Bowl of Stories III

From the hard copy's Introduction

These are the winning one-sentence stories written by students and teachers for the annual OCTE Teachers & Students as Writers, 2004-05. The Oregon Council of Teachers of English funds this chapbook printing so that every writer who submits a one-sentence story receives a copy of the anthology. Please note that OCTE is not responsible for the content of the stories.

The paradox of the one-sentence story, the tempest in a teacup, the telling of a whole story in a single sentence, is the brief form that encourages playfulness in all students of writing. Teachable moments include opportunities to review semicolons, dashes, commas, colons, parenthetical phrases, ellipses, cumulative sentences and introductory elements--among others. Students and teachers can write together, trying their hands at these "flash" forms.

Story Prompts

• A rainy night in Paris . . .
• In my dream of summer . . .
• I'm the one who . . .
• Things Momma don't allow . . .
• Where were you last night?
• I remember when . . .
• Once I journeyed to . . .
• Things I'm afraid to tell myself. . .
• How a story saves lives . . .
• What if?
• Your reoccurring dread . . .
• A most evocative smell . . .
• Your earliest memory . . .
• Your favorite geography . . .
• Living an endless summer . . .
• List six captivating words, use them.
• Your worst nightmare . . .
• In my next story I will have . . .
• Write a thank you note to water.
• Through the eyes of a fish . . .
• Standing on the water's edge . . .
• Rivers hold a world underwater .
• Sounds of the river remind me . . .
• Tell me about wind and water.
• Gliding water transported me . . .
• A river that you've gotten on you . . .
• Describe a time of intense fear.