Creative Writing Tips

The website below has some excellent tips on how to get the most out of your creative writing ideas. Click on the 'Story Writing Tips' tab. Adapt the examples to your needs.


http://www.midlandit.co.uk/education/writingtips.htm

Remember the Titans: Character Writing Activity

Imagine you are Julius Campbell and you have to speak at Gerry Bertier's funeral at the end of the film. Write the speech you would give outlining your friendship and all the things you went through together.

Before you start writing brainstorm the things you would talk about in your speech e.g. how they didn't get on at the start, how Julius regarded him as Superman, how he regarded him as his brother, their time playing with the Titans, how Gerry changed, etc

Each idea in your brainstorm will be the topic for a paragraph.

Remember the Titans: reading comprehension

Remember the Titans Reading comprehension
Read the following article:


THE HISTORY OF T. C. WILLIAMS HIGH SCHOOL
Virginia - like many other Southern states - had a history of segregated schools. “Jim Crow Laws” long upheld by federal courts, had effectively created two separate societies. African-Americans who endured humiliating treatment still remember what it was like. The two societies were “separate,” but they were hardly “equal.”
Many Southern towns had duplicate schools - one for blacks and one for whites. Alexandria, Virginia (hometown of George Washington) was no different, although it actually had three high schools. Parker-Gray (started in 1920) served the needs of black students while George Washington High served the needs of whites. In 1956, Francis C. Hammond High opened to accommodate the increasing white student population. Bill Yoast, a popular white coach, ran the varsity football program at Hammond High in 1971.
In the 1960s City of Alexandria planned to eliminate school segregation. George Washington High was integrated and remained a 4-year high school until 1971. After the Swann case authorized busing to speed up the integration process, T. C. Williams High School (which had opened in 1965) became the only senior high school in Alexandria.
While integrating all students into one high school - T. C. Williams - was the goal, the process created a “problem.” Black and white members of competing football teams were now part of the same school. If there was only one high school, there would be only one football team. Who would be on the team? And, more importantly, who would be its coach?"
Herman Boone, a black assistant coach who came to T. C. Williams High in 1969, had less experience than his job competitor. Bill Yoast, the white head coach of the winning Hammond High football team had a great record in Alexandria. He had the support of white football parents. He had what it took to stay on top. He had everything going for him - but he didn't get the job. Herman Boone did - and that led to even more unrest in the city of Alexandria. After all, the history of high school football with Coach Yoast was already known, and he was the "obvious" choice.


Copy out a line from the article that proves each of these statements

1. Segregation was common in Southern States at that time.
______________________________________________________________

2. There are still black people alive today who were treated badly because of their race.
______________________________________________________________

3. More and more white students were coming into the area.
______________________________________________________________

Answer the following questions with reference to the text:
1. Was TC Williams the first integrated school in the area?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Why was Coach Yoast expected to get the job at TC Williams?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What was the “problem” created by the school’s integration?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Looking closely at the language used
In paragraph five, the writer uses parallel structure, which is when you repeat the way a sentence is written. Identify an example of parallel structure and comment on why you think it has been used. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now, in your own words, write the meanings of the following words of phrases from the text (they were in bold in the text) as they were used in the text:
• Unrest: _______________________________________________________
• He had what it took to stay on top : ______________________________________________________________
• Duplicate: ______________________________________________________
• Eliminate: ______________________________________________________
• Accommodate: __________________________________________________

101 Unfamiliar Text

Read the following text, then answer the questions.

TEXT A: The Twilight Tales of Oamaru (written text – prose)

Read Text A, then answer Questions One and Two.

from The Twilight Tales of Oamaru (travel writing website, Four Corners)

NB The line numbering matches that of the original text.

1 In the concrete darkness of Smith’s Grain Store three candles flicker. The shadow of Annette Knowler’s tiny frame morphs* into a wavering monster as she passes them. Outside, wind crashes against the limestone walls and rain scratches on the ancient windows.

5 The weather is perfect for setting an eerie scene, but not so for the Oamaru Twilight Tales Tour my friend and I have booked in for. “I can’t promise you a walking tour, because of the weather,” says our host and professional storyteller, Annette, dressed in a black woollen hat, scarf and gloves with sprightly rainbow trim. “But I can promise you some great stories.” She bundles us up in blankets and we perch on the room’s 10 only chairs in baited anticipation.

Annette starts with the tale of Eloise. A tale that, like her others, is set in Victorian-era Oamaru and is based - “to some degree” - on fact. Through Annette’s vivid vocal imagery we learn of the exploits of Eloise - a mischievous young woman who attended a ball on the top floor of this very building and fell to her death on the staircase behind us. “She’s 15 still here,” says Annette, matter-of-factly. Dancing orange shadows illuminate one side of her petite face. We grip our blankets tighter.

In the vast shadowy emptiness of this century-old building, Annette continually morphs before our eyes: one moment she’s ‘Word Weaver’, master storyteller, whose intensely dark eyes dart between our fright-stricken 20 faces as she resurrects history with her unique recipe of fact and fiction. Then, she becomes Annette Knowler, chatty, gentle, practical retiree, and fount of local knowledge.
Sometimes the two merge: “Where are you staying tonight?” asks Annette, between tales.
“The Criterion Hotel,” I reply.
25 Her eyes widen enthusiastically: “There are a lot of good stories about that place!”
We beg her not to tell us. She agrees but wants to know which room we’re in.
“16,” we peep in unison, expecting the worst.
“Ah, good. As long as you’re not in room 22. There’s a cold patch in there... But I won’t tell you about that.”

Glossed word
*morphs: changes

QUESTION ONE: WRITTEN TEXT – PROSE

Refer to Text A, The Twilight Tales of Oamaru, in the resource booklet to answer Question One.

Read lines 1-10 (“In the concrete darkness … in baited anticipation.”).

(a) In your own words, describe ONE aspect of setting that the writer uses to suggest that the Oamaru Twilight Tales Tour will be exciting and give an example.

(i) Aspect of setting:

(ii) Example:

(b) Explain how the aspect of setting that you described in (a) helps the writer show that the tour will be exciting. Support your answer with examples from the text.

(c) Explain how this aspect of setting links with other aspects, such as character or style,
in lines 1-10 to show that the tour will be exciting. Support your answer with examples from the text.

(d) Look at Text A as a whole.

Explain how the writer shows you that the Oamaru Twilight Tales Tour is an exciting tourist attraction. Support your answer with examples from the text. In your answer, you could cover some of the following aspects:
• ideas
• imagery / style
• structure
• narrative point-of-view
• text conventions of travel writing.

QUESTION TWO: WRITTEN TEXT – PROSE

Refer to Text A, The Twilight Tales of Oamaru, in the resource booklet to answer Question Two.

Read lines 1-10 (“In the concrete darkness … in baited anticipation.”).

(a) In your own words, describe ONE interesting aspect of the character of Annette, the tour guide, and give an example.

(i) Aspect of character:

(ii) Example:

(b) Explain why the aspect that you described in (a) helps you understand what Annette is like. Support your answer with examples from the text.

Read lines 11-29 (“Annette starts with … tell you about that.”).

(c) Explain how the writer develops this aspect of Annette’s character in the rest of the text. Support your answer with examples from the text.

(d) Look at Text A as a whole.

Explain how the writer shows you that Annette has an important role in the Oamaru Twilight Tales Tour. Support your answer with examples from the text. In your answer, you could cover some of the following aspects:
• ideas
• style / imagery
• structure
• narrative point-of-view
• text conventions of travel writing.

Remember the Titans: Quck Quiz

1. What is Gerry's surname?
2. What is Julius's surname?
3. Name the city and state the film is based in.
4. Which musical group do Rev and Louie both "dig"?
5. Name the musician and song playing when Julius visits Gerry's home?
6. What is Gerry's girlfriend's name?
7. Name the school the Titans play for.
8. The film takes place in which year?
9. What is the Titans win/loss record for the regular season?
10. Who wore leopard spotted underwear, bikini style?
11. Who was Superman?
12. Who says "you make sure they remember forever the night they played the Titans"?