1. Writing Your Introduction
SUSPENSE
Short Story Analysis

2. MLA Format Double spaced Size 12 font
1 inch margins for the text of paper, ½ inch margin for header/footer

3. Creative Title
You want your title to indicate the subject of your paper in an interesting way.

4. Creative Title Revise: Short Story Analysis Revise: “War”
Great: Kindness Given, but Not Returned

5. Common Sayings
Your punctuation should not be an arbitrary decision. Follow the rules!
Common sayings should be surrounded by quotes, not italicized.

6. Common Sayings
Revise: The phrase, what goes around comes around, is not always true.
Great: The phrase, “what goes around comes around,” is not always true.

7. Author’s Name
Once you have introduced an author by his full name, you do not need to refer to him by full name again. Use only the author’s last name in the remainder of the paper.

8. Author’s Name
Do not refer to the author by first name only.

9. Talking about Your Paper or Yourself
BAD

10. Talking about Your Paper
Revise: He demonstrates the theme through the following literary terms: situational irony, dramatic irony, and ambiguity.
Great: He demonstrates the theme through his use of situational irony, dramatic irony, and ambiguity.

11. Talking about Your Paper
Revise: Lastly, the plot of the story helps to show the conflict within the story and ties in with the thesis.
Great: Lastly, the plot of the story helps to show the conflict and support the theme.

12. Talking about Your Paper
Revise: This paper will discuss how the author explains the mood, setting, and diction.
Great: The theme is supported by the mood, setting, and diction of the story.

13. Talking about Yourself
Revise: This is how I think the author demonstrates the theme.

14. Unnecessary Pronouns You shouldn’t need a pronoun right after a noun.
Revise: In “The Most Dangerous Game,” by Richard Connell, he uses foreboding diction to foreshadow Rainsford’s imminent danger.

15. Unnecessary Pronouns
Revise: In the story, “War,” by Jack London, it proves that theory.
Great: The short story, “War,” by Jack London proves that theory.
Great: In the short story, “War,” Jack London proves that theory.

16. Naked Quote
You must explain any quote that you put in your paper—even one at the very beginning.

17. Naked Quote
“The question of her decision is one not to be lightly considered, and it is not for me to presume to set myself up as the one person able to answer it. And so I leave it with all of you: Which came out of the opened door—the lady or the tiger?” Frank R. Stockton, the writer of “The Lady, or the Tiger?” uses suspense and diction throughout the whole narrative to express the meaning of the story.

18. Shifts in Point of View
Most of your paper will be written using 3rd person narration. Don’t change to 2nd person just because it’s convenient.
Take out any you’s in your introduction.

19. Shifts in Point of View
Revise: Hughes demonstrates his theme, “forgive those who do wrong to you,” through setting, characterization, and situational irony.
Great: Hughes demonstrates his theme, that people should forgive those who wrong them, through…