Creative Stories - need help, any examples? (1 Viewer)

[ITimber]

Hi,

I need help writing a creative story on journey. It can be about any journey:

physical, imaginative, flash back to memories, dreams etc... a mixture would be good. but I have no idea how to write a good creative story. They always sound so rubishy. Can people help me out and show me some examples.

That would be very much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[ObjectsInSpace]

The creative writing section is probably the most polarising part of the HSC. You either love it or you hate it.

First of all bear in mind that they can ask for just about any text type they can think of. So don't go in with a pre-planned story because you may be asked to write a letter or an interview or news report or whatever, and they may specifically ask you to cover certain points. That happened in my Trials, and it caught a bunch of people out.

Secondly, writing is very much a skill that you develop over time. They won't be expecting something that could be defined as ground-braking literature from you, but it helps if you work on your skills. Go back over past papers, check out the questions and write for them. If your teachers are willing - and most of them are - they'll go over your work for you and mark it (they did for me).

That's pretty much all I can tell you.

 

[forevaunited]

Yeah im kind of dreading the creative writing section as well. Im not a bad essayist but when they ask for some kind of creative writing i always do worse. The thing is, when they give you free choice to do whatever, everyone always thinks "yeah write a story i suppose" but then they always come out soundy dicky and rushed, well at least mine do. . .

i suppose practice writing different text types is all we can do

 

[ITimber]

can anyone suggest a starter for a story... i need a bit of a help starting. I think if i have an example of the start of a creative story I could get some ideas and then flow on from there.

 

[ObjectsInSpace]

For starters, work with what you've got. And what you've got is forty minutes to plan and write a piece of crative writing that can be of virtually any text type (some, like poetry and song lyrics, can theoretically be asked of you, but it's downright difficult to get rhythm and meter right in such a short amount of time). Obviously, time constraints mean you're not going to be writing something epic. Look back over your texts and try to identify common themes and take it from there.

There's a few literary devices you can use to make it easier on yourself, the best being in media res. This Latin phrase literally translates as "In The Middle Of Things". If you want an example, see Mission: Impossible III. Under in media res, the story starts halfway through so you can not simply keep the story short, you pretty much have a licence to reveal as much or as little as you choose, which is useful because it prevents rambling and unneccessary stuff.

Then there are a few things that you should avoid at all costs: second-person perspective, as discussed in the other thread, are one of them. The aim of the game - not just as a part of the HSC, but as a writer - is to capture the audience's attention. The danger is that if you be obvious about it, it can often fall apart. Especially if you're using a literary device you've never used before. Artsy stuff is a big risk and you need to know where the fine line between brilliance an dinsanity lie. It's perfectly alright to remove the main character's ability to speak (as I've been known to do), but don't go trying to write a story that goes in reverse a la Memento (as I've also been known to do). It's too complex and you will have no time to proof-read and edit things in and out unless you skip the other two sections of the paper.

In short, have a few ideas for themse that you want to explore. It's much better than going in with a pre-planned answer becuase they may ask for a text type that you're not ready for (I cannot emphasise this enough). Have several themes you want to use and be ready foranything. This doesn't mean you'll use all of those themes and ideas, but if one falls through, you'll have others to fall back on and you won't start floundering.

 

[Sprinkles~]

can anyone suggest a starter for a story... i need a bit of a help starting. I think if i have an example of the start of a creative story I could get some ideas and then flow on from there.

here's the opening paragraph or two from some of the stories i've written, the first two are from the ones i used during the HSC year.

getting started is always the hardest part, i can sit there hours and not get past the first paragraph which isnt so good in exams

 

[ITimber]

thanks... that will give me a bit of a kick start and get my mind rolling with some ideas. Thanks again.

 

[sf_diegoxrock]

you should write a generic story with the core being about journeys

then during the exam, adapt it to the stimulus and work your way around it

remember - the concept is king

 

[lealea226]

Yeah what sucked in my trials is that one of the questions was to write an interview about Michale Gows 'Away' but my teacher didnt tell us that nor did she teach us and everyone failed that part. Also after that she still didnt teach us how to write an interview so now im terrified theyll do it again and ill fail it again. Does anyone know he proper way to wrte an interview in the exam on physical journey???

 

[Nicola1616]

I'm not sure of the 'rules' of writing an interview but it can be really fun and a little freeing in a way cause in an essay you need to reach conclusion, keep it cohesive, build your argument solidly etc whereas in an interview you have two points of view. I'd say:
-If it's for radio, back announce a track with a title that's pertinent, can add some humour too, allows your announcer to say something like "and speaking of holidays, we have with us today blah blah"
-give your announcer some sound knowledge or at least enough intelligence to have insight and challenge. I think it's totally wasted words and effort to have them asking "So Miff, what is this novel all about?" or something to that effect. Have your announcer pose challenging and interesting points that the guest speaker can respond to. Have them studied the unit in hsc/seen the play/had a phone in last week where students asked certain things so they can say: I understand that commonly, students think that Gow's trying to ...", anything that will give them intelligent stuff to add. So I don't know the play well or the thesis, so this'll sound like crap, but something like:

"Interviewer: In the version of 'Away' that I attended, the final words about dark purpose and death were delivered by Tom, an ending Wherrett preferred for its dramatic irony. Gow's own interpretation is powerful and spare but it's far less sentimental. Do you think the text is consciously trying to keep this sort of sentimentality under control. I mean, are the elements of comedy and tragedy held sufficiently in check?

Guest speaker: Oh definately Miff, I mean I like a good weep as much as the next person but I can't abide 'sap'. No Gow had tred that very fine line well. Take the scene on the beach where ....."

-Have them argue points. You can have fun here presenting different views cause in the end they can say: "Well, we'll have to agree to disagree on that one Tom, because to me the storm was not just a bit of bad weather, it was of cosmic significance. But if we can go on to another point ....

-If it's radio and it's JJJ or something you have to make it sound like that so you can have humour but again I think it's a waste of time to attempt any humour that's not related to the body of the work, just have them exaggerate a point or frame something a little flippantly occassionally to keep it light.

that's all I can think of right now

 

[suitra]

Hey, wat i do to study for not only creative writing but also essays through out the hole english criteria, is i write on little bits of paper different types of creative writing questions, some times the same question but instead of it being a normal story i put on it that it has be wrote like an interview and so on. and then i put like how ever many im willing to complete overa week in the hat or bowlor sumthing and deicde il do one a day so i pull one out and do it in the 40mintes, then i send it to a teacher to be checked.
it works for me to be b able to write as much as possible with having as little knoweldge of wat question will b pulled. and i try to include simlular expressions and ideas so tht im not starting from scratch so tht i do have a bit of a background idea..tht has been looked over by teachers, and eventually perfected.

 

[ademayd]

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