What Makes a Good Short Story

A short story does not require length, but like any story, it does require a plot and structure. Plot and structure are crucial elements of fiction because without them, there would be no beginning, middle, or end of a story. Although, some short stories can illustrate that the middle of the story is not as necessary, much like Margaret Atwood does with her short story Happy Endings. Atwood's story chronicles the different lives her main characters John and Mary could live out together, apart, or even dead. The main theme of Happy Endings is that the only ending that is certain for her characters is death, and that the middle of a story is the hardest to write. She exemplifies this fact by focusing mostly on the beginnings and endings concerning her characters.

In order for a reader to make sense of a story, each event must have a purpose that leads to the next event in a fairly reasonable way. Following the Three Act Structure is the easiest way to build a successful plot, (Plot, n.d.). Frank O’Connor’s short story, Guests of the Nation, demonstrates the simple use of the Three Act Structure: setup, confrontation, and resolution. In the beginning, we learn who the characters are: Irish and British soldiers who have become fast friends. Then, it is revealed that the British soldiers are actually hostages of the Irishmen, and they might have to be killed later on. The resolution is slow and painful as the two British soldiers are executed by their new friends.

Plot and structure are the backbones to any good story. In a short story, plot and structure are even more important since there are less words to express the importance of the theme, characters, and events. Margaret Atwood and Frank O’Connor are two authors that understood how to properly use plot and structure to their story’s advantage.

References:

Plot. (n.d.). Elements of a novel, structure and plot. Retrieved August 25, 2010, from http://www.musik-therapie.at/PederHill/Structure&Plot.htm

Parables, Fables, and Tales, Oh my!

There are many types of short stories, but three in particular that share traits and differ in other ways: parables, fables, and tales.

The difference in tone between parables, fables, and tales are the seriousness which is conveyed in each type of short story, starting with a parable. A parable is the most sanctimonious of all short stories, illustrating a religious or spiritual ideal through the story, (Chea, 2010). In the New Testament, the parable "The Prodigal Son" teaches forgiveness and humility because the son leaves to have a life full of fun but is welcomed home again with open arms after he does not find great success.

A fable, while still wishing to impart a moral to its audience, has less of a severe tone than a parable, often full of witticism and talking animals. Another element of the fable is when the moral of the story is easily stated, like in Aesop’s The Wolff and the Mastiff . After reading it, one can understand that freedom of choice is more desirable than being well-fed and cared for. Likewise, the fable "The Tortoise and the Hare" fully demonstrates the cliche 'slow and steady wins the race'.

Tales differ from parables and fables because they do not necessarily focus on a moral, but rather the events of the story and the emotions the events impart on the reader, (Chea, 2010). Petronius’ The Widow of Ephesus is a tale that causes the reader to feel pity for the widow as she loses one man, only to then cause the reader joy as the widow then gains another lover after having gone through such trials and tribulations.

Chea, S. (2010, February 18). "The different types of short fiction". Retrieved on August 24, 2010, from the Associated Content Database: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2700033/the_different_types_of_short_fiction.html?cat=38

Try saying THIS five times fast: Communication Organizations!

Although one may have not been aware, there are several organizations available to communication professionals. In fact, there are so many that I chose only five to discuss at length. The five organizations that I chose to dissect were:

The Association for Women in Communications (AWC)

The Association of Professional Communication Consultants

The American Communication Association (ACA)

The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (AEJMC)

The Center for Global Communications (GLOCOM)

The AWC is committed to establishing women in different positions to ensure greater advancement for them in Communications. They recognize that the field of communications is growing and diverse, and women should have their own stake in it as well. Obviously, the intended audience for this organization is women who are interested in furthering their career in Communications.

The Association of Professional Communication Consultants provides consultants or references to companies that are sans a communications consultant. Most companies probably do not realize the dynamics a communications consultant can bring to any business. Thankfully, that is what the association is there to explain. Companies who require a PR representative or the like would be the most likely intended audience for this organization.

The ACA is a non-profit and was started out of an interest in all types of human communication. This association is also completely aware that communication is increasingly becoming a virtual forum. Their goal is to facilitate the freedom of communication on the internet and on other means of mobile communicative mediums. Other major goals of the ACA include: "(a) fostering scholarship in all areas of human communication behavior, (b) promoting excellence in the pedagogy of communication, (c) providing a voice in communication law and policy, and (d) providing evaluation and certification services for academic programs in communication study," (ACA, 2009). Technological communication experts could be the intended audience for the ACA.

The AEJMC's mission is to ensure high standards and multi-culturalism in journalism and education, while promoting objectivity of all journalists and mass communications. Another non-profit, the AEJMC also proliferates extensive research in communications. Teachers, journalists, broadcasters, and students would get the most out of this organization.

GLOCOM is based in Japan, but over the last decade has expanded to include over 50 countries in its pursuit for international communication awareness. Researching international communication methods, communicating with international governments and academia are only a few of the other things GLOCOM is a part of. Government officials, business professionals, and students with an interest in international communications would be the intended audience for this organization.

The organizations I am most interested in are AWC, AEJMC, and GLOCOM. As a woman, being a part of AWC might open up opportunities for me I might have otherwise been unaware of. As a former enthusiast for journalism, the AEJMC might give me a new appreciation for journalism while also educating me on the finer points of mass communication styles. Finally, different cultures fascinate me and I always wish to know more about them, thus GLOCOM would be a perfect way to learn and grow in the international business world of communications.

References:

ACA. (2009, n.d.) The american communication association. Retrieved on August 11, 2010, from http://www.americancomm.org/

AEJMC. (2010, n.d.). The association for education in journalism and mass communications. Retrieved on August 11, 2010, from http://www.aejmc.com/

AWC. (2010, n.d.). The association for women in communications. Retrieved on August 11, 2010, from http://www.womcom.org/about_us/overview.asp

GLOCOM. (n.d.). The center for global communications. Retrieved on August 11, 2010, from http://www.glocom.ac.jp/e/about/

Professionals. (n.d.) The association of professional communication consultants. Retrieved on August 11, 2010, from http://www.consultingsuccess.org/

What Makes a Good Blog?

The key to a successful blog is the effective use of purpose, design, content, and audience. Forgetting all of that, what truly makes a good blog is a certain “it” factor that makes the reader want to come back for more. This week I reviewed three of my classmates’ academic blogs:

Kritina: http://mycommunicationworld.blogspot.com/

Ms. MJ: http://markitascommunication.blogspot.com/

Jeanie: http://jeanniealbee.blogspot.com/

All three blogs taught me how to pull together a blog of my own that might be worth reading.

To begin with, a good blog has a catchy title or quote that sums up the blog in its entirety. For example, Kritina’s blog has a headline beneath her title that reads:

“A through the eyes view of the world around us. The dynamics of effective communication and expression from interpersonal communication, organizational communication, and conflict resolution.”

In a few sentences, she included different types of communication, illustrating to the reader what her blog is about in detail.

Another example of a good blog is one that features an interactive element, like a poll. Several of my other classmates had a poll in their academic blog, with questions like, “How important is intercultural communication?” A poll lets the reader learn something new in just a few seconds, and shows them that other people are reading that same thing they are. Videos are an easier way to involve the reader. Youtube.com has several videos that could be used in a blog, even videos on communication styles, methods, and theories.

Visually, a blog has to have appeal as well. A lackluster blog is one that has few pictures, a boring background, and a layout that does not make any sense. My classmate, Markita, has a blog that is full of visuals depicting communication issues and other pictures that are important to her blog theme. A blog is about the content of the copy, that is certain, but pictures help to entertain the reader further. An entertained reader is more likely to continue reading.

A well-written, well-researched, and proofread posting helps to create a good blog. No one wants to read passages like, “I have not gotten around to yet cuz of that thing.” Text-type such as ‘cuz’, ‘u’, ‘lol’ and others have no place in academic writing, or really writing of any kind. In order to be taken seriously, a blogger must follow the basic rules of the English language. Spelling errors can become annoying to a reader, especially when any online writer or reader is aware that spell check is just a click away.

Blogging is not as simple as chatting about the day’s events or what the weather in Florida is like. A good blog is written for a reason, and has a theme that the writer follows. As the days, weeks, and years go by, I hope to maintain my focus and achieve the status of a ‘good blogger’. No wait, I hope to become a great blogger!

Babies Have Another Way to Communicate: Sign Language!

Until they are about 8-12 months of age, babies only have one sure way of communicating: crying. Other subtle signs babies communicate like yawns, wetting their lips, or wiping their eyes can also cue a parent in to issues of hunger or sleepiness. However, babies begin to understand the cadence of language and meanings of words well before their first birthday, (Babies, 2006 ). Therefore, a baby might have more complex desires beyond that of the standard clean diaper, full tummy, and well-rested body. For instance, a baby might want to cuddle with their favorite stuffed animal or blanket, be read a story, or inform the parent that they are feeling too hot. In order to harness the full communication potential in an infant, a parent can utilize the power of sign language.

“Signing with babies, whether hearing or deaf, has proven to be beneficial,” (Berke, 2009). Not only will a baby or young toddler be able to let a parent know that they want their blue socks instead of their red socks, but American Sign Language is the 3^rd most common language in the United States. That means, “Should your baby continue to learn American Sign Language past his or her 3rd year, she will have acquired a 2nd or even 3rd language,” (Babies, 2006). When a child cannot verbalize exactly what they want, a tantrum can occur. To avoid frustration, a parent can show their child the hand signs for common words used on a daily basis, like “milk”, “water”, “teddy bear”, “blanket”, “sleep”, “more”, “hug”, and others. Another benefit of teaching an infant sign language is the improved relationship between parent and child.

References:

Babies. (2006, n.d.). Baby sign language with your infant or toddler. Retrieved on August 2, 2010, from http://www.babies-and-sign-language.com/

Berke, J. (2009, July 14). Using baby sign language with your baby. Retrieved on August 2, 2010, fromhttp://deafness.about.com/cs/signfeats1/a/babysigning.htm

Case Study: Delivering Bad News Tactfully

Delivering bad news is never easy, especially in a professional environment. When work performance slips, or even worse, when a person needs to be let go, communicating in such situations can be uncomfortable for both parties. Consider the case study and how the employee would have to be approached:

“You are a department manager in a mid-sized company that provides technology support services. You have ten employees who are required to maintain a high level of technical expertise and deliver excellent customer service. One of your employees, who has been with the company for two years, is performing at a substandard level and you have received numerous complaints from customers and coworkers. In addition, this employee has displayed confrontational behavior which has created a hostile environment. You must now meet with this employee and deliver an ultimatum regarding the need for immediate improvement or dismissal.”

First off, the employee might have different reasons for their decrease in work performance. Perhaps they had a death in the family, a bad break-up, or other personal problems to contend with. However, since the employee has been with the company for two years, they might simply feel a sense of entitlement that transcends to laziness. Before speaking with the employee, both states of mind of the employee should be taken into account. Therefore, planning for both variations of conversations would be prudent, (Michaels, 1983, p. 1307).

It is highly likely that the employee’s response would be defensive, given the subjects that are to be broached. The employee might say something like, “I was having a bad day,” or, “I have been an employee here for two years and I have never had complaints before!” To counter the employee’s various excuses, one might answer, “Regardless of any personal problems, they should be left at the door since every single human being has their own emotional dilemmas to contend with on a daily basis. If a death in the family, depression, or other serious issues are at hand, then after a few months of counseling, I will re-evaluate your professional attitude and performance.”

By following a conflict resolution style known as NORMS, a solution can be more smoothly facilitated. NORMS is an acronym that stands for, “ N-Not biased or personal interpretation; O-Observable, situation is seen and touched or experienced by staff; R-Reliable, two or more people agree on what took place; M-Measurable, parameters of conflict can be distinguished and measured; S-Specifics are not subjective, but objective and non-confrontational, (Huber, 2007). Maintaining an objective, calm attitude helps to alleviate unnecessary tension while keeping the path clear for the true problem that needs to be addressed.

References:

Huber, B. (July, 2007). Maintenance and Operations Conflicts. Rock Products, 110 (7),16-16. Retrieved September 8, 2007, from Academic Search Premier Database.