Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing

Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing
Year 10

Heart of Darkness Question 1: Read again the first part of the source, lines 1 to 6. List four things from this part of the text we learn about Marlowe’s journey?

Heart of Darkness Question 2 Look in detail at this extract from lines 7 to 26 of the source. How does the writer use language here to describe the jungle landscape? You could include the writer’s choice of:  words and phrases  language features and techniques  sentence forms. [8 marks]

Heart of Darkness Interesting words/phrases: • “big trees were kings” • “a mob of wooded islands” Language features and techniques: • “vegetation rioted on the earth” • “It looked at you with a vengeful aspect.” Sentence forms: • “An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest.” • “The air was warm, thick, heavy, sluggish.” • “And this stillness of life did not in the least resemble a peace.” Band 4 = Selects a range of judicious quotations Band 3 = Selects a range of relevant quotations

Heart of Darkness Having selected your quotations you need to focus on the following when writing your response: Level 4: Analysing the effects of the writer’s choices of language Use of sophisticated and accurate subject terminology Level 3: Clearly explaining the effects of the writer’s choices of language Using subject terminology accurately

Heart of Darkness Writer’s choice of words and phrases: “a mob of wooded islands” noun - part of the extended noun phrase mob (as opposed to group) suggests the threatening nature of the landscape – that this landscape contains a sense of menace/violence as if it is combining its forces to destroy the expedition – primal violence/unmitigated

Heart of Darkness Writer’s use of language features and techniques:
“It looked at you with a vengeful aspect.” Personification – landscape given human qualities – sense that it is watching the expedition/wants to exert its power/show its power over humans

Heart of Darkness Writer’s use of different sentence forms: “The air was warm, thick, heavy, sluggish.” Simple sentence – multiple post-modifying adjectives capture the sense of how the atmosphere weights upon the people on the expedition – sentence imitates what it is describing – weighted with synonymous adjectives (“thick, heavy, sluggish”). Asyndetic listing (the omission of conjunctions) – sentence seems to limp on like the expedition. What else would you look for in terms of language features?

Writing to Describe/Narrate
Write a description suggested by this picture Or Write a story entitled ‘The Lost World’. (24 marks for content and organisation and 16 marks for technical accuracy) [40 marks]

Sentences Structure: Use a variety of sentence structures. Asyndetic listing: “The air was warm, thick, heavy, sluggish.” Syndetic listing: “It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially.” (Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms) Syndetic sentences can be used to build a panoramic picture. Look at the opening of Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms.

In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains. In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels. Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees. The trunks of the trees too were dusty and the leaves fell early that year and we saw troops marching along the road and the dust rising and leaves, stirred by the breeze, falling and the soldiers marching and afterward the road bare and white except for the leaves. (Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms)

When writing think about using different forms of repetition and symmetry in your writing. Notice how Hemingway repeats images: “the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees” “the dust rising and leaves…” “the leaves fell early that year” “leaves, stirred by the breeze, falling” “we saw troops marching” “and the soldiers marching” If we were analysing the passage we might say the cumulative effect of the repeated images is to associate the marching soldiers with the “dust” and “falling leaves” in the reader’s mind – in other words with images of decay.

We something similar in a story by James Joyce. Look at this sentence from his story The Dead: “O, the day I heard that, that he was dead!” Why does this sound better than if he had written: O, the day I heard that he was dead! This is the final paragraph from the story. What is the effect of the repetition in this paragraph? A few light taps upon the pane made him turn to the window. It had begun to snow again. He watched sleepily the flakes, silver and dark, falling obliquely against the lamplight. The time had come for him to set out on his journey westward. Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was general all over Ireland. It was falling on every part of the dark central plain, on the treeless hills, falling softly upon the Bog of Allen and, farther westward, softly falling into the dark mutinous Shannon waves. It was falling, too, upon every part of the lonely churchyard on the hill where Michael Furey lay buried. It lay thickly drifted on the crooked crosses and headstones, on the spears of the little gate, on the barren thorns. His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead. Write the opening of your description. Use some syndetic sentences and repeat a word, phrase or line.

Varying complex sentences for effect: A complex sentence is made up of a main clause and a subordinate clause. The main clause is a simple sentence which makes sense by itself. The subordinate clause cannot stand alone separate to the main clause. The rapids, raging and frothing, tumbled on as far as the eye could see. The rapids tumbled on as far as the eye could see, raging and frothing. Raging and frothing, the rapids… In a complex sentence the subordinate clause can come at the start, middle or end of the sentence.

Using subordinating conjunctions to create complex sentences: Subordinating conjunctions: Although since until because before if Unless whenever as when whether While wherever even if whereas so (that)

Using subordinating conjunctions to create complex sentences: Boyd always carried his gun, whenever he was on an expedition. Whenever he was on an expedition, Boyd always carried his gun. Boyd, whenever he was on an expedition, always carried his gun. Build 3 sentences around the following main verb units: he screamed I suddenly felt We were alone.

Complex sentences can have multiple subordinate clauses. Having been close to the edge many times; his body nearly broken beyond repair, Boyd always carried his gun, whenever he was on an expedition, as he never knew if that might be the difference between walking away and being carried. What is the main clause in this sentence?

Varying sentence structures: Alongside complex sentences we can use compound sentences (perhaps using asyndetic listing) and simple or minor sentences. Having been close to the edge many times; his body nearly broken beyond repair, Boyd always carried his gun, whenever he was on an expedition, as he never knew if that might be the difference between walking away and being carried. He hoped this time would be different but he didn’t believe it. He knew too much. Had seen too much. Too much. Now write the opening paragraph of your description or story using a variety of sentence types (varying where you place the subordinate clause in complex sentences) for effect. Try to use repetition for effect.

Having looked at repetition in general we will now look at specific forms which allow us to create parallelism in our writing. Antithesis Antithesis highlights a contrast or opposition. Antithetical statements can be separated by: a colon a full stop a comma In order to make the contrast clear clauses are usually balanced with parallel grammatical constructions. In other words each clause is of similar length and the clause structures mirror each other: “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times” If writing about the jungle image you might consider the following: ‘The river was their only hope of escape: the river was their easiest route to death’ ‘The thought of the journey had filled him with excitement: the reality filled him with dread.” ‘She screamed into the air. The air offered only silence.’

Alliteration: the repetition of the same consonant sounds in any sequence of neighbouring words. Normally found in poetry alliteration can be used in to add emphasis and create a sense of cadence (rhythm) in prose: Desperately, they tried to control the boat while in the grip of the riotous rapids which raged beneath them. Wrecked upon the river’s banks; worn and weary from waging battle with the tides, they wandered blindly into this lost world.

Anaphora and Epistrophe Anaphora: the repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive sentences or clauses: “We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender…” (Winston Churchill) Epistrophe: the repetition of the same word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences. “Wherever there’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there. Wherever there’s a cop beating up a guy, I’ll be there…And when our folk eat the stuff they raise and live in the houses they build – why, I’ll be there.” (John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath)

Think about it in relation to your narrative: The jungle, vast and indifferent whether they lived or died. The jungle: silent, dense, impenetrable. The jungle. Branches cracked overhead as the storm rampaged through the forest. Tumbling, the branches crashed around them followed by whole trees cascading down as they ran through the forest. His heart raced and his mind thundered with the dread though that they would never make it, through the forest. Re-write your opening and try to embed examples of: Antithesis Alliteration Anaphora Epistrophe

Rule of 3 (Triplets) On the previous slide the following phrase was highlighted: silent, dense, impenetrable Triplets can be used in descriptive narrative writing – but like all of the techniques discussed can also be employed when writing from a point of view (argue/persuade). Tenses The following words were also highlighted: Tumbling…crashed…cascading. This is because different tenses are employed across the sentence: Tumbling = past continuous Crashed = past simple Cascading = past continuous Using verb tenses creatively to reveal a character’s past or present situation can make your short-story narratives both convincing and engaging.

Tenses (Revision) Read this extract from Into the Wild: I look out of this old camper van at the spring sky, my breath coming in shorter and shorter bursts. I remember how I crossed the river in winter, while it was frozen, telling myself to return before the thaw. But last month, when I prepared to return to civilisation, I could not; the thaw had come early and I almost drowned when I attempted my transit. Now, I am trapped. I have always trusted myself to deal with life, with fate but…not now. It will not be long before…I cannot bear to write it…

Tenses 3 key tenses to think about when writing narratives are: The present simple: ‘I look’ The past simple: ‘I looked’ The past perfect: ‘I had looked’ Find examples of the present simple or progressive, past simple and past perfect tenses in the passage from Into the Wild and put them in a table like the one below. Can you also find the present perfect (‘I have looked’) and future (‘I will/am going to look’) Now write your description or story using the different techniques that have been discussed. Tense Example

1984 Question 1: Read again the first part of the source, lines 1 to 14. List four things we learn about Winston’s world from this part of the text .

1984 Question 2 Look in detail at this extract from lines 1 to 14 of the source. (“It was a bright…the caption beneath it ran”) How does the writer use language in this extract to portray Oceania? You could include the writer’s choice of:  words and phrases  language features and techniques  sentence forms [8 marks]

1984 Question 2 Negative language associated with weather – adjectives “cold day”/ “vile wind”/ “gritty dust” create a sense of a harsh uninviting landscape – pre-modifying adjectives. Irony – contrast between the desolate depiction of the landscape and the name “Victory Mansions” “clocks were striking thirteen” – creates the sense that there is something wrong with this place/even time is controlled – thirteen is associated with being unlucky. Short sentences – “Winston made for the stairs. It was no use trying the lift.” Sense of failure – sentences perfunctory/matter of fact “Hate Week” – develops our sense that this is a dystopia - sense that there is something wrong with this place developed through the matter of fact way such things are referred too – sense of resignation in the narrative voice. “Enormous face gazed form the wall” – verb “gazed” creates the sense – perhaps in Winston’s mind – that the poster is watching/sense the people are under constant scrutiny

1984 Using conjunctions (or connectives) to create cohesion: Firstly,…
Furthermore,… Also when it says… In addition,… Such words/phrases allow you to join up your comment on language cohesively. Using a critical vocabulary: As well as referring to specific word classes (adjectives/verbs/adverbs) and techniques writers use you need to look at how you link to your analysis: The post-modifying adjective “……….”…portrays… …helps depict… …reveals… …suggests… …implies…

1984 Question 3 You now need to think about the whole of the source. This text is from the opening of a novel. How has the writer structured the text to interest you as a reader? You could write about:  what the writer focuses your attention on at the beginning  how and why the writer changes this focus as the extract develops  any other structural features that interest you. [8 marks]

1984 Thinking about Structure
Juxtaposition – the opening sentence of 1984 uses juxtaposition. It is a compound sentence – the first main clause depicts an ordinary world: “It was a bright cold day in April”. This is then contrasted with the second main clause: “and the clocks were striking thirteen.” By placing the second statement next to the first it makes it too appear ordinary. This is important – one of the clever things Orwell does in this passage – and the book – is make a highly dystopian world appear ordinary, and so more real. This simple example of juxtaposition could be related to the whole text – the contrast between the narrative voice and world depicted. It is a troubling world – but the text lacks emotive language/imagery – it is written as an everyday portrait of a place. Chronology and voice The text is chronological – it starts with a man walking home and follows him into his building and then flat. It introduces us to a world through the terms such as Thought Police but does not explain these terms so setting is disconcerting for the reader. 3rd person narrative voice is used. It is not involved in the action of the story - shows us the world around Winston – but is detached – we never see inside Winston’s mind.

1984 Text moves from the outside to the inside of Victory Mansions/Winston’s flat and outside again. Creates a sense of how the private/public world cannot be separated in Oceania. Movement between the inside of the flat/outside world establishes for the reader the omnipresent nature/complete control of Big Brother – repeated description of the posters. Control is complete. Opening hints at the dystopian nature of the place (“thirteen…”) by the end this is clear: “You had to live--did live, from habit that became instinct--in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized.” Shift to the use of second person “you” widens it to include everybody. 3rd person narrative/omniscient narrator makes it feel detached/as if Winston is powerless.

1984 Question 4 Focus this part of your answer on the second half of the source, from line 23 to the end. (“Outside, even through…every movement scrutinized”) How does Orwell develop our sense of the dystopian nature of Oceania in this section of the text? In your response, you could:  write about your own impressions of Big Brother  evaluate how the writer has created these impressions  support your opinions with quotations from the text.

1984 Interpreting texts Inference: inference is about the connotations of language – what is implied rather than what is explicit. “Thought Police”/ “Hate Week” – both are concrete nouns - representing institutions in the world of Oceania and so telling us something about this society. The connotations of both are negative – the first implying even at the level of thought people are not free – suggesting a repressive/totalitarian regime. “Hate Week” is suggestive of the sort of values that are promoted – isolation/conflict – in our society it is a crime to incite hatred on many grounds.

1984 Question 4 “the world looked cold” – can be read metaphorically – cold as in hard/emotionless “whirling dust and torn paper into spirals” – images of decay/dissolution “no colour in anything” – no joy/bland/hopeless etc. “posters that were plastered everywhere. The black-moustachio'd face gazed down from every commanding corner.” – posters of Big Brother dominate the landscape – “commanding corner” – cannot be evaded etc. “Hate Week”/ “Thought Police” – negative connotations “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” – use of capitalisation creates a sense of threat. “a helicopter skimmed down between the roofs, hovered for an instant like a bluebottle, and darted away again with a curving flight” – simile – suggests they are a pest/nuisance etc.– verbs “skimmed”/ “darted” suggest constant movement – surveillance. “Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it” – lack of freedom etc. “he could be seen as well as heard” – lack of freedom etc “had to live--did live, from habit that became instinct--in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized.” – impact on life – literally like living in restraints.

Writing to Describe/Narrate Write a description suggested by this picture Or Write the opening of a story entitled “Beyond Earth”. (24 marks for content and organisation and 16 marks for technical accuracy) [40 marks]

There are 3 main types of narrative voice you might employ in writing a story: 1st person narrative 3rd person narrative Omniscient narrator In descriptive writing you would normally write in the 3rd person. Stories/descriptive pieces are normally written in the simple past, but as discussed previously different tenses can be employed at different points in a narrative to create a sense of immediacy/engagement.

1st person narrative I did not know he was out there at the time, moving towards my door as I stood looking out at the darkening world outside. I had never felt so alone. I longed to see something more than this twisted world of steel and glass. Faintly, miles below, fragments of light swirled through the smog. The sound of engines, the buzz of machinery echoed through the air. I knew this was it, the only world I would ever see. I did not see him coming… 3rd Person narrative A man walked towards her door in silence. Inside Elle looked out at the darkening world outside. She had never felt so alone. She longed for something more than this twisted world of steel and glass. Faintly, miles below, fragments of light swirled through the smog. The sound of engines, the buzz of machinery echoed through the air. She knew this was it, the only world she would ever see. Outside the man… Omniscient narrator As the man moved silently towards her door he felt his mind go blank (as it always did just before). Elle stood looking out at the darkening world below, having never felt so alone and longing to see something more than this twisted world of steel and glass. Faintly, miles below, fragments of light swirled through the smog. The sound of engines, the buzz of machinery echoed through the air. Though she fought it, deep down she knew this was it, the only world she would ever see. She did not know that just outside was a man about to reveal a world she never knew existed, who stood, clear now, telling himself this was the last time.

There are advantages and disadvantages to the different narrative perspectives. 1st and 3rd person narration can make the action feel more intimate and immediate. 1st person only allows the reader to see what the narrator sees/thinks. 3rd person allows you to give different perspectives at different points in the story. Omniscient allows you to give the thoughts/perspectives of multiple characters alongside each other and show events happening in different places at the same time. Write the opening paragraph of the story ‘Beyond Earth’ from two of the different perspectives.

Structure Structuring Stories Read this paragraph from a story based on ideas a student has taken from Shakespeare’s Macbeth. He slowly drew the blinds. He would never be free of what he’d done, of that terrible act of betrayal that had shaped his life. Do you think this is the first paragraph, the very last paragraph or a paragraph from the middle of the story? Why? What clues are there?

Structuring Stories Most readers expect stories to follow a natural order: Introduction or exposition: may introduce the main character and/or situation Development or complication: a change or occurrence that upsets normality Dramatic climax: may see the character dealing with the problem or problems Conclusion or resolution: the outcome of the main dramatic event – for good or bad.

Structuring Stories A range of structural devices can help make your story original. Flashback ‘It had been five years ago that his sister had disappeared. He remembered it vividly…’ Use of past perfect tense (‘had’) Framing device ‘The letter lay on the mat. He picked it up and tore it open: “Dear Joe, you may wonder why I ran away all those years ago…well, I have some news for you…’ Move from third-person to first-person voice. Change from past to present tense Linked start and end End with the letter mentioned in the opening. ‘I tore my sister’s letter into tiny pieces…It was over.’ Returning to the start in terms of events/vocabulary (words echo each other) Ending with a ‘twist’ ‘However, I’d known all along – for it was I who had told my father her secret…’ Past perfect tense Use of connective such as ‘However’

Plan your story using the four part structure given on the previous slide. Use one or two structural devices to add originality.

Structuring Description Imagine a magazine is running a competition to produce a descriptive writing piece on the theme ‘City Streets’. Two students have planned their pieces, but have taken different approaches. Student A: I’m going to describe the same city street over the course of about 12 hours in autumn, so I’ll begin at daybreak, and follow the description through until the sun sets. Student B: I’m going to focus on one city street but I’m going to select one time of day – lunch time – and move from one place or group of people to another place or group.

Structuring Description What are the differences between these approaches? What other ways can you think of to structure a descriptive piece on the subject of ‘City Streets’? Select one of these approaches and note down how you would organise your description in paragraphs. Think about whether there is a ‘natural’ way to do it. For example would it be best for Student A t owrite one or two paragraphs on daybreak, then another couple on lunchtime?

Structuring Description When you are writing descriptions, you can think of yourself as being bend a video camera: Panning shot Wide-angle shot taking in the whole scene The long street lined with shops shuttered and shut slowly awakes. At one end, a café’s lights flicker and illuminate, while at the other blinds lift up on a fashion display. Here, a young girl stands outside and stares… Long shot frames one person Alternatively paragraphs can be built around: different senses Or different perspectives

Complete the piece on ‘City Streets’ for the magazine. Think about: What time of day it is What season Senses Different perspectives

Writing to Describe/Narrate Write a description suggested by this picture (See Slide 36) Or Write the opening of a story entitled “Beyond Earth”. (24 marks for content and organisation and 16 marks for technical accuracy) [40 marks]

The Woman in Black Question 1: Read again the first part of the source, lines 1 to 8. List four different sounds the narrator mentions in this section of the text.

The Woman in Black Question 2: Look in detail at this extract from lines 1 to 24 of the source. (“Then I realized the dog…heart-stopping howl”) How does the writer use language in this extract to create a sense of the narrator’s terror? You could include the writer’s choice of:  words and phrases  language features and techniques  sentence forms [8 marks]

The Woman in Black Question 2 Repetition of “sinking, sinking”
“and then, above it all, and above the whinnying and struggling of the pony, the child’s cry” – delay of final phrase builds up tension “rose and rose to a scream of terror” – repetition sense of absolute fear in the voice of the child “…and, finally, silence” – euphemistic – the child has died; silence is all-encompassing; pace built up to this point – paragraph ends on a down-note. “awful ghostly repetition” – pre-modifying adjectives capture the terror it inspires/makes it clear that it is supernatural “to howl, a loud, prolonged, agonised and heart-stopping howl.” - list of pre-modifying adjectives capture the length and exaggerated nature of the dogs howl – generic conventions.

The Woman in Black Looking at language Use of verbs: “splashing”, “churning”, “plunging” in the same sentence all create a sense of helplessness and distress. Look for patterns in the use of verbs. Anaphora: “The door…the door…the door” repeated phrase highlights significance of the this room and builds tension through the repetition/sentence structure – as if the narrator’s voice is rising in pitch each time he says it.

The Woman in Black Question 3 You now need to think about the whole of the source. This text is from a key turning point in the novel. How has the writer structured the text to interest you as a reader? You could write about:  what the writer focuses your attention on at the beginning  how and why the writer changes this focus as the extract develops  any other structural features that interest you. [8 marks]

The Woman in Black Question 3
Opening description of dog immediately signal something is wrong Movement from outside to the inside of the house –terror surrounds the narrator As if ghostly presence is everywhere – taunting the narrator Sentence structure in final paragraphs increases pace – until final short sentence. Ends on a dramatic note – cliff-hanger setting up the readers expectation for a climatic meeting

The Woman in Black Looking at structure Climatic endings/Climax: Writers often build towards a climax in certain sections of a story/in a whole story, as in this passage from The Woman in Black. Linear narrative: the passage is linear – following the narrator from outside to inside the house to the room with the ‘locked’ door. 1st person narrative: the first person perspective can make it more dramatic and immediate.

The Woman in Black Question 4: Focus this part of your answer on the second half of the source, from line 25 to the end. (“In the end, I had to lift her up…Wide open.”) To what extent do you agree that in this section of the passage Hill creates a growing sense of tension? In your response, you could:  write about your own impressions of the scene  evaluate how the writer has created these impressions  support your opinions with quotations from the text.

The Woman in Black Question 4
“In the end, I had to lift her up and carry her inside the house” “she clung close to my heels” – images of the dog frozen and clinging to the narrator suggests abject terror/supernatural events “I followed her quickly, switching on every light I could find as I went” – sudden change in pace/narrator’s actions suggest his nervous/fearful state more than what he says. Following two paragraphs made up of only four sentences – long multiple clause sentences increase pace – capture his sense of urgency/panic – quick movement towards the noise: “The door of the room from which the noise came, the door which had been securely locked, so that I had not been able to break it down, the door to which there could not be a key – that door was now standing open.” Repetition of “door” – withholding of final phrase until the end of the sentence creates sense of enormity – this is some terrible thing. “Wide open” – final short sentence adds to impact of previous phrase – sense that something truly frightening must lie behind this door.

Genre Conventions The Woman in Black is a ghost story. What would you say are the conventions of a horror story?

Horror Stories Ghosts Darkness Old/empty houses Graveyards Monsters These are some of the traditional associations – can you think of more modern settings/characters? Horror

Genre Conventions Genre conventions can help us: Develop a plot – we know certain things will happen Establish/develop characters Develop setting Establish mood/tone Look at the short story on the next slide. How do the extract from The Woman in Black use genre conventions? Look at the short story on the next slide – how does this incorporate the genre conventions of a horror story?

Genre Conventions He saw the house before him. In the fading light its exterior looked haggard. A few of the windows were cracked, and one blew in the wind; knocking against the front of the house. It was the only sound that could be heard above the wind, which howled all around him. He had received the phone call ten minutes ago now. Robert, come quick. It was all Jane had said before the line went dead. He had rushed out of the house, and across the green, down the path, towards the house in the shadow of the trees whose branches hung like giant gnarled arms reaching for him. He had his phone to his ear, on hold with the police the whole time. Now he approached the front door. The door was slightly ajar. He pushed it, and it swung slowly on its hinges. No lights were on; all was silent. As he walked in he saw nothing was disturbed, everything was where it should be. He walked through into the kitchen. In here the lights were burning. He heard the operator’s voice connect at the other end of the line, as the phone dropped from his hand. She was standing in front of him, a knife in her hand. He tried to cry for help as he fell, bleeding. Sir, do you require assistance, Sir, but he could not speak. A photo fluttered to floor. It was the two of them walking arm in arm, her head against his shoulder: Robert and Sophie. 254 words Now write your own short narrative based on the title: ‘The figure in the long, black coat.’

Review When writing a narrative you need to think about certain key things: Plot: what is the sequence of events in your story? Setting: where and when will your story take place? Characterization: who is the story about? Viewpoint: who is narrating the story? Structure: how will you story begin, what conflict will be encountered and how will it be resolved? Atmosphere: what mood do you want to create? Look at the image on the following slide:

Review Now write the beginning of a story with a character who has lost something important. Write the opening of this story using the following points of view and structures: 1. First person – main character Chronological order Past tense 2. Third person omniscient– focused on main character and able to show their thoughts and thoughts of others Include flashbacks Start by setting the scene 3. Third person – not focused on any particular character Present tense + chronological order Repeat a line or phrase a number of times during the story

Review: Punctuation Punctuation Semi-colons can be used to separate two sentences or main clauses which are of equal importance. The film was brilliant; I had a great time. They are also used to separate longer phrases in a list. We all brought four things: a pair of trainers; a brightly coloured shirt; a swimming costume; and some kind of musical instrument.

Review: Punctuation Colons As seen on the previous slide colons can be used to introduce a list. I play the following sports: badminton, hockey, tennis and rounders. They can also be used to create a dramatic pause. Something moved at the bottom of the garden: it was just our dog.

Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing

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