Creative Writing

1st Draft Due Date: Fri, 10 March (Week 6)

Final Piece Due Date: Fri, 17 March (Week 7) by midnight

For this standard, you will: 1. need to develop and structure an idea; and 2. show us that you can use language creatively and accurately (few, if any, surface errors). We suggest some prompts below inspired by what we've read and analysed together in class. If you have your own idea you want to explore in creative writing, please check in with us to ensure it will work.

STAGE ONE: PLANNING

Option #1: Craft a story or poem about something that influences or reflects what’s important to your identity. “Loose Canons” or “The Hoarder” could be helpful models – you’ll just need to make sure your piece is a bit longer than those. 

Option #2: Develop a piece of descriptive writing where you show how someone’s or something’s identity changes, or how your perception of them changes, over time (like in "The Hills," “The Bus Driver,” or “Auntie Marleen”). This change could be day to night, summer to winter, before a significant moment and then after, years ago to now. Here are some examples from past Y11 students. 

Option #3: Craft a poem in the style of Glenn Colquhoun’s “An Explanation of Poetry to My Father” or Ellery Akers’ “What I Do” where you reveal who you are through imagery, figurative language and indirect characterisation.

Option #4: Develop a piece you’ve already started in your freewriting section.

All of these options could easily be turned into oral texts!

STAGE TWO: DRAFTING

Begin writing your piece with a brain dump. Quantity rather than quality at this stage! Once you have at least 250 words, please check in with me.

STAGE THREE: EDITING TO IMPROVE QUALITY

“Making a piece better is not the same as making it more correct.”

Read through your piece and consider the following:

• Where could I add specific imagery to immerse my reader in the world of my writing?

• How effectively does my imagery create the mood I want readers to experience?

• Where do I unnecessarily repeat something that I could easily take out?

• Where could I emphasise something by playing with language (through similes, metaphor, alliteration, rhyme, onomatopoeia, etc.)?

• Do my sentences often start the same way? If so, is it intentional repetition (anaphora)? If unintentional, how might I try different arrangements so my reader doesn’t get bored?

• Does my diction (word choice) showcase my distinct voice, style, and personality?

• What idea am I developing? What choices am I making to show different facets or angles of this idea?

Aim to have an edited rough draft shared with your teacher for feedback by Friday, 10 March (Week 6).

STAGE FOUR: PROOFREADING TO IMPROVE CORRECTNESS

Here is where you look closely at your writing, carefully making sure you’ve kept surface errors to a minimum. Print your poem/story if possible and read over it slowly with a pen in your hand, marking spots where you notice errors (or have questions) related to:

• Capital letters

• Punctuation (commas, full stops, dialogue)

• Verb tense consistency (past tense vs. present tense)

• Paragraph formatting

• Sentence fragments and run-ons

STAGE FIVE: STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

In a box at the top of your Google Doc, write 2-3 sentences explaining what main idea or feeling you want readers to take away from your piece, and then what language choices you made to help communicate that idea effectively.

ex: In this piece, I want my readers to realise how my bookshelf reflects my introvertedness and curiosity. I used touch and visual imagery, multiple similes, and a series of personal anecdotes to help my reader experience how books connect to my identity.

Before handing in:

• Read your work out loud to hear any mistakes and to check that your writing communicates what you intend.

• Give your piece an original title. A title is your chance to make a first impression and influence what kind of expectations your audience brings to reading your piece.

• Ensure your font is readable.

TURN IN your final piece to Google Classroom by midnight on Friday, 17 March.

Keen to see if your writing can get published? Talk to your teacher about submitting your piece to Re-Draft.

(If you aren't satisfied with your creative writing grade this term, you'll have another chance to do the same standard in term three for a better grade!)