Writing Short Story Rubric

Place a check mark on the corresponding circle for each criterion in order to evaluate the short story. Then, sum
them up to obtain the final score.
Needs Improvement
1 pt.
Fair
2 pts.
Good
3 pts.
Excellent
4 pts.
TOTAL
LITERARY ELEMENTS
Publication
(illustration(s), font
type and
appearance)

Needs
Improvement

Structurally inferior.
Illustrations and
appearance do not
relate to content,
Writer does not follow
directions as ordered.
Fair

Illustration(s), font
type and appearance
are NOT very
appealing. Writer does
not follow directions in
several of the
publication aspects.
Good

Illustration(s), font
type and appearance
are appealing and
creative but writer
does not follow
directions in all the
publication aspects.
Excellent

Illustration(s), font
type and appearance
are very appealing and
creative. Follow
directions as ordered.

Creativity & Use of
Literary Devices

Needs
Improvement

No creative language is
used. It is evident that
the writer did not put
forth any feeling and
emotion into the story.
The story is not made
personal.
Fair

Very few creative
terms are used.
Potentially terms have
been used out of
context, but student
makes valiant effort to
place them in his/her
writing.
Good

Some creative
language is used.
Literary devices are
used within context
but do not allow for
the flow of the story to
continue on point.
Excellent

The story is filled with
creative and descriptive
language. The writer
engages the reader
with an entertaining
tale of an event that
the audience can relate
to.

Character
Development

Needs
Improvement

Student fails to use
descriptive details to
develop the character.
Characters lack depth.
Fair

Character
development needs
improvement, but the
reader gets a sense of
the character and who
s/he is.
Good

Student uses some
descriptive details to
develop the character.
Characters are
somewhat interesting
and have some depth.
Excellent

The main character is
thoroughly developed
through direct and
indirect
characterization in
speech, actions,
description, etc.

Plot Development

Needs
Improvement

Story development
does not exist and
does not follow
sequence.
Fair

Story development
needs to be improved
or revised. There are
pieces missing.
Good

Story development
follows story sequence
but some components
could be better
developed for the
reader to follow.
Excellent

Story contains
exposition, rising
action, climax, falling
action, resolution.
The story is easy to
follow.

WRITING CONVENTIONS
Grammar

Needs
Improvement

More than 9
grammatical mistakes
were made which
interfere with the
telling of the story.
Fair

7-9 grammatical
mistakes made which
interfere with the
telling of the story.
Good

3-6 grammatical
mistakes made which
interfere with the
telling of the story.
Excellent

1-2 grammatical
mistakes made which
interfere with the
telling of the story.

Coherence &
Cohesion
Needs
Improvement

Missing transitions
make hard for the
reader to follow the
story.
Fair

Transitions only
occasionally aid
coherence; some are
used inappropriately.
Good

Transitions aid
coherence in most
sections of the story,
leaving few gaps for
the reader to fill.
Excellent

Well-chosen transitions
aid coherence, creating
a well-organized story

Word & Language
choice
Needs
Improvement
Lack of precise words
to describe characters,
setting and/or
situation.
Fair

Precise words are used
only occasionally to
describe characters,
setting and/or
situation.
Good

Precise words usually
describe characters,
setting and/or
situation.
Excellent

Precise words vividly
describe characters,
setting and/or
situation.

Spelling,
Punctuation &
Capitalization
Needs
Improvement

The number of
mistakes on spelling,
punctuation, and
capitalization interfere
in the reading process.
Fair

Inconsistent use of
spelling, punctuation,
and capitalization
sometimes obstructs
the reading process.

Good

Spelling, punctuation,
and capitalization are
used properly but with
occasional problems.
Excellent

Spelling, punctuation,
and capitalization are
used correctly
throughout the story.




Final Score