1. Exploring Creative Writing
Year 11
Wednesday, 23rd November 2011

2. Why is it so hard?
Take one minute to brainstorm with the person next to you.
Why is creative writing difficult?
Or, if you find it easy, why is this so?

3. Ask yourself: How many short stories have you read this year?
What about this week?
Be honest!

4. You don’t have to be ‘creative’ to be good at creative writing.
Good writers are good readers!
The more texts you read, the more ideas you will get, the better your language and vocabulary will be and the more inspired your own writing will become.

5. Where to get ‘inspiration’?
Short stories – for language, vocab and structure.
Articles
Mysteries
Poems
Songs
Your own life experiences
For ideas

6. Under construction!
If you have an idea, or you are inspired by a text or a moment in your life, begin planning your story.
Plan the orientation, tension and resolution.
The structure and techniques can come next!

7. Playing With Structure
HSC MARKERS LOVE:
Using time shifts, flashbacks or flash-forwards.
Having a cyclical text. (Beginning and end are mirrored.)
Non-linear.
Using foreshadowing or parallelism.
Why would markers love these?

8. The purpose? To ENTERTAIN!
Your reader wants to ‘feel’ something when they read your story.
Your techniques, descriptions and imagery can entertain a reader. Make sure you include them where appropriate.

9. It’s the opposite to an essay!
Essays analyse how other composers use techniques and the meaning they create.
In your story, you use the techniques to impact on the meaning.

10. Best Practice?
Your new DO NOW tasks are in the ‘Exploring Creative Writing’ booklet.
Before you can do the tasks on your own, it’s important you know how to fill in the SWSW chart for each one.
These charts may become repetitive, however it’s important that you’re thinking about creative writing, and this is one tool that fosters that deep thinking.

11. So What? Ideas for my own writing... What it says about belonging...
Text 1 –
A Ferry Encounter
Strengths
Weaknesses
So What? Ideas for my own writing...
Techniques
Symbolism of the harbour – peaceful & vast; the city and skyscrapers as ‘menacing’. The final sentence reflects their new connection.
Parallelism: the harbour & natural world allows for a sense of belonging, as opposed to the coldness of the city.
Allusions to context or past. Archibald thinks of his childhood; Raj of his own “financial predicament” and home in India.
Dialogue is minimal but effective. The author allows his characters to communicate with their thoughts and actions, which is showing, instead of telling.
The story is cleverly littered with sophisticated metaphors, similes, personification and rhetorical questions.
Perhaps the setting is a bit too cliche? Or too predictable.
If the harbourside is bubbling with morning life, surely there would be more people on the ferry?
The final sentence, whilst effective, is boring.
To give colour and depth to characters, add in subtle allusions and hints to their background.
Work on the final sentence. Try to make it surprising or unconventional. Perhaps a twist or cliffhanger.
Include techniques to establish an atmosphere and mood.
Parallel nature with events of the story.
What it says about belonging...
Belonging between two individuals.
Takes them by surprise. Belonging can be unexpected.
Memories play a part in our sense of belonging.
All humans have a connection with nature, “nearby ocean...reminding the rich and poor, young and the old...of its everlasting presence.”
Belonging between cultural groups – Australian and Indian.
Belonging to the country for both personas. Raj also belongs to coffee.
*The text could be said to be too unrealistic. How often do strangers on a ferry really strike up a conversation and connection? Especially an old guy and young Indian.
Make characters and setting realistic!
Include natural elements to the story to give it imagery, atmosphere and foreshadowing.
Show belonging on varying levels! e.g. between two individuals, between individuals and nature, between individuals and their memories.

12. SWSW
After reading each text in the booklet, you need to complete a SWSW chart.
This allows you to think about the strengths and weaknesses of each text and generate new ideas for your own writing.

13. Helpful Hints
The mini-story on the pink paper was written by Mrs Mathews.
She is trying to show you how you can take one moment or memory from your life and turn it into something substantial.

14. Don’t Panic! Some of you are stressing that your story isn’t perfect!
Even professional writers edit their work over and over.
You need to be prepared to receive feedback on your story. You also need to be prepared to change it. Preparing a story the night before a task will not be beneficial.

15. DRAFTS!
Just like STEEL paragraphs and essays, creative stories need 1st, 2nd and 3rd drafts.
Be prepared to put time into your stories to get them right!