1. WRITING PROCESS A POSSIBLE APPROACH

2. GETTING STARTED PULL APART THE PROMPT USING TECHNIQUES OF: IDENTIFYING KEY TERMS AND ALTERNATIVE WORDS AND CONCEPTS PARAPHRASING THE TOPIC IN YOUR OWN WORDS – (think “How can I restate this so I can explore the identity and belonging concepts it suggests.)

3. SAMPLE WHAT DO MICE NEED TO SURVIVE?

4. SELECTION AND REJECTION WHAT DO THESE IDEAS SUGGEST ? Raise some critical questions or ideas. How humans relate to Mice What do Mice need to survive? How are Mice portrayed in fiction and media? Go back to your mind map and select the ideas you will use. SELECT AND DE-SELECT PROCESS

5. A MIND MAPPING APPROACH STIFLED SOMETIMES GROUP VERSUS INDIVIDUAL GROUPS CAN SWEEP INDIVIDUALS ALONG IN THEIR WAKE IF THEY ARE POWERFUL CREATIVE PEOPLE NEED SPACE BUT CAN ALSO BE INSPIIRED BY CONNECTING WITH OTHERS RESPONSIBILITIES OF BEING A ROLE MODEL ARE VERY HEAVY ON AN INDIVIDUAL STRENGTH IN NUMBERS/NO MAN IS AN ISLAND BELONGING IS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN BE SOCIALISED BELONGING IS IMPORTANT FOR SURVIVIAL

6. MAKING DECISIONS WHAT DO I HAVE TO EXPLORE (THE TOPIC) WHAT DO I WANT TO SAY – FRAME THIS AS A KEY QUESTION YOU ARE GOING TO EXPLORE. WHAT SHOULD AND SHOULDN’T BE INCLUDED (POST-IT-NOTES ARE GOOD FOR THIS.)

7. EXPOSITORY WRITING EXPOSITORY essays are simply essays that EXPLAIN something in a FACTUAL MANNER rather than persuade.

8. PURPOSE DESCRIBE HOW to do something. ANALYSE events, ideas, objects, or written works. DESCRIBE a PROCESS. EXPLAIN/DESCRIBE an HISTORICAL EVENT. CONSIDER and EXPLAIN different POINTS OF VIEW on a proposition (Prompt.) to PROVIDE A BALANCED DISCUSSION of different views to PRESENT THE PROS AND CONS so readers can make up their own minds

9. FORMATS ESSAY PERSONAL REFLECTION PERSONAL LETTER BIOGRAPHY INVESTIGATIVE PAPERS OR REPORTS FEATURE ARTICLES FOR JOURNALS, NEWSPAPERS OR MAGAZINES

10. LANGUAGE FEATURES AS A RULE FORMAL LANGUAGE STYLE AND GRAMMATICAL SERIOUS or DISPASSIONATE TONE REASONED CONSIDERED EXPLORATION OF TOPIC SPECIALISED LANGUAGE – DEPENDS ON AUDIENCE

11. LANGUAGE FEATURES – Examples - “A good sport is ….” – Process Analysis – Breaking down the various steps of a specific task or outcome and drawing a conclusion. “Why did my recipe fail?” – Research – “What are the five main stressors in the lives of teenagers?”

12. EXPOSITORY/PERSUASIVE MAJOR POINT 1 MAJOR POINT 2 MAJOR POINT 3 Sub-point 1 Sub-point 2 Sub-point 3 Sub-point 1 Sub-point 2 Sub-point 3 Sub-point 1 Sub-point 2 Sub-point 3 THE BIG QUESTION EVIDENCE

13. IMAGINATIVE REMEMBER What is the substantial thing, or BIG IDEA you are exploring? What do I want to say?

14. CONSIDER You can’t write a novel in 1200 words – make sure every word counts Think about what your main character wants more than anything in the whole world in relation to this topic. Simple equation for fiction: The main character wants something + the forces that are working against the main character to stop them from attaining their desire = CONFLICT which forms the basis of the narrative. Your role as a writer is to EXPLORE and resolve that conflict

15. STRUCTURE FREYTAG MODEL

16. WRITERS SHOW NOT TELL FOCUS ON THE BIG IDEA AND WHAT THEY WANT TO SAY CONSTANTLY MAKE DECISIONS, SELECT AND DESELECT

17. The last bits of thinking WHO WILL BE MY AUDIENCE? (ultimately it is your teachers and examiners) WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO EXPRESS MY IDEAS FOR MY AUDIENCE? – (what words will I choose, tone, point of view, imagery, symbolism)