Imaginative Writing… how to write a narrative (short

story)

1. Compose your own text which shows ideas and attitudes about “the importance of being fair”

2. Use the language forms and features that you have identified in your study of “Touch Me”

3. Be original! (ie: write with your own style!)

• express understanding of “the importance of being fair”…

h t t p : / / c o o l s t u f f s c h o o l . c o m0Show clear understanding of :1. ideas, 2. attitudes, 3. beliefs About “being fair” , by “representing” 4. Social ideas, attitudes and beliefs5. Cultural ideas attitudes and beliefs6. Historical / location ideas attitudes and beliefsof individuals – groups – communities – places and events

“representing” Social ideas, attitudes and beliefsCultural ideas attitudes and beliefsHistorical / location ideas attitudes and beliefsof individuals – groups – communities – places and events

h t t p : / / c o o l s t u f f s c h o o l . c o m0DON’T describe ideas about being fair0DON’T write a recount about being fair0DON’T use essay-style analytical language / words

0DO “show” the ideas about being fair (dialogue / language style / metaphors / similes / personification… )

0DO “show” the character’s and their respective attitudes to being fair

0DO USE LANGUAGE – STRUCTURES – FORMS which show being fair

Topics for the story

Select ONE of the quotations as the opening for a piece of imaginative writing that explores the challenges of being fair

‘I am outside the door.’OR

‘We want to believe this is how it was . . .’OR

‘I felt expelled and exiled . . .’

Short story?

h t t p : / / c o o l s t u f f s c h o o l . c o m0Have a clear theme. What is the story about? That doesn't mean what is the plot line? It means… what is the underlying message or statement behind the words. Get this right and your story will have more importance in the minds of your readers.

0A good short story covers a very short time span. It may be one single event that becomes a “life-changing” moment in the life of the character

0Don't have too many characters. Have only enough characters to show the theme. Two contrasting characters will do the trick.

0 Make every word count. There is no room for wordy explanations in a short story. If each word is not working towards putting across the theme, delete it.

0Focus… on developing your theme – your main character – and resolving a conflict / issue / problem

Show vivid imagery in short stories…

h t t p : / / c o o l s t u f f s c h o o l . c o m0Use specific, concrete details / names: An example from Upon a Mystic Tide:

“Sitting in her old, red rocker, Miss Hattie turned on the large, antique radio behind her. Big band era music drifted through the kitchen, and she softly hummed along with it. Her head bowed, she studied the embroidery in her lap. She was sewing the Seascape Inn logo onto a new batch of crisp, white napkins.”

In this example, the specific and concrete details are: the red rocker, the large, antique radio, embroidering napkins, the big band music and humming.

0More specific and concrete details… 0Don't write tree. Write oak. 0Don't write emotion. Write fear or sorrow, guilt or shame. 0Don't write dog. Write Doberman, or Yorkie.0Don't write chair. Write rocker.

0Write cinematically. Write vivid images that create pictures in the reader's mind just like the scenes you see in a film

Show vivid imagery in short stories…