Critical Reading Task

Dear students-

Now that most of the stories are published, the task you have to do is the following.

Please read all of the stories and comment on at least THREE of them.

The idea is to give feedback to your classmates based on the assessment criteria we worked on in class. So tell them what you liked: surprises, openers, imagery, etc. Also, don't feel shy to ask for clarification if necessary. (Is there anything you didn't inderstand?)

At the same time, try to make genuine and meaningful comments about stories that interested YOU.

Finally, make sure your name is somewhere when you make the comment.


The deadline for this activity is 6 May.

Good reading and congratulations for your writing
alfonso

Micro fiction assessment checklist (tentative)

This story…(tick as applicable)

Makes us laugh or at least smile – it is funny
Presents a powerful, captivating imagery
Allows us to look at daily life and familiar situations in a new light (comic? tragic?)
Is rich in metaphor
Is rich in irony
Has a final sentence or ending that makes us want to reread the story
Manages to defeat our expectations – it’s surprising
Implies a lot about the characters involved, despite the short length
Is tight – no unnecessary detail
Has powerful openers / closers
Is open to different interpretations
Makes us relate to one or more of the characters
Has a moral or a lesson to be learnt
Has an attractive title

Can you find these qualities in any of the stories we have read? Which?

Betrayed

She thought that they made a great couple. They were planning to marry soon.
One afternoon when she went out to work she saw her great love with another woman. She decided to follow them. She saw them going into a hotel. She only felt hatred for him.When she get home she pretended to have seen nothing. But the following days were spent following her boyfriend. She could not believe it.Months later came the wedding day.All the guests were there, the groom was waiting for the bride. Finally her car arrived, but inside came only a messenger with a note that said, "I know everything"



By Mercedes Pérez

Admiration

Every morning he sat in the subway car in the hope of seeing this girl that caused him great admiration. One day he saw her at the door and went to help her.

-    Don't worry, people want to go to work on four wheels and mine are standard.

She smiled.

By Laura Ruiz 

Memories

She put his hand in the water while the boat was rolling. She needed to refresh. Finally she could remember the days before without feeling sadness, She even smiled remembering good times. She would miss him, but it was timefor each to start a new life. A white bird landed on the boat.

By Patricia Soto

Faces

David was tired of his complex, so he gave the surgeon pictures of the faces he wishes he had, including his boyfriend's. 

When the doctor came out to the waiting room to announce that the operation was over, he paled when he saw David's face there, but David was even whiter when he saw himself in the mirror.

By Marta Franco

Oyster

It had never noticed either such an acid smell, or such a strong pain - then suddenly there was total darkness. In the distance it could hear laughs, music, while it was rolling across a narrow corridor.

It was calm in the sea. Sometimes it got into dark caves, but when it heard: Honey, these oysters are delicious!, it knew that they were speaking about it and then, yes, it felt fear.

By Rosario Arenas

The Match

Five minutes to finish the match. My teammate Gonzalo passes me the ball and I find myself in front of the goalkeeper. I´m nervous, I know it could be the last chance to score, and all my teammates trust me. I kick the ball really hard and...

It´s a goal!! The public, my coach and my teammates congratulate me, I am very happy, but when I see a boy of the other team crying because they have lost the match, I feel a little sad, and I go to give my congratulations, and then he smiles.

By Carlos Tejedor

Bubbles

 It was so nice that, when I could see her, I ran to her and, in a magical moment, we got together and enjoyed a unique moment. But suddenly she disappeared and I went on my way waiting for the next tiem to meet her. I knew it was the only possible end with a soap bubble.


By Almudena Otero

Siblings

Two children are playing in class. The boy says to the girl:

-"What is your mother called?"

-"Laura". Replied the little girl.

-"Just like my mommy!"

They spend a few days and give realize that they are siblings. They did not know. From that moment they were much happier.

By María Gallo

Beautiful Way

The grandfather says: I’ll show you a beautiful present!

Grandson: what is it?;

- You continue walking and you’ll discover it.

- How much time left?; 

- Very little - continue.

After 5 hours the child says: I can’t any take this anymore, what is it? The grandfather takes a stone and says: it's this!

By Cristina de Hita

Sleep

 I looked up and I saw a wonderful book. Suddenly, I was going for a walk in a beach. A great wave was carrying me out to sea. When I opened my eyes, I was sitting on an elephant, in India.

"Max, wake up! We have to do the history assignment."

I waked up very scared, I didn´t know where I was. I thought that I should sleep some more.

By Sara Carretero

At the cafe

He only knew her from seeing her at his regular cafe, reading her book. Still, she loved her. It was irrational, he knew it. And he would never would have the courage to speak to her. He would be content to watch as she read. But that day he heard a voice, her voice and it addressed him, and knew he would never let her escape."


By Irene Seoane

The Wedding

They knew it. However none of the guests suspected it. They got married, but the marriage didn't survive the honeymoon. 

They realized their mistake. But they remained together. Because of the gifts.

By Silvia Monreal

Palace

-“Damned shyness, it paralyzes my articulations and blocks my thoughts!”-“Think about it - sometimes that's the answer, Clara” said her conscience.Feelings aren´t seen, words are carried by the wind but, the facts are keept in time:-“I'll send a love note, with heart shaped to the Palace!”-“And I?”


By Mª Ángeles Moya

20 Shots

Omar didn’t cry. He went out of his home, full of hate. At the back of the house, he saw Jose, it was his moment, he shot twenty times. Yes! He had killed him. No one would laugh at his family again!

He came home. Bullets had gone through the window and there were two corpses lying on the ground. Nooooooooo!

By Cristina Vidal 

Cold

The door closing made ​​no noise. For a moment it seemed that there hadn't been anyone there. Suddenly the siren of an ambulance broke the monotonous sound of the heater. Rachel sighed and, feeling cold, stared at the light thoughtfully.

By Beatriz Martin

Small

In a very small village where all the inhabitants were tiny there was a little library where there was only one book. It was such a brief book that it only had one page where you could read in miniscule letters ... "In a very small village."


By Carmen Alvarez

Money or Love

She spoke with her mother, "He is perfect for me," she said while she was buying an expensive dress.

"He gives me everything I want, I don´t  need more."

A dark day, she realized she was wrong. He was not giving all - love was missing.

By Marta Prados

Nobody

If I had been able to talk... If they had been able to hear me...

Maite left the huge white and green room where she had been asleep for the last two hours.

She smiled; she seemed happy...

I no longer existed...

By Natalia Ortego

Time

The past is gone, it disappeared; the future has not arrived, only the present is with us. There he is, sad,alone,wondering how life is escaping, recalling those days in which he was happy,erasing the moments he did not enjoy...
"I want to become a child again" were his last words.


By Lorena Prieto

Between you and me

He looks at me, everyone looks at us. Everything around us is full. It breathes intelligence, pride, gullibility, passivity. However, we only care about ourselves - in silence, immersed in our gaze, enjoying our cold skin on our pedestal. 


By Laura Paz

Darkness

All it was around him.
No,not everything.
Perhaps it would be best to follow the trail of light.He felt alone and lost and that light may be be his only salvation.
But again,he lost in the dark and stayed with them.


By Marta Martín

Loneliness

During dinner at an expensive restaurant she, without saying a word, was listening to her future husband talking about his business. "My mother says he's the perfect man for me" she thought. A few hours later, she lay in her bed. Finally, she felt affection, warmth, comfort, welfare and protection. He was hugging her pillow.


By Melissa García

The Great Match

He had trained so much for that match. It was being difficult, but he needed to win.
Suddenly, everything turned off. There had been a short circuit and the match had disappeared. Angrily, he took off the Wii remote control from his right arm. Then, the one from his left arm, and went to sleep.



By Irene Fernández

Smells

And in the bakery where I am, I start to get a delicious smell of freshly baked muffins, I am hungry...now smells like chocolate croissants....I want to try....A guy comes into the bakery, He looks at me, I look at him...I close my eyes...I lose my jelly bean buttons, my legs melt in your mouth...


By Álvaro Escobar

The Mode

10:35 AM: " Number 196, table 8 ", the beginning or the end of a way. There is only sad people and an amazed silence.

I go towards the table in search of hope.

I find a civil servant with little desire to work. He says to me: 

"Sorry, the schedule was only until 10.30 AM."

By Mar López

The Subway

A pregnant woman enters in the subway. Everyone keeps their head down and pretends to be sleeping. Finally I decide to get up and offer my seat - then everyone wakes up. 
"I'm not pregnant!" she says.

It's decided. From now on, I'll always pretend to be asleep.

By María Luz Sánchez

The Book

Robert Stenson was a young Southern Californian, computer science student, book lover and sportsman. He was also a bit weird: his whole life revolved around a book. 

The book was known to have a curse.

It was known that Robert had spent years looking for it.

It was known that Robert found the book.

It was known that after that nothhing else was heard of Robert.

By David Martín

Living without you

I hate you. I’ve lost my family, my friends…all, for you.You only have been in my life when you’ve wanted and now…you’re gone. I miss you. I thought I could live without you, but I realize that’s impossible.

I can’t any more. I know that you’ve hurted me but I need you. I don’t know that I must do. Sometimes it seems very easy, other times… it’s very difficult. I'm ashamed of myself because you have never loved me and, however, I’ve always been crazy about you.

These words have been my thoughts until now.No more -  I’m a new person, I can breath, I can smile, I can walk, I’m independent. Now…I can be happy.

At least I can move forward without looking back. I have hope. I have changed.

I can live calm ‘cause I’ve defeated alcohol.

By Marta Estévez

History

I only can plug the wound so that he won't lose more blood. Nobody can hear my shouts: "Help me, help me!. Relax Kevin, don't worry everything will be OK!" But I don't believe my own words.
I only hear shots and booms. Kevin closes his eyes and.....RINGGGGGGGG
"The History class is finished boys and girls"


By Patricia Fernández

I don't understand

I don´t understand how I could remember my life in pictures in just thirty seconds.I never understood why I decided to do parachuting.
Now I don´t understand how I could write this story and how you can
be listening to this now, two years after my fatal accident.


By David Nevado

The Race

A madman escaped from the asylum and began to circle around the building. The security person ran and ran behind him and when he finally caught up with the madman, he took him to his cell.
From then on, he would hear the madman crying from his cell every day, You couldn’t catch me! I was two laps ahead!


By Borja Rodríguez

What does she think?

I wish I knew what Africa thinks when she closes her eyes, snaps the fingers of his right hand, bows his head down and drops a lock of blond hair on the cheek when she smiles to herself for no apparent reason breathing deeply, as if she was remembering something unexplainable... but that is impossible… two hours ago a nurse told me that the Africa body had stopped breathing… 


By Alicia García

Enough is enough

 So much pain, suffering and control. She is unable to stand it even one more second. She denies; it is unnecessary, she doesn't deserve this. How long does she have to endure it? She makes a decision: she manages to stop laughing and yells “Stop tickling me!”


By Judit de Ancos

Delay

She was at the airport. Her flight had been delayed. She wouldn´t arrive in time. She felt panic. 

“What shall I do? “She asked herself.

He wouldn´t expect her, he would think that her answer will be no and he would leave without her…

She must think quickly or she would be alone again...

By Mar Valencia

Victoria

“Victoria? – he called her.” Nobody answered. He couldn’t turn on the lights. What was that viscous substance? Who was lying on the floor? Victoria was standing in front of him, however she was on the floor surrounded by blood too! Hands were choking him. He struggled to get away from them, until he saw his attacker… His own face?


By Virginia de la Fuente

Farewell

Finally came the day when she left. She had decided to go and live away, far from here. I always wondered if I was responsible for that decision. I will never know the answer. I only know that she vanished like the smoke of the train that was getting away from me.


By Lucía Enríquez

Directed Life

Dario wanted to draw elephants but his teacher asked him “Paint white houses with blue roofs.” 

He wanted to be a musician but his father told him “study engineering.”

He raised a family because his girlfriend told him to. 

One day his son asked him “What are you doing?"

He replied “I don’t know. Shall we paint white houses with blue roofs?”

By Sofía Vaquero

Popcorn

Henry was a boy who liked popcorn. All days he ate
it and at school other students made fun of him and sang: “popcorn,
porcorn lalala …”


But one day in summer, Henry thought that if he sunbathed he
could be popcorn.


By Cristina Fernández

Do not leave for tomorrow....

"Hi Tom! Do you know anything about the whereabouts of your parents?" 

"Yes!!! I will go to my parent’s house but it will be a surprise!! I hope that I'm able to recognize them."

Days after, He called at the door; his grandmother received him and said, "Tom! I am sorry but your parents died three weeks ago."

By Rocío Labrador

Distraction

She was there, paralyzed with terror. She wanted go away but she couldn’t because something prevented her. She could remember a very handsome man saying something, but what would it be? Now she listened to his voice and her family, they told her open your eyes but she couldn't wake up.  

By Gema García

Till death do us part

The most important day of her life had come. White flowers decorated the place. The dress had been especially chosen. The guests took their places. He had long been waiting for her. She was the last to arrive.
Approaching to him she said:
- You didn't lie - only death could separate us.


By Lucía Viso

Dream Travel

Everything is dark on this train but a crack in the trunk let me see medieval villages with fun minstrels, circuses and enchanted forests filled with mythological animals.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!

My owner fell asleep while I waited full of clothes that bothered my zippers. With whom would I dream this time?

By Carla Corrochano

The Alarm Clock

Damn, 7:00. And again I have a hangover, the taste of cigarettes, vodka and lipstick.
I turn off the alarm and continue sleeping.
I curse again. It is 12:37, Wednesday.
Another interview that I have not arrived on time to.


By Silvia Lerena

Do you believe in luck?

John exclaimed, "We've won the lottery, we've won the lottery!"
Mary woke up frightened. "What?"

 John showed the lottery ticket, and explained that they had the winning ticket, they were millionaires.

John quickly dressed and went with the ticket. When John went to pick up the ticket, Mary went to buy bread at the bakery.

John was very nervous, he looked at the ticket all the time, when suddenly...oops! The ticket escaped from his hands, and went out for the window of the car and went flying and flying…

John couldn't believe it, he had lost the ticket. Back home, he was thinking how to tell this to Mary.

John came home very disappointed, Mary asked him what happened; he told her what happened.The surprise came when John saw that Mary smiled and showed him the winning ticket.


By Enrique Lobo

Lucas

My mother complains that Lucas does not do anything useful - he is only concerned about the food on time and spends the day lying on the armchair.My mother blames my father for how he has raised him, but I know him very well, I adore him .... 
Lucas is my dog.


By Sara Salcedo

A Bad Dream?

I woke up feeling something strange, some soreness. I could not move, with scratches and a headache that didn’t let me think. I suddenly started having flashes. What had happened last night? A bad dream?

I turned on the television to relax, just bad news came, one of them surprised me the most, it was a weird one that happened near my house. Another flash came to me suddenly, streets, shops, bars,... amazed by the coincidences with the event, it scared me. A bad dream?

By Cristina Ceña

She

A strong shock, obscurity, confusion. There! Lies in that deep dark pit, her beautiful golden hair now is stained, his stiff torso as ever, now she has only one of her thin and shiny legs, her arms are amputees, her elegant dress ... Oh! Yes, I will have to ask my mom for another doll.

By Elsa Castillo