. He was a very good friend of his father. So, he had seen him growing through each and every phase of life.

Mr. Shekhar knew very well that Ravi, though blessed with extra-ordinary brilliance, can’t bear the pressure of giving good results. Ravi was all the more under pressure as to come upto the expectations of his parents. So, Mrs. Shekhar’s first job was to make him at ease. Once again, even out of school, he developed a good bond of friendship. Alongwith being a good tutor, he had a humorous and poetic side too. It made literature all the more interesting to Ravi. He was also computer friendly. So, he helped Ravi in revision of subjects science, history, geography, etc., in a very amusing manner. He showed him documentaries on the relevant subjects on computer. Being a very good counsellor, his dominating passion was his love for children. So, not only Ravi but also other children in his house waited for Mr. Shekhar’s arrival in the evening very eagerly. Very often, he organised quiz competition respectively for every subject. It made Ravi confident of his knowledge.

All this practice showed a wonderful result. Ravi was brimming with confidence throughout his exams as there was no examination fear. He not only passed the Board exam but also topped the merit list of successful candidates of his state. All the credit went to the hard work of Ravi and wonderful techniques of his teacher, Mr. Shekhar.

Question. Write a story in about 150 - 200 words which begins as the following : “Grandmother will turn seventy-five tomorrow. What shall we do to celebrate her birthday ?“said Toni..........

Answer. The Happiest Day “Grandmother will turn seventy-five tomorrow. What shall we do to celebrate her birthday ?” said Toni to his sister Soni. Both of them love their grandmother very much. They were very excited as they wanted to do something in honour of their Grannie. So they approached their parents and expressed their desire. They proposed to throw a bash - a birthday party. But their parents already had very busy schedule, both of them were working in a private firm. So they declined the plan of celebration. First, it made the children very sad. Later, Soni suggested his brother that they could plan a surprise party for their loving ‘grannie’. They had sufficient amount in their ‘Piggie Banks’ as their parents and grandmother used to give them pocket money. So, money was not a problem. Next, came the question of venue. Then Toni said that the evening time would be the best time for celebration. At that time, their grandmother used to go to park for evening walk. So park would be the best venue. Finally, it was decided that the ‘Surprise’ Birthday Party would be organised in that very park. Now came the turn of invite list. They invited their grandmother’s fellow walkers and two- three of relatives living in the city only.

In the evening, when grandmother got ready to go for a walk, both of them presented her a beautiful saree and asked her to wear that. To make the children happy, she agreed. And she looked so beautiful in that light pink colored saree. Then she proceeded for her routine - walk. The children were so excited to see her get amazed, that they took no time to reach the garden before her arrival.

As soon as grandmother reached the park, both the children with their ‘Chillar Party’ were already present there to welcome her. The little park was beautifully decorated. Canopy was hung. Electric bulbs were lighted. Her fellow - walkers came ahead, singing birthday song with children and gifted her a beautiful cake. Being highly surprised, her joy knew no bounds. There were tears of joy in her eyes. After all, it was completely her day. Every one in the park congratulated her. All of them prayed to God for her happy and healthy life. Cameras were clicked, songs blared. Meanwhile their parents, came there after getting a message. When they saw that their children had thrown such a beautiful party to make their grannie happy, that also on their own as they had declined their request, they were ashamed. They immediately rushed to their mother, touched her feet and wished her Happy Birthday. It was really a great time. The grandmother was proud of her grand children. That moment was extremely charming, that the children wished the time to stop.

Question. Complete the story in 150-200 words which starts like this : “It was a quiet, cold and dark night like it usually is in winter when all retire to bed early. Suddenly, at the dead of night, a shriek jerked the people in the building out of their beds. It was distinctly the voice of …….”

Answer. “It was a quiet, cold and dark night like it usually is in winter when all retire to bed early. Suddenly, at the dead of night, a shriek jerked the people in the building out of their beds. It was distinctly the voice of a working lady, “Thief, Thief”, ………… as a thief snatched her purse while she was returning from her duty. Suddenly, the police van, patrolling in the locality, caught hold of him and carried him off to the juvenile home. There, the jail instructor arranged classes for him in different subjects.

It was a boring drill for him. The subjects were not of his interest. Not one for making friends with other inmates, he had found solace in watching television, which was a concession given to them for an hour every day. That day, instead of the regular serial, the channel had shown a French film, dubbed in English. Not being able to follow the dubbed script, he had instead tuned his ears to listen to French, being spoken.

He was hooked. The phonic sounds of language fascinated him, even though he could neither pronounce the words nor understand their meaning. His mind was made up. He requested the jail instructor to arrange French classes for him in ‘home’ in return for his good behavior. By the end of the year, he was able to carry on a simple conversation in French. When the French ambassador in India visited the ‘home’, he was chosen to conduct him around.

Question. Write a story in 200-250 words with the help of the following outline: Tortoise and hare — good friends — tortoise — known for his slow speed — makes fun of tortoise — challenges him —referee selected — race starts — hare overconfident — takes a nap — tortoise wins. Answer.  This is the story of two friends - tortoise and hare. Both the tortoise and hare were fast friends. Wherever they went, they went together. The only difference between them was that tortoise had slow speed while the hare had a fast speed. Sometimes, they both started to go somewhere at same time but due to his slow speed, the tortoise was always late while the hare reached at a fast speed. Thus, the hare sometimes made fun of his friend but the tortoise neglected the hare’s attitude. In spite of being fast friends, they sometimes had petty issues over their speed. The tortoise told his friend that slow speed is not a curse but a boon but the hare never stopped himself from making fun of his friend. One day, the tortoise got frustrated and threw a bold challenge at the hare to have a race. It was decided that one who reached the river bank first would be the winner. They selected their referee and at a fixed time the race started. The hare ran at a fast speed and was miles ahead of the tortoise. He turned back and saw that his friend tortoise was not visible far and wide. Then he decided to have a rest because according to him, the tortoise would take a long time to reach him. He was overconfident of his winning so he lay down and fell asleep. The tortoise continued walking. On his way, he saw the hare sleeping but he didn’t stop and he reached the river bank. When the hare got up, he looked around for the tortoise. Then he started his race at a double speed but found that the tortoise had already reached the river bank. In this way, the tortoise won the race. Moral : Slow and steady wins the race.

Question. Read the given lines and complete the story in 150-200 words. Give a suitable title to your story. Once there was a village of starving and malnourished children. An angel happened to visit this village. He was shocked .........

Answer. Miracle of an Angel ‘Once there was a village of starving and malnourished children. An angel happened to visit this village. He was shocked to find out the absolute absence of happiness and laughter in the village. He tried to know the reason. Then he came to know that a demon had locked all the men of that village in a tower. So, the residents suffered and starved, especially the children. One day, the men saw the angel and asked him to rescue them. On knowing their plight, the angel rushed to their rescue. But the locks of the tower were protected by the spell of the evil demon, which no amount of force could break. Then the angel came to a solution and he made a huge kite, big enough to fly five people at a time. As the kite moved near the window of the tower, the angel grabbed the hands of the men and pulled five of them out one by one. He repeated the process till all the men were freed. Once out in the open, the men united and opened the curse that bound them. Now they were free once again. Then the angel distributed sweets among the children and provided food to the starved villagers. Making them free and happy, the angel used his magic to fly the kite and flew to heaven.

Question. Write a story in 150-200 words from the outline given below :  Cold winter night – all sound asleep – a thudding sound – switched on lights – hurried footsteps – followed –.......

Answer.   The Terrible Night It was a cold winter night. Many friends and relatives of mine had come to our house to enjoy the Christmas holidays. After enjoying the campfire and sumptuous dinner, we went to bed quite early as singing, dancing and merry-making had made us tired. We all were sound asleep. Suddenly, I heard a thudding sound. I, immediately switched on the lights. Meanwhile, my father also came there and sensed something wrong. Then, once again, thudding and rumbling sound was heard which sent a shiver down our spine. My father woke up all the family members in the house. With hurried footsteps, all of us ran out shouting to alert as many people as we could. People rushed out of their homes. It was an earthquake which lasted for a minute only but those terrible moments had brought death, destruction and doom. Many buildings in the town collapsed due to that destructive earthquake. Even in our colony, 20 people were found missing and many more lay buried under the debris. The worst-hit victims were the slum dwellers. Thousands of them were rendered homeless as their houses/huts collapsed; children became orphAnswer. As usual, the relief team appeared there but quite late. Meanwhile, the people who were fortunate enough like us, did the needful. The havoc caused by the earthquake will haunt me forever.

Question. Read the given lines and complete the story in 150-200 words. Give a suitable title to your story. On hearing a noise, Sheena ran outside her house, but soon stumbled upon something hard. She was shocked...............

Answer. Blessings of a True Prayer On hearing a noise, Sheena ran outside her house, but soon stumbled upon something hard. She was shocked to see the scene outside. Actually, it was a log of wood on which she had stumbled. Some people were chopping off a huge peepal tree, located in the centre of that residential complex. A builder had decided to build a swimming pool at that place. Sheena was very attached to the tree, she spent her time watching the creature and birds that resided on it. She prayed that something should happen to prevent it from being chopped off. Just at that moment, she heard a scream from her neighborhood. She rushed to her window to see a girl, Sweety, caught among the branches. Sweety was soon rescued and was declared to be in a safe condition with only a few minor injuries. She had slipped through the railing and if there wasn’t the tree, she would have died. She was that builder’s daughter. Then the builder ordered his men not to chop off the tree anymore. Sheena thanked God for listening to her prayers. 

Question. Complete the story given below by using the clues provided : The cash van guard got down for two minutes to attend to the call of nature. The driver ………

Answer. The driver was suddenly hit on his head. He became unconscious. They were two dacoits. They were chasing the van, carrying the cash right from the bank itself. Actually, for last three days, they were observing the routine of the cash van. Unfortunately, that day, the van proceeded with one guard only and the dacoits took the advantage of that opportunity. They drove the van very fast to the jungle where no one could trace them. After reaching there, they started merry-making with the other members of the group who were waiting for them. Though they made use of the modern technology, i.e., mobile phone to give information to their companions yet they were unaware that the same technology can put them in danger. Actually, the driver, whom they had hit hard, was strong enough to bear the blow. For a few minutes, he lost his senses. Both the dacoits, thinking him to be unconscious, pushed him to the rear seat. But as soon as he regained his senses, he just switched on the ‘Navigation’ App. With the help of this app., the cash guard located the location. During training, they were taught to make use of such techniques in case of emergency. He had already informed the bank authorities about the incident. Immediately, the police was informed. On the other end, the dacoits were enjoying. They were carefree as they couldn’t think of any danger in that dense jungle. Suddenly, the area echoed with police-sirens. Hearing that danger-signals, they tried to run from there but their efforts were fruitless. Police caught all the members and recovered the cash. Then they were taken to prison. Quick mindedness of the driver and the guard was praised and rewarded. 

Question. Complete the following story in 150-200 words. The beginning of the story is given below : It was a Sunday afternoon. We had gone for a picnic to a park. Suddenly, I found that my seven year old sister was missing from the group. We went in search of her in the woods and ........... Answer. It was a Sunday afternoon. We had gone for a picnic to a park. Suddenly, I found that my seven year old sister was missing from the group. We went in search of her in the woods and found her nowhere. We shouted her name at the maximum pitch but to no avail. My mother started weeping after calling her name. Our voice echoed and returned to us. We became very afraid and prayed to God to help us in finding her. Suddenly, we heard the trumpet of elephants. It made us sure of some mishappening with her. After a few moments, we saw an elephant running inside the forest. My brother advised us to follow the beast. We did so. What we saw there was beyond any explanation. As we followed that elephant, we saw that animal filling its trunk with water from a pond in that forest. Without making any noise and holding our breath, we waited for its next action. Then the elephant hurriedly went to a place and sprinkled all that water on somebody and aired with its large ears. And to our surprise and terror, it was none other than my sister who was lying there unconscious.

As soon as water was sprinkled over her face, she became conscious and sat up. On seeing all of us, she came running to us. When we asked her how had she reached there, she told that outside the picnic spot, she had seen that elephant. As all of us were busy in merry-making, she quietly came out and gave some eatables to that animal. Then it became friendly with her. She sat on its back and reached there. But on hearing its trumpet in the woods, she realized that she had been separated from the group and fainted out of fear. We felt ourselves lucky to meet the angel in that beast.

Question. Using the beginning given below; write a story in 150-200 words; of what happened in your childhood during  the days spent with your grandmother. My grandmother used to take me to my school in the morning. One day we were walking towards..............

Answer. The Lost Girl My grandmother used to take me to my school in the morning. One day, we were walking towards school and noticed a little girl whimpering on the roadside. My grandmother approached her and asked what the matter was. The girl was hardly three or three and a half years old and could barely speak properly. She replied in a very innocent manner that her mother was lost. My grandmother could not help smiling, for it was she herself who was lost.

Grandma took her up in the arms and looked around to check if someone was coming up for her, but there was no one. We carried her along, thinking that if someone came looking for her, then they would probably catch up with us since we were on foot.

The girl was too small to direct us to her house. We decided to inform the police on patrol, but grandma refused to hand over the girl to anyone but only to her parents. We brought her home and she was soon relaxed, munching chips and watching cartoon network–blissfully unaware that she was actually lost !

I had already made up my mind to have her as a sister when her father approached us. He informed that they were from another city and were there to attend a wedding. The girl had wandered away while her mother was talking to a friend. Grandma admonished him for being careless, but was happy that the little girl was finally safe.

Question. Make a story in about 150-200 words which describes how the elephant got its trunk or how a giraffe got its long neck. 

Answer. How the Elephant Got its Trunk It is a story of that time when elephants happened to be without trunk. They just had two tusks, that also were of no use to them. Once, there was an elephant who had good friendship with a jackal. They lived in a place where a big river flowed. One day, the jackal came to know of a field of ripe melons across the river. His mouth watered. But he was worried what he could do of the fast flowing water. He was afraid of water. He approached his friend, the elephant. He told him (the elephant) of his plan of eating melons. He asked him to let him sit on his back. The elephant agreed. The jackal sat on the back of his friend. Soon they crossed the river and reached there. The jackal immediately grabbed plentiful of melons. Now it was his turn to help the animal by providing him the fruits, as the heavy animal found it difficult to sit and enjoy the melons. But on its opposite after filling his belly, he started howling, least caring for his friend. The howling attracted the farmer. He came running with a lathi. The clever jackal hid himself. But it was difficult for the elephant to run away with his heavy body. So, he had to bear the consequences of having a cunning friend, i.e. he was beaten black and blue by the farmer. All that pierced the heart of elephant. He started worshipping Lord Shiva to help him, so that he might not remain hungry and could keep the unwanted elements away. Happy from his ‘Tapasya’, Lord Shiva blessed him with ‘trunk’ so that he could eat anything he wanted, might it be on ground or on trees. Moreover, now elephants can throw anyone away who tries to harm them.

Question. Complete the story beginning with the lines given below: A manager who had several clerks under him found that one of the clerks was in the habit of coming late to  office. He wanted to teach him a lesson. One day, the manager............ 

Answer. A manager who had several clerks under him found that one of the clerks was in the habit of coming late to office. He wanted to teach him a lesson. One day the manager set the clocks back a little before the clerk came so that he felt that he had reached the office in time. The clerk arrived as usual late by about two hours, but was surprised when he looked at the clock. Nevertheless he felt that the clocks were running slow and was thrilled that no one had discovered or noticed his late coming. This continued for a few days. When the clerk reached his home late he realised that the clocks were deliberately adjusted to get full working hours of him.He finally learnt the lesson of punctuality the hard way. There is a very simple connection that the work begun on time can be completed at the right time and the delay at the beginning of the day is bound to set him behind and delay his work and he would have to plod through the day’s work without any time to relax.

Question. Write a story in 150-200 words based on the points given below : 7 year old Sunil .................... alone at home ....................rich locality ....................three men ....................suspicious looking ....................boy, afraid ....................rang up 100 ....................15 minutes .................... police came .................... robbers arrested notorious .................... Sunil rewarded .................... famous at school.

Answer. Sunil, a little boy of just seven years, was alone at home. His parents had gone to the hospital where one of their neighbors was admitted in emergency. Sunil was not timid as the other children of his age may be. So he was left behind. His parents were confident of his wisdom. Their home was in a posh-locality where rich-gentry of the city dwelled. Sunil was busy in the preparation of his project work. Then he felt himself thirsty. To have a glass of water, he moved towards kitchen. Suddenly, he noticed from the kitchen window, three suspicious looking men around their house. On seeing them, Sunil got a little afraid but didn’t, lose courage. Without making any noise, first of all, he checked whether all the doors were tightly bolted or not. Then, he, at once remembered that once his father had told him of emergency numbers. He quietly rang up the 100 number. Meanwhile, he kept a glance on the activities of those men who were waiting for the right moment for any action. Actually, they were notorious robbers.

Within fifteen minutes of the phone call, police arrived there. On seeing them, the robbers tried to escape but to no avail. They were arrested. The police patted on Sunil’s back for his valuable call. For a long time, police had been searching for them. In a public function Sunil was rewarded. He also became famous at school due to his bravery and quick-mindedness.

Question. Complete the following story in about 150-200 words : The class was terribly quiet. The teacher was astonished. “Oh, so… this is the reason ! Where is he, the most notorious  monkey of the town ……. ?” The seat was lying empty, the naughty seat though the most popular, the throne of the  humour king of the class, Ashish. “Actually Miss ! He met with an accident last night and ………..

Answer. The class was terribly quiet. The teacher was astonished. “Oh, so… this is the reason ! Where is he, the most notorious monkey of the town ……. ?” The seat was lying empty, the naughty seat though the most popular, the throne of the humour king of the class, Ashish. “Actually Miss ! He met with an accident last night and his legs had to be operated immediately. So the doctors asked his parents to arrange money for the operation. A huge amount would be incurred in the process. And the worst thing was that his father was out of city to seek a job. As soon as the news broke out, Ashish’s classmates and his class teacher rushed to hospital after the school hours. Surprising all the present ones, the class teacher deposited the amount for operation through cheque without wasting even a minute or waiting for his father’s arrival.

Immediately after that, doctors made preparations for the operation. For the complete four hours, the operation continued. As soon as the doctors came out of the operation theatre, they informed Ashish’s mother that despite the operation, he would not be able to walk properly for a few years. They further added that he would have to wear wooden shoes that would help the proper alignment of his legs.

Meanwhile, his father also returned. He had got a very good job in a multi-national company. He ordered special wooden shoes for his son from China. Ashish had to wear them all the time. But he hated them as they made him look ugly. His classmates helped him a lot during that period. As those shoes were very heavy and it was very difficult for him to walk comfortably, his friends used to carry his bag. Even on his absence from school, they used to come to his house to help him in homework.

After a month, his legs started bleeding again. Doctors advised him to take complete rest. His class teacher couldn’t resist herself. She started coming to his home and started teaching him. When Ashish’s parents tried to give her money back, she broke into tears. After being consoled, she told them that she had lost his son in an accident. So she can’t afford to see them losing their son.

Question. Write a story in 150-200 words from the outline given below : A boy was playing in the park. He saw a small sparrow sitting on a stone. He went near it, still it didn't fly away. He...... Answer. A boy was playing in the park. He saw a small sparrow sitting on a stone. He went near it, still it didn’t fly away. He made some noise by clapping and by shouting “Mithu! Mithu!”. Even then it didn’t make any effort to fly. Then hesitatingly, he picked up the bird in his hand. Then he noticed that there was an injury on one of its legs. To show his affection towards the bird, he patted on its head. Then the sparrow looked at him, perhaps with a hope of getting a saviour. Actually, it had been hurt by some naughty ‘hunter’.

The boy, he took the bird in his hand and decided to bring it to his home. When he reached home, he showed the injury of the bird to his mother. His mother became very happy to see the generous attitude of his child. She went in the kitchen, came back with some turmeric powder. Then she applied the powder on the injured leg of the bird and covered it with gauge. The sparrow found itself comfortable and started chirping. The boy brought two earthen pots for it, one for water and the other for food. After two days of intense care, the sparrow go healed. It started eating everything that the boy gave to him. As soon as they boy entered the house, the sparrow raised to shriek with joy. After a week, it became completely fit, his mother asked him to free it like any other bird. Initially, the boy didn’t like the idea but when his mother taught him the importance of freedom then he agreed. Next morning, he went to the same garden where he had found it. No sooner did he enter the park than he heard chirping of many sparrows. They might be its siblings. As soon as he freed the bird, it joined its group, chirped loudly and danced with joy. The boy also became very happy and contented to see all that.

A short story is a work of fiction and it usually focuses on one plot, one main character and a central theme. Short stories contain underlying themes that teach children to draw broader conclusions and to think on a wider level. 

Main points related to story writing:

Title- The title of the story must be interesting and it should evoke curiosity.

Planned and logical series of events must be reflected and the events should not deviate the story from its theme.

There must be an interesting theme of the story which is the controlling idea of the story.

The depiction of the characters must be interesting and convincing.

Characterization is an important part of story writing. If the writer wishes to show someone to be very good, the goodness of the character must be felt by the reader.

Language of the story must suit the story. It should be as per the setting of the story.

STORY WRITING (FOR PRACTICE)

Complete the following stories: (150 to 200 words)

Q.1. Anuj had gone on a holiday for one month and when he returns, he turns the key in the lock and opens the door. To his horror, he finds………….

Q.2. It was festive time. There was a lot of excitement in the air. The sound of crackers could be heard all around. Shashi was enjoying it every bit. But all of a sudden……….

Q.3. Ravi is excited as he is going to his favourite place Darjeeling. It is his lifetime wish to be there. Before starting the journey, he ensures that he hasn’t forgotten anything. He gets into the train, settles in his seat and looks around……

Q.4. Raj wishes to be a champion footballer, so what if he is poor and his parents can’t get him admitted in any football academy. He will realise his dream one day but how…….

Q.5. Kiran fills up the form to get admission in Air Force but how her parents will react once they come to know about it. After all she belongs to a traditional family which will never allow her to make a career in Air Force which she wants to but how…………….

More Study Material

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Assignment for English CBSE Class 10 Story Writing

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Story Writing Assignment English CBSE Class 10

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Story Writing Assignment CBSE Class 10 English

Regular assignment practice helps to get a more comprehensive understanding of Story Writing concepts. Assignments play a crucial role in understanding Story Writing in CBSE Class 10. Students can download all the assignments of the same chapter in Class 10 English in Pdf format. You can print them or read them online on your computer or mobile.

CBSE English Class 10 Story Writing Assignment

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Story Writing Practice Questions Class 10 English

• Post last modified: 27 July 2022
• Post category: Grammar Exercises / School Grammar

Practice questions with answers on ‘short story writing’ are given here. The art of ‘short story writing’ is judged through such questions where the beginning is given and students need to carry forward this beginning by developing into a story.

Q. Write a story in 150-200 words with the help of the following outline. Give it a suitable title also.

Ahmad went to watch Diwali Mela with his parents. He wanted to enjoy a ride in the merry go-round. His father ……………… [CBSE Delhi, 2020]

Ahmad went to watch Diwali Mela with his parents. He wanted to enjoy a ride in the merry-go-round. His father bought him a ticket and asked him to enjoy the ride. He was so excited to ride the merry-go-round that he ran towards the long queue leaving his parents behind. Lost in his thoughts and excitement, Ahmad soon realised that he has reached the end of the queue all alone. His parents were nowhere to be seen.

A worried little Ahmad was on the verge of breaking down when he saw a policeman patrolling through the streets of the fair. He ran towards the cop and told him that he is lost. The policeman took Ahmad to the ‘Help’ counter and asked him to sit there while he tried to locate his parents.

Ahmad was so tensed when he was offered an ice-cream by another policeman sitting at the counter that he refused it because all he wanted then was to meet his parents. He heard his name being called out on the loudspeaker which made him shiver. “A 6-year-old boy, Ahmad has got lost in the fair. He is with us at the Help counter. Ahmad’s parents are requested to collect him from here”, said the announcement.

Before Ahmad could process the information, he saw his parents running towards him. His mother was crying profusely holding him tightly. His father thanked the cops for their help and apologised for the inconvenience caused. Ahmad too thanked the policemen for helping him and promised to be more careful next time.

Q. Complete the story using your imagination in 150-200 words. Also give it a suitable title.

‘It was the festival of spring. One little boy ran as his father called out to him. He had lagged behind as he was fascinated by the toys in the shop. He hurried towards his parents, his feet obedient to the call, but suddenly………………

It was the festival of spring. One little boy ran as his father called out to him. He had lagged behind as he was fascinated by the toys in the shop. He hurried towards his parents, his feet obedient to the call, but suddenly the eyes of the boy got stuck at a toy shop. The shop had his favourite toy, a train. He was mesmerised by it and kept looking at the toy because his earlier toy train had broken when some visitor to his home dropped the toy to the floor from a height.

He kept on staring till the shopkeeper asked him if he wanted to buy the toy train. The boy nodded. The shopkeeper asked him to call his parents to the shop. With horror, the boy realised that his parents were not with him and he was lost. He started crying very loudly. The shopkeeper tried to console him but it was of no use. He also tried to give him the train, but the boy only wanted his parents. Hearing his cries, people started gathering near the shop. Then a couple came rushing towards the shop. As soon as they saw their child, their happiness knew no bounds. They also bought the train for their child and asked him to be cautious from then onwards.

Q. Write a short story in 150-200 words based on the sequence of pictures and the beginning given below

‘Raman was a 14-year-old boy who lived with his family in a Kerala village. One day during the monsoon season…………….’

Answer: 

Raman was a 14-year-old boy who lived with his family in a Kerala village. One day during the monsoon season there was heavy rain and the village was flooded. The government started evacuating the villagers from their homes, as the flood waters had entered them. In the boat with them were three other families with their pets. One family had a small puppy dog which was very playful. The puppy sat at the edge of the boat and was enjoying the ride when the boat titled dangerously. The puppy fell into the water.

There was an outcry from the family’s 6-year-old son who loved the puppy dearly. He tried to catch the puppy himself, but overbalanced and fell into the flood water. The boy’s parents panicked and shouted, but could not do anything as they did not know swimming.

But Raman was a good swimmer. He immediately jumped into the swirling water and swam quickly towards the 6-year-old boy. Raman held his head above water while swimming back to the boat. After Raman had handed over the boy to his parents in the boat, he again swam back to save the puppy. Luckily the puppy was still alive, although it has swallowed some water. Taking the puppy back to the boat was more difficult, but Raman managed it. The little boy went overjoyed to see the puppy alive and hugged it excitedly.

Later on, Raman was awarded a medal for bravery against all odds by the District Magistrate at a formal ceremony at the district headquarters. He was also recommended for the Sanjay Chopra Award given by the President of India every year to such children.

Q. Complete the story in 150-200 words using the outline given below. Also give it a suitable title.

Dark night – quiet jungle – sound of footsteps – followed footprints trail – reached lonely house – hidden behind trees – entered – shocked to see – woke up in bed.

The Haunted Jungle

It was a dark and lonely night. I was returning from a relative’s place and had missed the last bus going towards my village. Now I had to walk through the jungle. I was hesitant, but the thought of reaching home on time persuaded me. There was something odd about the jungle in the night. It was very quiet and the silence made me shiver. Suddenly I realised that I was lost. I was gripped with panic. I cried for help but there was no response. I was terrified to hear the sounds of owls and bats. It was scary and I had lost all hopes of survival. Suddenly, I heard the sound of footsteps. I suspected that I was not alone. I followed the sound of the footsteps; it was like light at the end of the tunnel. After ten minutes, I reached near a lonely house. I hid behind the trees to see whether it would be safe to go near the house. Finally, I decided to take shelter in the lonely house, but to my shock it was full of dancing skeletons. I fainted with fear. When I opened my eyes, to my relief, I found myself sleeping in my lovely bed. What a nightmare it was!

Q. Develop a story in 150-200 words using the following beginning. Also give it a suitable title.

‘Once upon a time, there was a peacock that was enjoying the ……… …………….

Pride Comes Before a Fall

Once upon a time, there was a peacock that was enjoying the pleasant weather in a forest. Flying happily, he reached across the river. Suddenly, a God-like lady emerged from the river and asked the peacock to ask for a boon.

The peacock was surprised, as he thought of the purpose for this blessing. Yet, the peacock said that he wanted to be an eagle. However, the lady wanted him to get converted into a human being so that he could explain to humans the plight of the birds and also teach them a good lesson. But the peacock looked up at the sky and said he wanted to fly high over the clouds and his heavy wings stopped him from doing so. The lady granted his wish half-heartedly. The peacock got transformed into an eagle. He looked at himself and excitedly made a loud cry like proud eagle. He took his first flight and went straight up over the clouds. As soon as he reached a good height, he was hit by a bullet and came crashing down to the ground, eventually dying an unfortunate death. The lady emerged again, restored life to him and converted him into a peacock. She further asked him to be satisfied in life.

The peacock learned his lesson and was relieved to be back to his former self.

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• How to Write a Short Story Step-by-Step?

An Easy Guide for Kids on How to Write a Story Step-by-Step

Short stories can be equally powerful and moving as lengthier works of fiction for sure. Some argue that this form can be considerably more effective in light of the fact that short stories convey their central message in a single, deep hit.

If a novel is like lighting up a room using all the house lights, then at that point, a short story is like using a flashlight to illuminate a hidden corner. If you wish to write a short story and are looking for a comprehensive guide, your search ends here. Keep reading to find a step-by-step guide on how to write a short story.

How to Write a Short Story?

What is a Short Story?

As the productive writer, short story, and comic book writer Neil Gaiman says: "Short stories are small windows into other worlds and different personalities and different dreams. They're ventures you can make to the most distant side of the universe and still be back in time for dinner."

Short stories are independent works of prose fiction whose capability is to give a moral, catch a moment, or bring out a specific state of mind.

Short stories are most of the time more engaging, as every one of the components inside — plot, character, pacing, story structure, etc. — should cooperate towards this common goal.

Most Effective Method to Write a Short Story in 5 Steps

Follow this step-by-step guide for writing a great short story in just 5 easy steps.

1. Pick the Mood you need to Evoke: This is the feeling or emotion you need to provide for your readers, and what every one of the components in your short story will cooperate to accomplish. What kind of story would you like to say — and why?

2. Start with a Strong Opening: Due to the limitations of the short story format, you will not have a ton of space for exposition. To get around this, consider beginning your story in media res — a writerly practice that implies opening in the activity and filling in details later. This takes you directly to your important scene.

3. Build your Story, Remembering that you just have a Specific Number of Words: Try not to sit around idly. All that is included in the short story should be vital. Read and re-read each sentence and ask yourself: does it truly should be there? Does it fill the more significant need of enlightening your story's mood? As Edgar Allan Poe once said: "A short story should have a single mood and each sentence should work toward it."

4. Land the Ending: The ending forms the key moment of the story. While writing the ending of your short story, focus on the mood you're attempting to make and ask yourself: what might be the most fulfilling way for the ending to capture this mood? Keep in mind, a short story is still a story, and that implies the plot needs to make sense, and nothing should be excessively self-evident. 

5. Edit, Edit, Edit: Invest some energy away from your story, and return later with a couple of an open-minded perspective. 

A Short Exercise!

Answer any of the questions below as briefly as possible, writing down your first  reaction. Then, at that point, set a clock for 60 seconds. Use one of your solutions to write the opening of a short story — one paragraph or more.

Then, reset the clock for 30 minutes and finish the story. You don't have much time, so continue writing. Try not to stress over specialty or structure. Write until the clock stops. Furthermore, remember this advice: you can begin a short story anytime in the narrative.

1. What was the most humiliating thing you've experienced in the past few years?

2. When was the last time you cried, and what was the reason for it?

3. What stunned you such that you were speechless?

4. What was the absolute best or worst moment of your childhood?

5. Have you fantasised about revenge recently? Against whom?

This was all about a short and comprehensive guide to write a short story, discussed in 5 simple steps. Do practise the exercise given above and see the outcome for yourself. Remember, to write a good short story, you have to read as many as possible and also practise writing to enhance your writing skills.  

FAQs on How to Write a Short Story Step-by-Step?

1. What makes a short story interesting?

Characters are what makes a short story interesting. Kurt Vonnegut said that your short story should have "no less than one person (your reader) can root for." He additionally said, "Each character should need something." Among the plenty of writing guidance Vonnegut brings to the table, these two points about characters are among my top picks.

Plot is another aspect that enhances the readability of your story. It would be ideal for the plot to simply just happen, right? Like, we start with a thought, add a few occasions around that thought, work the characters into individuals we can see and feel for, and refine the text until the story is finished. An interesting plot with twists and turns improved reader engagement with content.

2. How many words should preferably be there in a short story ?

A regular short story has a word count of anywhere between 1,000 words to 5,000 words, despite the fact that usually, there are exemptions to the rule. Streak fiction is a type of creative writing that can have as few as five words, while there is a hazy situation between short stories and novellas (which are normally 30,000 words or more). The word-count roof is fairly fuzzy, in any case, with many significant writing prizes and magazines requesting submissions of something like 7,500 words.

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Check your understanding: multiple choice - choose a title

Check your understanding: true or false, check your writing: matching - story structure, check your writing: grouping - adjectives and adverbs, worksheets and downloads.

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Story Writing Format for Class 9 to 12

• Updated on  
• Nov 18, 2023

Do you love weaving interesting narratives with your imagination? A story is simply a narrative comprising either real or fictional characters put together in certain events or circumstances. Story writing forms a crucial element of the Class 9 and 10 English syllabus as it aims to teach children about the basic structure and format of writing a tale. This blog brings a comprehensive guide on story writing format, story writing topics and narrative writing format for Class 9 and 10 which you must practice to ace this section in your English examination. 

Story Writing Format, Topics, and Tips PDF

Quick Read: Letter Writing

This Blog Includes:

What is story writing, story writing format class 9, story writing topics for class 10, narrative writing format class 11, narrative writing format class 12, story writing worksheets for class 6 to class 12, short story format, introduction to characters, climax/conclusion, how to write a story, how to write advanced stories, sample story , story writing tips, narrative writing format, story writing topics, film script format, how to write a short story , books on story writing , story writing pdf.

Story Writing is a fictional writing method that is written in a simpler way and has its own natural flow. Story Writing covers five elements: Character (Crucially a Protagonist and Antagonist), Setting, Plot, Conflict, and Theme. Through story writing, you share the experience of characters in a physical setting with a plot that makes it story-worthy, a conflict that causes a riff or relationship core of the characters, and finally the theme of the story as in what the story wants to share.

Before understanding the essentials of how to write a short story, let’s take a look at the simpler story writing format for Class 9  and Class 10. Here are the features of a good story as per the story writing format with narrative writing format for Class 9:

• Order : The story should be narrated in a sequential order starting from the beginning when the characters are introduced, important events happen and then the conclusion which brings the ending.
• Theme : Every student must follow the theme provided in the starting lines of the story writing question and should avoid inserting or inventing newer story themes.
• Concise and Short : Adhere to the word limit provided for writing the story and weave an interesting narrative within the limit.
• Key Elements : Every story should have a beginning, major event and then conclusion.

For the story writing section in Class 10 as well as Class 6 to Class 12 for CBSE, the students are asked to frame a story based on a number of story writing topics The title and moral carries 1 mark while the story content is for 4 marks and the story expression is given 5 marks after evaluation of coherence, accurate use of words and correct spelling and punctuation. Here are some useful story writing topics for Class 10 with narrative writing format:

Story Writing Topic 1

Story Writing Topic 2

Top Read: Article Writing

Narrative is a written or oral form of expression, narrative writing involves event and experience. Here is the narrative writing format for class 11:

• Writer’s name and class
• Body (include incident/experience information, reaction, factual information and more)

To help you practice your story writing and knowledge of its format and elements, here are some story writing worksheets for Class 6 to Class 12:

A story is usually meant for entertainment purposes, can be moral-based or both. It is important that your written narrative has an “easily understandable grammatical structure” with “natural flow of speech” to help the reader comprehend it. Stories can be told using different forms of narration like written, oral and visual or audio-video.

Here are the elements of a short story format:

• Characterization
• Point of view 

Quick Read: Types of Writing Careers

Short Story Writing Format

Story writing requires creativity and imagination and your narrative must be structured in an organized manner to infer the intended meaning. The main purpose of structuring a story is to explain, narrate, and persuade the reader or an audience.

Here is the story writing format:

• Beginning : Kickstart your story with a catchy beginning that grips your readers right away!
• Character Introduction : Familiarise your readers with the main characters, their part in the story and help them fit the pieces of your story puzzle!
• Plot : This is when the real drama begins, as the main plot comes to the limelight. Expose the story and let your characters react, evolve and reach towards the main conflict.
• Climax/Ending/Conclusion : Whether you go for a happy one or an open ending, make sure that at least some of the issues if not all of them get resolved by the end and you leave a long-lasting impression on the readers!

Let’s take a look at the main constituents of the story writing format which have been explained below:

The beginning is the most fundamental and basic element of story writing format which stresses upon setting the right stage for your characters as well as the plot. Often referred to as the exposition, the beginning of the story is the part where you need to provide the reader with a basic overview of every key character and the setting for the plot in order to hook the reader till the end. 

Often comprised under the beginning element of story writing, character introductions might also happen after the setting has been solidified. It is necessary to produce characters that have a purpose or role in the development of the story. Try creating characters that the reader can relate to and those that connect the plot throughout the narration.

Once you have familiarised the reader with the setting and character, the next step is to work towards curating an intricate and engaging plot. The plot is where the actual action of the whole story occurs. Without including this element in your story writing, you will not be able to intrigue the reader and spark their curiosity. 

Conflict is where you have the chance to experiment with your characters by putting them in a persevering circumstance or rather entering a new sub-plot to intrigue the reader further. This constituent of story writing aims to hook the reader to the plot and you must weave it in an engaging way. Often the conflict in the story can be an event, situation or even a new character. It plays a vital role in changing the mundane lives of your story’s characters and putting a challenge in front of them which will make your narrative interesting.

Considered to be the final stage in story writing format, a logical or decisive conclusion is where the story ends. It elucidates upon the resolution of the conflict that you introduced as well as explores what your character learnt from the situational conflict or how they emerged from it. Often many stories do not have an ending but leave the reader in bewilderment with the promise of continuing with the next part and this tactic is referred to as a cliffhanger.

Check Out: How to Write a Book?

While the commonly followed story writing format has been elaborated above, there are no certain and specific rules that one needs to follow while carving out an interesting story. Writers generally start the process by searching for story-writing topics and ideas. To help you create an appealing and engaging story, we have recommended a general process you can follow.

Here is how you can write a short story:

• Think of the main idea of your story
• Create a basic outline of your story
• Add a protagonist
• Write an intriguing first line of your story
• Build up on your characters
• Write, Edit & Proofread

The Idea is the Premise

The first and foremost thing you need for story writing is an idea . This idea can be anything, from an event to a character or a simple one-liner that you want to turn into a story. Further, ideas come with constant brainstorming, reading and writing and often if you are not getting the right ideas to form your narrative, you are surely facing a writer’s block. Read as much as you can, write all the story writing topics you have in mind and brainstorm with yourself and others to come up with engaging storylines.

Carve a Basic Outline

Once you are sure about the story you want to narrate, the next step is to create a simple outline of events and characters the narrative will spread across. This can be just a one-liner which can brief anyone about the basic storyline or it can be in pointers listing down the different events. Making a concise outline will help you keep a grasp over the story writing format as you will be able to understand the different events and how they will unfold.

Focus on the Protagonist

“The protagonist is the character whose fate matters most to the story.” Stephen Koch

Just like you have to spend hours working on the right idea for your story, you will also have to work on carving the right protagonist who can represent the idea and theme of your narrative. While most writers prefer to have a character as their protagonist, it is commonly not a necessity to do so. You can put innovate and think out of the box and make any event, idea or even a thing your protagonist. But remember, a protagonist will drive your story’s narrative and plot, so choose judiciously.

Now that you have made up your mind on what, who, where, how and when of your story, penning down the first line is an equal struggle as that of finalising the above elements of the story writing format. The first line of your story will set the tone of the plot, hook the reader and establish the voice of your narrative. So, it is important to spend time on creating an engaging and marvellous first line. Take a look at some of the famous opening lines of popular books which will surely inspire you:

“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.” – The Catcher in the Rye , JD Salinger

Write an Intriguing First Line

“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” – Anna Karenina , Leo Tolstoy

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” – Pride & Prejudice , Jane Austen

“Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.” – Mrs Dalloway,  Virginia Woolf

“As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.” – The Metamorphosis and Other Stories,  Franz Kafka

Build Up the Characters

Another prominent element of the story writing format, your characters will give structure, flair and flow to the narrative and thus need to be developed cautiously. Experiment with events and how these characters can react to them to help them progress towards the ultimate conclusion of the story.

Write, Proofread, Edit & Repeat!

Once you have finished writing a story, the final step should always be to proofread and edit the narrative. Ask a friend to read the story, get it reviewed and you can keep editing, adding to it and removing any additional paras until you feel good to go!

As your academic level increases, it becomes mandatory to upscale your writing skills as well. Here are some story writing tips and narrative writing format: 

• Use a combination of 1st, 2nd and 3rd person narration in your story 
• Create a story setting 
• TO enhance the story affect mention time, location, duration, atmosphere and context clearly
• Dialogues are an important part of the story hence use expressions in them
• Keep 2-3 main characters in your story and a few side characters to make the plot engaging 
• Follow the above-mentioned format for covering the plot
• Include 2-3 conflicts at regular intervals in your story and resolve them with time, this again will increase the engagement. 

Now that you know all about the story writing format, here is a sample question and story to explain the practical meaning of story writing: 

Question: Write a story in  400 words with the given references: 

Window display in toy shop __________Diwali season_________theft________alarm sounded___________no clues found__________police non-plussed_________little boy spots the difference in window display leading to arrest

While many writers experiment with the story writing format, the most important thing you should keep in mind that your narrative appeals to your audience and intrigues their mind. Looking for the right story writing topic is an important part of the process. It takes time to frame a structure, draft a basic narrative, and then write a story woven around a series of events. Take a look at the following story writing tips and narrative writing format that help you to compose an extraordinary story.

• Compose a story with fewer characters.
• Try to establish your narrative in a shorter time frame.
• Describe the setting vividly. 
• Curate the beginning with a compelling first line.
• Mould your characters with certain traits and skills to help the reader remember them. 
• Choose a suitable title that fits your narrative. 
• Use a simpler and understandable language.
• Write short sentences. 
• Maintain coherence in your writing.
• Try to impart the readers with a particular moral or message in the end.

Must Read: Report Writing

Narrative writing aims to tell a story through the form of essays or lengthy writing like a blog. The first rule of narrative writing is to look for the right story writing topic and create the perfect atmosphere for your story through your writing and further provide a real-world experience to your reader through your words.

Here is the format of narrative writing:

• Introduction : Create the right introduction in narrative writing by a compelling first line and a setting for your essay that can hook the person who is reading
• Beginning : Build on the main plot and introduce your main characters
• Middle : Focus on the conflict of your narrative
• Climax : Come to the climax and resolution of the conflict
• Conclusion : Conclude your narrative writing piece by mentioning what you learned from this event and leave the reader on an optimistic and positive note.

Here are some story writing topics to practice with:

• Write a story about an author who is losing his sight.
• Write a story about a character who can tell the future but is blind. 
• Write a story about a character who just brought a new coat that is magical.
• Write a story about a character who can travel back in time.
• A character falls asleep on an abandoned ship and awakes on a new planet.
• A character who finds out that they belong to an alien race.
• A lawyer gives up their practice after sending an innocent man to jail.
• Write a story about a dog who can understand the English language. 
• Write a story about a character who can fly but not swim.
• Write a story about a fortune teller who gets called for jury duty.
• Write a story about a character who reflects your personality.

A film script or screenplay is a document written by the screen writer dividing all the important events of the story into scenes, adding dialogues, additional writer notes as well as intercut, action, fade in, transition and all types of filming techniques.

Here is the simple film script format:

• Use font size 12 in Courier
• The left of the page should have a 1.5-inch margin.
• The right of the page should have a 1-inch margin.
• Make sure to have 1-inch margin on the top and bottom of the page
• There should be 55 lines on each page.
• The block for dialogue should start 2.5 inches from the left of the page.
• All character names are always in uppercase.
• The character names should always be positioned 3.7 inches from the left of the page.
• The first page of a script is not numbered.
• Every page number is always in the top right corner with a 0.5-inch margin measuring from the top.

Explore more informative blogs below

Just like other writing tasks, story writing also has a pattern or a format. The only need to follow this format is to give more meaning to your write up. Following a fixed structure can give more meaning to your story and make it more interesting. Here are the components that must be there in your story – Setting, Characterization, Plot, Conflict, Climax, Resolution, Theme and Point of view. 

The essentials of a perfect story are as follows: 

1. Follow the set structure  2. Find the key emotion, revelation or core concern of the story  3. Start writing the story and do add a hook in the beginning  4. Complete the story  5. Re-read and edit it yourself 6. Ask others for help in editing the story

In order to write a short story, you need to begin the story with an interesting hook. Moving forward, introduce the characters and move towards the plot. Next thing that comes is a conflict between the characters which leads to the conclusion or climax of the story!

The 5 main parts of a story structure are as follows: 

1. Exposition  2. Rising action  3. Climax 4. Falling action  5. Catastrophe, denouement, resolution, or revelation

Here are some common story writing topics: Write about a friend who moved away in 5th grade Write about a character who is a spy for the government Write about a couple who lost their child in a fire Write about a character who has amnesia

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