National 5 Folio Creative Writing The Folio Your

National 5 Folio: Creative Writing

The Folio Your folio pieces are worth 30% of your grade. Each piece is marked out of 15. If you are found to have plagiarised either piece, you could have your SQA results taken off of you and be dropped from the course. All pieces must be: typed size 12 text. either 1. 5 up on a computer. Times New Roman, Helvetica or Ariel font. line spaced.

What you will be assessed on: Content - stick to your chosen purpose and fit your chosen audience Style – use the conventions of the genre effectively, use varied word choice, structure your work to help achieve its purpose Technical accuracy – consistently accurate usage of paragraphing, punctuation, grammar and spelling

Plot Structure A story would usually have the following sections: Exposition This is what is revealed or told at the start of the story. It sets the scene and establishes characters. Not too much, or you will bore your reader, not too little or you will confuse them. Initiating incident Something happens at the start of the story. This kicks off the action by creating a problem, or challenge, or new situation for the main characters Development This is where the characters try to solve their problems. . The character will probably make several unsuccessful attempts to solve the problem, and some of these may lead to turning points within the story. This is how your story develops. It is where we see the action of the story rising. Climax This is the point the story has been leading up to. Afterwards the story may change mood or direction. Resolution After the climax, there will be consequences that affect the fates of those involved. The story should feel properly brought to a close.

Plot Structure Task 1: Watch this video to see how plot is developed in Disney films https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=8 yz. Y 6 bu. Mflo Task 2: Then read the short story “Absolute” and explain how we see these different plot sections in this story. What events fit with each section? Step in the structure 1. Exposition 1. Initiating incident 1. Development 1. Climax 1. Resolution How do we see this in ‘Absolute’?

Plot The best short stories are the ones that stick to the following PLOT rules: Don’t have your story taking place over a long period of time – 5 minutes to a day is the preferred timeframe. Ensure the story has a clear conflict – the conflict should be something which brings out the true character of the protagonist. Don’t try to include too much in your story. Keep the plot simple and a clear line of thought – one conflict to be resolved. This lets you focus on adding description to your writing. Write about what you know – don’t write a story about war in Afghanistan if you don’t know what it is like. Try to have a clear theme to your story.

Show don’t tell This is one of the most effective ways at interesting your reader and illustrating to the marker that you have a flare for writing. Example I opened the envelope. I took the letter out and read it. I put it down. Now look at these improved sentences using ‘show don’t tell’. I tore open the envelope. I pulled the letter out and scanned it. I flung it to the floor.

Task 3 Re-write the first three sentences from the last slide beginning ‘I opened the envelope…’ to show the following emotions. 1. The narrator is afraid of what the letter says. 2. The narrator is surprised or shocked by something in the letter. Important tip: The difference between showing and telling often comes from choosing interesting vocabulary. By using the right words to put across how characters move, act, appear, or speak, we can make the reader imagine and understand what they are like, or how they are feeling.

Task 4 Now try writing these paragraphs (making sure that you show rather than tell) 1. Show that a person is angry just by describing the way he/she buys three items at a supermarket. 2. Show that a person is afraid just by describing the way he/she starts a car and drives off.

Other techniques you can use in your writing Imagery: simile, metaphor, personification Alliteration Onomatopoeia Pun Dialogue Colloquial language Repetition Task 5 – Look up any techniques that you are not sure what they mean

Character There are 4 main ways to give the reader information about a character. You should try to use several of these to create a meaningful character. What they say What they do What others say about them/their relationship to others What the narrator chooses to tell us

Character A good character description focuses on one or two more interesting or quirky elements of a character. A quirk could be:

Character A teacher then used a list of quirks to create a character description about herself. The best characters are realistic. So when you create the character in your story, steal a quirk from someone you know. Give them the same walk as your dad, or your teacher’s strange laugh, or your own habit of waving your hands as you talk!

Create a realistic character that could feature in an imaginative short story. Write a secret that they have. 1. Are they a man or a woman? 2. Are they under 20, 20 -30, 30 -40, 40 -50, 50+ 11. Write a wish that they have. 3. What country do they come from? 4. What is their name? 5. Use three words/phrases to describe what they look like. 6. How would other people describe their personality? 7. Who is part of their family? 8. Where does their money come from? 9. Name something that they don’t have. 10. 12. What is the best thing that has happened to them? 13. What is the worst thing that has happened to them? 14. Where are they at this moment in time? 15. What do they want to do in the future? Write a paragraph to describe this character and then send this to your teacher

Successful Folio Ideas A girl and her horse competing in a riding competition. A man on death row, reflecting on what he did and what is to come. A split-narrative between a Jewish girl and the Nazi who persecuted her. A dying girl in a library who reflects on how much she is going to miss out on. A man meets a suspicious man on a train journey and finds out the train is going to crash. A schizophrenic atop the Empire State Building.

Examples The following examples received either full of almost full marks at National 5. Read through them in groups and make notes about what was successful about them. Ebony and Ivory Catching An the Wave Ending

Conclusions Finishing a story can be difficult. It is better to have a clear idea of how your story will end before you begin. A story with a flat or unlikely ending will leave the reader disappointed. In your case this could be a marker and it could impact on your grade. To get a good grade, all parts of the story have to be done well. NEVER end a story by saying it was all a dream and try to avoid cliffhangers. These are seen as lazy ways of ending your piece.

Planning You should now decide if you will do personal or creative writing Fill in the Nat 5 creative plan and send it to your teacher You are then ready to use the skills that we have worked on for the past 2 weeks to start your creative first draft. This will be due at the end of the second week after the summer holidays