Could you write a complete (and interesting, of course) story in 100 words or less? That is the practice writing assignment that InterestEng writers are given each week. Thanks to a wonderful online site called Padlet, we post a new photo each week on a “bulletin board” and students all over the world write a story about it in 100 words or less. After the students’ initial response of, “That’s impossible!” they now love to write and share their stories with the other writers. We gave them just one example. (Story #1). After that they were on their own. We think you’ll be impressed. / P.S. We added a “bonus photo” for our readers. Can you write a story about the last photo in 100 words or less?
Photo: Rathish Gandhi, Unsplash!
Laughter
THE young woman on the train reading a book, laughed. A few minutes later, she laughed again even harder, tears starting from the corner of her eyes. The man opposite her started to laugh as well. The woman looked at him and said, “Is your book funny, too?” The man said, “No, I’m laughing at you.” —Mrs.Chips
Photo courtesy Ray Hennessy, Unsplash!
The Kind Boy
A BOY wanted to have a bird. He took a net and threw it over a bird he found. But then the boy heard a little voice. The bird had a baby! The boy thought, “I can live without the bird, but the baby cannot live without it’s mother.”
He said, “Good luck, little bird!” and took the net away. Two weeks later the boy found a kitten and called it Bird. —Polina (Russia)
Photo courtesy Les Anderson, Unsplash!
Hope of Becoming a Writer
HER name is Bahara. She is an Afghan girl. She always dreams of having a good opportunity for studying and improving her writing skills. One day she told me, “Sameema, I really want to be able to write what I have in my heart, but I don’t know how. I think I can’t because I am not very intelligent.” I told her, “My lovely sister, you are the one who can inspire the world with your talents. Just trust yourself and you will offer the best to the world. She said, “O.K.” Now she is the one who inspires me with her poetry. —Sameema (Afghanistan)
Photo courtesy Mathieu Turle, Unsplash!
Balance and Harmony
OUR world consists of contrasts like chaos and harmony, balance and imbalance, love and hate. But it’s you who decide what you see. If you look deep into this picture there is the silence of the wind and the noise of the waves. The harmony of the structure and the chaos of the rocks. The strength of the river and the frailty of stones. You can see a grain of sand and infinity; a moment and eternity. —Andrei (Ukraine)
Photo courtesy Sam Ferrara, Unsplash!
The Salang Way
IN Afghanistan there is a place where it is almost always snowing and has cold weather. The name of the place is Salang. Some years ago there was a huge blizzard and many people died. I was so sorry about it. But Salang has also wonderful weather when there is no snow. Then people go to Salang for picnics! People love Salang’s qurot. It’s made from yogurt. Every time when it is winter and when we want to go to Kabul, I am very afraid of the Salang way and it’s blizzards. I dream of summer and picnics. —Asia (Afghanistan)