How to Read a Short Story

By eHow Hobbies, Games & Toys Editor

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Short stories are ideal for reading in bed or on planes, and for those who love to read but can't seem to find the time to finish whole novels.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

  • Dictionaries

Step1
Read the "blurbs" on the inside front cover or back cover to gather information about the author and his or her favorite subjects.
Step2
Look at the date of publication - it can often help you to set the scene or exclude a particular historical background.
Step3
Skim the table of contents if you are reading a complete collection of the author's works. Sometimes you can tell if short stories are meant to be read together just by looking at titles.
Step4
Examine the title of the story; you can often consider it a condensation of the essential point.
Step5
Read dialogue carefully. In many short stories, though not all, revelation of character comes mostly through conversation, since there is little time for action.
Step6
Expect a dramatic, surprising or even odd twist at the end of the story - you will have been set up for it quite carefully.
Step7
Re-examine the title and read the story again to identify the clues to the ending that you may have missed the first time through.

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Anonymous

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on 11/22/2005 You can't write anything if you're stressed out and thinking about it too hard. If that happens, you should take a walk, read a book, or just hang out with a friend for a while. The ideas for information will more likely come to you when you're relaxed.

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eHow Article:  How to Read a Short Story

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