Y05W42WR What Happened That Evening

Part 1

How to Write

Narrative – Short story

A short story draws a reader into a character’s world and carries them through an experience that changes something. It is written for an audience who wants to be engaged and moved — not just informed. The tone is vivid and personal, making the reader feel present in the moment and curious about what comes next.

  • Ideas & content: Give your character a clear situation and a problem or tension that matters. Include specific details rather than general descriptions, and make sure something genuinely changes by the end.
  • Structure & cohesion: Move from orientation to complication to resolution. Use paragraph breaks to shift scenes or time, and connect moments with time words and action to keep the story moving forward.
  • Voice & audience: Find a consistent narrative voice that brings the reader close to the character’s experience. Show feelings through actions and reactions — not just by stating them.
  • Language choices: Choose strong verbs and sensory detail. Use dialogue to reveal character. Vary sentence length — shorter sentences create tension, longer ones build atmosphere.
  • Conventions: New speaker, new line — every time. Use speech marks correctly. Keep your tense consistent throughout.

Common pitfalls: Starting too slowly with too much backstory — get into the situation quickly and let detail emerge naturally. Telling the reader how a character feels instead of showing it through what the character does.

Part 2

Your Task Plan for Today

The brief

Question: Write a story about what happens during that evening and how it ends.

Stimulus: Your town experiences a power blackout that lasts an entire evening. No phones, no television, no lights. Your family sits together in the dark with candles. At first, everyone is frustrated.

Task Analysis: The power goes out. Your story is about that evening and how your family deals with having no screens or lights. Show how people change from frustrated to doing something else. Make it real.

Quick Plan

Before you write, plan:

  • How the blackout starts — when does everyone realise the power is out?
  • The first reactions — what is everyone frustrated about?
  • What you do instead — talk? Play a game? Tell stories? Explore?
  • How the evening ends — did you enjoy it? Feel bored? Learn something?

Opening strategy

Start with the moment the power goes out: ‘All the lights died at once.’ Or: ‘The TV went black in the middle of my show.’ Show the surprise and frustration right away.

Show, don’t tell details

Show what the dark feels like. Shadows? Candlelight making things look strange? Show what your family does and says. Do they laugh? Complain? Start talking?

Turning point

Find the moment when something shifts. Maybe someone suggests a game. Maybe you start talking to each other in a new way. Maybe you notice something about being together without screens. Give this moment feeling and importance.