english short story

GERMAN ROCKS

would it be possible to learn famous short stories such as the sniper or guests of the nations and basically reproduce them as the short story by changing the locations and names of characters.

PurpleFistMixer

Well, if you don't mind getting 0% for plagiarism, go right ahead.


(Hint: if you're going to rip off someone else's work, try and go for something the examiner isn't likely to know, so, you know, NOT famous stories. Cheatfail.)

GERMAN ROCKS

ok thanks ill scrap that idea.

PurpleFistMixer

To be slightly less dismissive, I'll say... you can take inspiration from things, but it has to be really vague, ie, "Well, the sniper has a thought-provoking twist at the end (assuming I'm thinking of the right story), maybe I can add something similar to my story", or if there's some character with a trait you're particularly fond of, you could give that to a character of yours, or whatnot.

994

O. Henry wrote a lot of good short stories, you could rip off one of his plots

shockhorror27

I think you could take a plot from another story - but crucially it has to answer the question and hence apply to the title they ask you to write a short story on. That is why I think unless you have a natural aptitude for writing short stories you should avoid in the exam because ultimately the short story will come from a sentence or two from a text in the exam you have never seen so you cannot truly prepare for the short story you are going to write.

K4t

OP :rolleyes:

Shockhorror: You can prepare a short story you have done during the year and change it slightly to suit the title.

SligoBrewer

Or you could just, you know, attempt to use your imagination to compose a piece in the part of the exam marked 'Composition'.

snowflakes

:rolleyes:nice try though!