Turn and Resolve: Writing a Very Short Story

About

This 7-page worksheet walks you through brainstorming, outlining, and writing a short story  using a Japanese structure called kishōtenketsu.

What is Kishōtenketsu?

Kishōtenketsu, sometimes inaccurately referred to as "storytelling without conflict," is based on the format of some varieties of classical Chinese poetry. Today, it is used to teach essay-writing in Japanese schools, and as a way to structure poems, films, manga (especially 四コマ, or four-panel manga), as well as stories and books.

Essentially, kishōtenketsu splits a story into four parts:

1. Introduction

2. Development

3. Twist/Turn

4. Resolution

These don't have to involve a conflict and an active protagonist, but they don't have to be conflict-free, either.

What's in the Worksheet?

The worksheet includes a more detailed description of the format, several examples, and a series of guided exercises intended to help you write a very short story of your own—whether you're a professional author exploring kishōtenketsu for the first time, or someone who's never tried to write a short story in your life!

License

The worksheet is released under a CC-BY-NC license, meaning it can be adapted or redistributed, so long as it credits the original creator (me) and so long as any resulting activities or materials are not commercial in nature.