Stories in a Nutshell are stories that are written in 150 words or less. The main purpose of this style of writing is to sharpen one’s language skills by using the fewest words possible to develop a story. Nutshell writing creates the groundwork for enhancing other styles of writing, for as writing skills of concision are bettered developed it becomes easier for writers to pinpoint and eliminate needless words in longer composition writing. Nutshell stories can be humorous, serious, perplexing, surreal, or a tad nutty. Try it! You'll like it.
Tips on How to Write Stories in a Nutshell
- Remember: These are stories that are restricted to only the most pertinent information, so keep in mind that the story needs to be written so that details can be left to the reader's imagination.
- Jot down story ideas. Choose one, then write a rough draft.
- Check your word count in your word processor. A word count word may vary with regard to different word processors, so it's best to keep it 5 - 7 words under the allotted amount of words required.
- Edit your work, and check its word count, as many times as needed to decide which words can be eliminated. You do not have to include your title in your word count as part of your writing content.
It will not be easy to strike out particular words you may think are necessary; however, the more you write with conciseness (shortness and to the point) the easier it will come for you to eliminate words that are unnecessary. ©Barbra Lambert
Stories in a Nutshell
“The Loser”
‘That can’t be Nina coming toward me,’ Bella thought to herself as she strode through the doorway of the café to meet her fiancé Bill for lunch.
“Hi Bella! Long time, no see.” Nina’s voice nervously shouted.
Bella didn’t know what to say. It’d been months since she’d seen Nina, and she certainly hadn’t looked like that. ‘What a loser!’ Bella thought to herself, hoping that Bill hadn’t seen Nina.
“Oh, I’m fine! How about you?” Bella awkwardly mustered.
“Well, I’m great! Shedding that fifty pounds make me feel like a million bucks!” Nina said.
‘And look like it, too,’ Bella enviably thought to herself.
“Nice to see ya, gal! Gotta go. Call me sometime, we’ll chat, okay?.” Nina hurriedly said... smiling as if she knew something Bella didn’t.
“Sure will.” Bella said reluctantly — watching Bill exiting the café…
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WC 140 (w/out title)
