What is the point of creative writing? How can I make mine better? Birmingham City University has some top tips.
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Thinking outside the box is important when writing creatively. You have no idea how many times an examiner will see a single storyline when they are marking - the questions aren't always exciting, and so many students write about the same, tired ideas. Take, for example, this GCSE question from the days of old:
Write about a journey you have taken. Your experience can be real or imagined. Now, you've been given a gift here - a GIFT! You've been told that you may write something from your imagination. However, you'd be surprised how many students write about exactly the same thing. I set this question back in 2014 for a Year 9 class before teaching them to 'think outside the box'. Then, I skimmed off the top ten responses. Here are the topics of each of those ten stories:
Notice anything? It's important to build a fictional world that isn't something usual or 'inside the box'. Your examiner is looking for an exciting, interesting story that shows talent and understanding of what makes a reader tick. If they wanted to know about a holiday, they'd ask about a holiday. They're sneaky and they're trying to trick you. Surprise, surprise; the green response was one of the highest-marked responses. Why? Well, isn't it obvious? The writer wrote from the perspective of a virus that had taken over a human body, and described the journey through the bloodstream. Not only do these 'outside the box' ideas allow you to be creative, they're also a great opportunity to experiment with figurative techniques - metaphors, similes, personification - all techniques that show talent. I like you all, but I'm really not that interested in the time you went on a train. This TedEd video explains really well the importance of building a unique and exciting fictional world in your writing: Ms Chinn has sent me this brilliant resource that has a wide range of practice image-prompt questions for you to have a go at. It shows you a great way to plan your piece if you're not a fan of Todorov's Narrative (equilibrium > problem > recognise problem > solve problem > return to equilibrium). Remember, in Section B, you have a choice of two activities - only one will use an image as a prompt. You do not need to closely refer to the image, but in the case of total brain freeze, it really helps to have a plan of attack. It uses all parts of the image to create a truly detailed piece of writing. Consider:
It's a great idea to have a go at planning these pieces in timed conditions in order to be able to plan quickly and efficiently come exam time. Remember - you only have around 5 minutes to plan, and you must always think outside the box!
This quick TedEd video gives some really great insights into how to tell a good story. Remember - don't be clichéd and think outside the box!
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