One good trick in short story writing is to achieve a variety of perspectives through the narration of different, and even conflicting, viewpoints. I do this using ellipsis ( * * * ) to present a transition from one narrator to another. The two submissions here using this technique are both 20 minute pieces written […]
For a word document version of much better presentation and formatting than what is shown here email me at [email protected]. Focus An integral skill in successful short story writing is the ability to truly capture the imagined scene in writing. Unfortunately (at first) when writers are told both to “describe more” and to “keep your […]
MAXIMUM SECURITY by Robert Muchamore – Personal Response Right, I hated it. No really, I hated this book. There are very few novels that raise my ire. I hate how everyone misinterprets Girl with a Pearl Earring, and takes the position of the narrator when she’s clearly a vicious lying manipulative self-obsessed snake. I hate […]
The following is a redraft of a scene from a Goosebumps story written for a young audience. The challenge for students to rewrite short excerpts of scenes from stories they are reading (and enjoying!) allows them to match their writing skills to a high standard, to engage with generic elements, and also to realise the […]
I’ve written before about the desire and method for achieving an original response to a prompt. In this example, I took the image of a robber/thief and composed the following creative response. . INTRUDER Like a thief in the dead of night I came. Silent and dangerous; deadly and burning with malice. I stole into […]
In the tests they might give you an image to write creatively about. Sometimes it’s good to consider how the image can be considered metaphorically or symbolically. I looked at the image of a mouse, and wrote the short narrative below: I deliberately tried to give it an interesting title and to use dialogue. What […]
I’ve stated in another blog that after reading a good book the practice of my business in tuition is to create and write a personal response. A personal response to John Wyndham’s Day of the Triffids is presented, for it is an appropriate text to challenge readers and students in secondary schools, and has worked […]
Several students in Years 7 and 8 that I’ve tutored have told me that John Wyndham’s Day of the Triffids is the best book they have ever read. Whilst I’m always pleased when students really enjoy the studies we do, in such situations I smile to the students and curse to myself that they have […]
The same persuasive essay is presented below, twice! Persuasive Writing: TV In the modern days now, more and more people start to watch TV, and the television becomes an essential equipment in all families. But TV is not actually a positive thing for us to use. For most of us, watching TV is a waste […]
The history of Malcolm X is very sad, for he was a greatly talented individual denied care and education. The essay below is a reflection on his auto-biography, and presents how improved education and experiences can produce great changes. It also demonstrates how giftedness denied can be perceived as destructive. I have a word document […]
