short story 16

Prompt

Write a short story in the point of view of an unreliable narrator who witnesses or experiences

something wrong and makes the decision of whether or not to speak up. Show in your story how

the narrator speaks up or refrains from speaking up, and why. Show the consequences his/her/its

actions have on the plot.

Keep in mind that an

unreliable narrator

does not necessarily have to be someone who is not

sane. Your narrator can be a young child, an unhappy teenager, a superstar, a pseudo-scientist, a

doting mother, an overprotective father, a zealot, a prisoner, a jealous lover, a troubled neighbor,

a powerful person, a rich person, etc. It can even be an animal (e.g., your pet), a plant, or even an

inanimate object. Feel free to be creative and define in your own way who an unreliable narrator

is.

While writing your short story, you may find it helpful to refer to Chapter 8 in

Knowing

Language

.