CREATIVE WRITING A step by step guide at KS4

What you just HAVE to do... 1)EXPLORE IDEAS Be 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? – 1 st person Narrating a personal “other’s” story – i.e. You – 2 nd person Referring to another – 3 rd 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...

Planning & Structure After 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

DIALOGUE Speech 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: LANGUAGE Make it descriptive – using adjectives and adverbs Use powerful nouns and verbs for effect Use 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 suspense Long 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