CREATIVE WRITINGA step by step guide at KS4

What you just HAVE to do...

1) EXPLORE IDEASBe imaginative

2) ENTERTAIN YOUR READER Give them something to think about

3) PLAN Gather ideas and organise their

order

How do I start?

HOW?

WHAT?

WHY?

DUNNO

HOW?

WHAT?

FIRST THINGS FIRST.....

Decide on what the task is...

Answer these 5 Questions:1 - WHAT have I been asked to

write?◦(Is it a certain genre, or any, if its

Creative?)

2 - WHY have I been asked to write?

PURPOSE - To show creativity and entertain the reader

3 - WHO am I writing for?Imagine your intended reader – it will

decide your ‘voice’ and how you showcase your writing

Friend

Family

Diary / self

Teacher / examiner

Stranger

4 - WHO are you writing as? yourself? – 1st personNarrating a personal “other’s”

story – i.e. You – 2nd personReferring to another – 3rd person

And who are they?

5 – WHAT is the TOPIC?So what is it all about? What happens to who? Where?How?Why?

Consider the following images for inspiration...

http://wallpaper-s.org/15_~_Underwater_Scuba_Diving.htm

Planning & StructureAfter you’ve answered those 5

questions, and you’ve decided on a topic......

ORGANISE YOUR THOUGHTS....NB. if you’re still undecided on

a topic, fill in some of the following plan, and it could help you decide

...furthermore, if you’ve already started or drafted a story, this can help make sure you are addressing the essentials

Your story needs a STRUCTURE...A beginning...(any story needs an interesting

introduction)A development(a build up of the storyline)A crisis(an interesting situation that provides

a turning point in story)A resolution(things are sorted out...?)

Your story needs CHARACTERS

Make them believable and interesting

Any more than 2 or 3 will be just names

Really get under the skin of them by describing:◦What they look like◦What they say◦How they say it◦How they behave◦How they feel

DIALOGUESpeech adds variety to your story

It develops your characters and plot

(careful it doesn’t become ‘he said’- ‘I said’)

You can exhibit mastery of punctuation

Make it realistic

Finally: LANGUAGEMake it descriptive – using adjectives

and adverbsUse powerful nouns and verbs for effectUse literary features to create imagery

and effect e.g. simile, alliteration, personification

Use interesting connectives to link ideas, and link your paragraphs

And most importantly of all:

Vary the length of your sentences!

This shows you are in control of your writing

Short sentence – builds suspenseLong sentence – gives more detail

Use a combination of simple, compound and complex sentences

Make use of subordinate clauses, (which vastly improve your writing, despite being the most forgotten aspect of writing!)

So...take your time...plan it... and enjoy it! It’s something purely of your imagination,hence YOU ARE IN CONTROL