First, jot down a handful of associations connected with the title: hunt. You can include its derivatives, too: hunting, and hunter. Choose one idea, word or picture and underline it or write it down on a separate piece of paper and put it aside. We'll use it later.
Now, what do you expect the story to be about? Can you foresee some elements of the plot? Maybe the whole possible story line?
Read the story. Then look at the possible directions to go around it.
1. How do you find it? Did you enjoy it? Was it lukewarm? Did you get disappointed? Does it still linger in the air?
2. If it disappointed you, try to find out why - or where. If you admire it - say what you admire.
3. What is the most important part (a paragraph, a couple of sentences, a single sentence) of the story? Why?
4. Write a few questions concerning the plot or the characters. What would you like to know or clarify? What intrigues you? Where would you be willing to go further?
5. To make the story fuller, check up the images incorporated in the story. Proper names, names of species, etc. Landscapes. Can you read it with your senses?
Also, guess the meaning of the new words or check them up.
Now, let's pay attention to the story structure:
1. What promises did the writer place in the first paragraph? Hints? Warnings, maybe?
2. How do you understand the very ending: "...we must hunt what no one can kill"?
The story is an example of magical realism. What characteristics of this genre can you notice - or guess?
You can read an interesting article about magical realism here:
Here are three creative writing tasks to choose from:
1. Get back to what you noted down - an idea, word or image. Use it as a seed for a new story.
2. Answer the questios that you've written down concerning the plot or the characters as if you were the writer. You can incorporate them into the story.
3. What is this something that no one can kill? Make a few hypotheses.
4. Do you think this story matters nowadays? Why / how?
