A well-written short story is ripe with clues.
In one of my more recent blog posts, (In Defense of BIG kids…) I make a point about how often people can overlook keywords and how it can be responsible for misunderstandings.
Today, I added a blog post to my category Random Word Stories. These are short stories that I create using random words. The fun part is that I create the stories as an exercise. I limit my writing to “one sitting” which has never gone on for more than an hour. When I polish my ideas for posting, I find the adding of details, as clues, to be the deciding factor between just a story and a good story.
It occurred to me, shortly after my exercise, how valuable short stories are when training young readers to recognize clues. This would translate very well to the greater purpose of kids learning to discriminate among clues and keywords they deal with elsewhere.
I’ve provided a link, above, to my newest story.
There are poignant questions that could be asked about the story.
- What may have clouded Mia’s judgement in selecting a roommate?
- Did her occupation affect her judgement?
- What might she have done differently?
- What may have been warning signs of Holt’s problems?
- The story ends on a humorous note…what may she have asked on the questionnaire?
- What did bubblegum have to do with anything?
Certainly, there seems to be much material for discussion in such a short piece. Short stories make great homework assignments too. Their weight is not encumbering when it comes to time spent.
Perhaps I have stumbled upon a marketable use for my better stories? My new project will be to make them age and subject appropriate, of course. 🙂
Sillyfrog's Blog 
Misunderstandings can occur not only through missing out on key-words but also socio-cultural differences which may make one see certain writings in a different context. Loved the post.
Shakti
You are correct on that! Even the difference of location…country vs city …can get in the way of understanding each other. Thanks.