This can involve writing a diary and is probably the easiest writing style to achieve, because everything is told in the voice of the chief protagonist. As such, this style may be most suitable for younger students who need to learn basic characterization. A student may wish to write about a day in the life of a school student or on the theme of holidays, using his own experience to fill in the gaps of the story.
Begin with an introduction in third person, such as on the theme "lost and found." For example, when cleaning out the attic of her house, a girl finds a box full of old photographs and letters. The students must continue the story from this beginning. This is useful for middle school students, because it gives them an opening upon which they can use their own creativity to build the story. They may write that the found letters transport the girl to another time, for example. Other useful themes can be on the theme of black and white, friendship, secrets or interracial relationships, all of which are relevant to students.
Useful for teaching social history, historical writing can be set during major eras of history, such as at a castle in the medieval period, in the trenches during World War I or at Pearl Harbor in World War II. Examples include a soldier writing a letter home, a diary entry about the start or end of the war, or a portrait of what life in a castle is like.
Short stories, like all forms of creative writing, are crafted with literary techniques. Sophisticated techniques such as the use of dramatic irony may be easier for older students to grasp. Younger students may enjoy learning about language techniques such as onomatopoeia, alliteration and repetition. Most students can understand characterization, or how a character develops throughout a story.