This research is entitled an Effort to Improve Students' Skill in Writing Short
Stories through Inspirational Video Media at SMA Negeri 1 Bantarkawung in
Academic Year 2017-2018. This study aimed to describe the improvement of the
students' skills in writing short stories through video media of inspirational stories.
The data of this research were collected from the activities of teachers and students,
responses and student learning outcomes in writing short stories in grade XI IPS II of
SMA Negeri 1 Bantarkawung. The type of this research was descriptive quantitative
and quantitative. The data in this study were the skills to write short stories collected
from test and non-test techniques. The results of this research discovered that the
ability to write short stories in eachcycle was different. Each cycle showed a different
average value. The results also showed that teacher activity increased by 10% while
student activity increased by 12.5%. In addition, initial observations obtained an
average of 60.9, and it showed 78.1 and 80.1 in cycles I and II consecutively. From
the total of 31 students, 3 students gota score of 86-100 in the initial observation
which was classified in the very good category (9.6%). Also, 2 students scored 76-85
which was in the good category (6.4%). However, there were 13 students (41.9%)
included in the sufficient category with a score of 56-75. There were also 13 students
(41.9%) who scored 10-55 and in the weak category. Another result of this study also
revealed that in cycle I there were 6 students (19.3%) scored 86-100 in very good
category and 12 students (38.8%) scored 76-85 in good category. Moreover, there
were 13 students (41.9%) in the sufficient category with a score of 56-75. In this first
cycle, there were no students whose scores were in the weak category (10-55). In
cycle II there were 9 students (29.1%) scored 86-100 in the very good category and 10
students (63.2%) scored 76-85 in the good category. There were also 12 students
(38.7%) in the sufficient category with a score of 56-75. In the second cycle, there
were no students in the weak category. In conclusion, the improvement of students'
skills in writing short stories is also in accordance with the changes in better behavior
proved by their enthusiasm and focus on learning.