Journal article
Smooth as Marble, Furious as a Tiger: Applying Theories of Disruption and Deception in Short Story Writing
Text, Vol.29(2), pp.1-15
2025
Abstract
This paper demonstrates how students in a short story writing course at an Australian university have used narrative techniques drawn from philosophy, literature and science – such as disruption (Badiou), epiphany (Joyce), and paradigm shift (Kuhn). These writers have shaped and crafted their work using the plot structure of Freytag's pyramid but have 'bowerbirded' these theories of disruption in order to produce award-winning and publishable short stories. The paper analyses four stories in depth in order to demonstrate how writers can improve their short story narrative techniques, but also to offer pedagogical strategies for creative writing teachers of short stories.
Details
- Title
- Smooth as Marble, Furious as a Tiger: Applying Theories of Disruption and Deception in Short Story Writing
- Authors
- Paul Williams (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative Industries
- Publication details
- Text, Vol.29(2), pp.1-15
- Publisher
- Australian Association of Writing Programs
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.52086/001c.146394
- ISSN
- 1327-9556
- Copyright note
- Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Reproduced here with kind permission of the author.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Business and Creative Industries; Healthy Ageing Research Cluster; Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991172845102621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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