Scholarship test Writing Skills: Focus

This is yet another 20 min short creative writing piece, this time in response to the image/prompt of “A cat having their tummy tickled”. For a word document version of much better presentation and formatting than what is shown here email me at [email protected].

Remember, your goal is to produce focused writing by:

• illustrating the context, scene and atmosphere

• describing the body language of characters

• engaging the reader in real thoughts and feelings

• using figurative language

• Aim to achieve the climax and conclusion, quickly! But with great description!

• Keep events to a minimum, focus on describing the characters and context of the scene, and capture the idea and feeling!!!

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Prompt: A cat having its tummy tickled.

Henry lolls on the lounge, rumbling mightily. He whickers musically with noisy delight – the notes of his contentment sounding sometimes like a flute, sometimes a xylophone, and occasionally achieving the crescendo of timpani. When Henry gets going, he is very much like an orchestra playing a symphony of joy.

I need only to walk through the door and Henry comes running. Of course I’m used to such a reception from a pet – they nearly always hope to be fed when one comes home. Henry, however, is different. It’s not food that he’s after – after a long and difficult day of watching birds in trees, bathing in the sun, and making sure our house doesn’t run away, Henry just loves a bit of tender attention.

Eyes closed, he rubs up against my hand, around my palm, and into my outstretched fingers. Henry presses all his body weight against my hand, and strives to press the wrinkles of time out of his skin with determined strokes of his whiskers and chin. The noise is extraordinary!

I’m reminded of the Luck-Dragon in Never Ending Story who seems to melt into utter relief when the hero gives him a much needed scratch. Henry’s eyes are like deep seas that roll eternally beneath endless waves of bliss. Is he really, possibly enjoying this tickle nearly as much as he seems to be? Is this the meaning of existence – to be relieved of that impossible, unreachable itch deep within one’s ear? Maybe, maybe…

Maybe it is a wonderful thing indeed to be a cat.

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