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A Short-Story Sampler
Here are brief descriptions of popular short-story types. Use these as starting points for your own stories.
■ Mystery
Think of a crime, a list of suspects, a criminal, and a star detective, and you’re ready to write your first whodunit. Pay close attention to mysteries on TV to see how screenwriters develop their stories, or try reading books by Agatha Christie, Joan Lowery Nixon, Alane Ferguson, Tony Hillerman, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
■ Fantasy
Add some fantastic elements to real-world situations and create a fantasy. Think of some of your favorite childhood stories for ideas. Many of these stories contain fantastic elements (animals that talk, bathtubs that become pirate ships, and so on.). Joan Aiken, Lloyd Alexander, and J. R. R. Tolkien are fantasy writers you may enjoy reading.