Table Of ContentResources for Teaching Creative Writing
Resources available for download
Worksheetsfromthisbookareavailableonlineat
www.continuumbooks.com/resources/9780826443540.
Pleasevisitthelinkandregisterwithustoreceiveyourpasswordand
accesstothesedownloadableresources.
Ifyouexperienceanyproblemsaccessingtheresources,pleasecontact
[email protected]
AlsoavailablefromContinuum
TeachingCreativeWriting–GraemeHarper
100IdeasforTeachingDrama–JohnnieYoung
100+IdeasforManagingBehaviour–JohnnieYoung
ResourcesforTeachingFrench–GillJames
Resources for Teaching
Creative Writing
Johnnie Young
ContinuumInternationalPublishingGroup
TheTowerBuilding 80MaidenLane,Suite704
11YorkRoad NewYorkNY10038
LondonSE17NX
www.continuumbooks.com
©JohnnieYoung2009
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,
electronicormechanical,includingphotocopying,recording,oranyinformationstorageorretrievalsystem,
withoutpriorpermissioninwritingfromthepublishers.
JohnnieYounghasassertedhisrightundertheCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct,1988,tobeidentifiedas
Authorofthiswork.
BritishLibraryCataloguing-in-PublicationData
AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
ISBN:978-0-8264-0992-8(paperback)
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Young,Johnnie.
Resourcesforteachingcreativewriting/JohnnieYoung.
p.cm.
ISBN978-0-8264-4354-0(pbk.:alk.paper)
1. Creativewriting(Secondaryeducation) I.Title.
LB1631.Y682009
808'.0420712--dc22
2009009348
DesignedandtypesetbyKennethBurnley,Wirral,Cheshire
PrintedandboundinGreatBritainby
This book is dedicated to my wife Sylvie
and my children Edward, Julie and William.
It is also dedicated to the memory of my mother and father.
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
Introduction ix
Acknowledgements xi
SectionA:RealizeaDream
1 AdventureTravelDiary,CapeHorn 2
2 RadioInterview:RealizeaDreamAmbition 4
3 WritingaboutaDream 6
4 TheDreamCompetition 8
5 DreamAdventurePoetry 10
6 ScienceFiction 12
SectionB:SomeElementsofWriting
7 TheFourElements 16
8 LinkedOrderOutofRandomChaos 18
9 DescriptiveWriting:ContrastingPlacesandExperiences 20
SectionC:Memories
10 TheFemaleHollyBlue 24
11 MemoriesofChildhood 26
12 WhatCanYouSeeinthePhotograph? 28
13 ReturnJourney 30
14 WhatStandsOutinYourMemory? 32
SectionD:SomethingSpecial
15 CreatingYour‘Masterpiece’ 36
16 TheExtraordinaryHiddenWithintheOrdinary 38
17 PoeticConsiderations 40
18 Advertisements 42
19 TheSpecialFeature 44
20 TheInvention 46
21 TheAdvice 48
SectionE:SpookyBusiness
22 TheTavern 52
23 ScaryExtracts 54
24 SpookyStarters 56
25 ‘BleakNight’MiniStagePlay 58
SectionF:CreatingTension
26 TheVase 62
27 Predicaments 64
28 BeingUnderStressMonologue 66
29 SomeoneisFollowingMe 68
30 UnexpectedEvent 70
vii
SectionG:TheWorldofFeelings
31 InsideandOutside 74
32 AgonyAunt/UncleLetters 76
33 TrueLove 78
34 MyPerfectDay 80
35 FavouriteSounds 82
36 DescribetheView 84
37 TheDisappointment 86
38 FeelingsandImpressionsPoetry 88
SectionH:Connections
39 JobConnections 92
40 WhereDidYouComeFrom? 94
41 Descriptions:FrozenSceneandAction 96
42 DescribeaPicture 98
43 CharacterViewpoints 100
44 Let’sArgueOurCase 102
45 CharacterConnections 104
46 World‘Class’Journey 106
SectionI:Character
47 AnInterestingCharacter 110
48 YourStatue 112
49 InYourAbsence 114
50 StoryTellingUsingDialogue 116
51 OptimisticorPessimisticCharacter? 118
52 TheInterview 120
53 ViewpointsRevealCharacter 122
54 WhatAnnoysYou? 124
SectionJ:Time
55 StrangeDiscoveries 128
56 FutureRemains 130
57 WhatDoestheFutureHold? 132
58 TransformingtheMemories 134
59 AMomentinTime 136
60 HowTimeChangesThings 138
viii
Introduction
Thekeyideasbehindthisbookarebasedonmyattemptsduring17yearsofteachingtoencouragestudentsto
writeimaginativelyandcreatively.Ihavefoundthatmoststudentsmayfindthemselvesunsureandlackingin
confidenceintheearlystagesoftheprocess.Tobegivenawritingtasksuchas:‘Writeaboutadayinthelifeofa
golfball’mayfireupthecreativejuicesoftheteacher,butEnglishteachershavehadalotofexperienceinfiring
uptheirowncreativejuices.WhatIhavefoundthatmoststudentsneedisanexampleofafinishedproductso
thattheycansettheir‘mentalco-ordinates’:asetofsuggestionstopromptthemintoactionandinsomecasesa
stepbystepapproachwithteacherguidanceandencouragement.Thecrucialthingistheactualexamplestheyare
shown.Iftheexampleistoosophisticated(forexample,adescriptionofacharacterfromaDickensnovel)this
createsadistancingbetweenwhattheyseebeforethemandwhattheyfeeltheyarecapableofwriting.Examples
arethereforerequiredwhichbridgethisgap.Manyteachersrewriteexamplesthemselves,fromliterature,tofulfil
thisneedtobridgethegap.Butthistakesanawfullotoftime.
Thisbookprovides60ready-to-useexamples.Theexamplesarenottakenfromwell-knownworksofliterature.
Ihave,infact,writtenalltheexamplesmyself,basedonmyownexperiencesintheclassroomandseeingwhat
engagesthestudents’attention,holdstheirinterestandallowsthemtothinkwitha‘Icandothat’attitude.Once
theirinterestisengagedwiththeexampleofa‘finishedproduct’thesuggestionlistsgivethestudentschoicefor
thenextstep,andthentriggertheirowncreativeprocesses.Ihavefoundthatthisunlocksamazingthings.
Studentswanttowritecreatively.Theyloveitwhenitgoeswell.Theyjustneedtherighttoolswithwhichtodoit.
Thebookisorganizedintotenthematicsections.Withinthethematicsectionsisawiderangeofwritingtypesand
skillsrangingfromdramaticmonologuestopoetry.Thebookbalancestherequirementtoteachcreativewriting
tospecificallyhelpwiththeKS4andKS5syllabusesandthedesireto‘openout’thefieldofcreativewritingto
exploreitsmanyaspectsforthestudents’purepleasureandjoyofwritingcreatively.
Thebookwillbeappropriatetoanysecondaryschoolteacherwhowantstoteachcreativewritingtoanagerange
of14to18yearsold.
ThegenerallayoutistoshowtheTeacherNotesontheleft-handsideandanaccompanyingphotocopiable
resourceStudentWorksheetontheright.
TheTeacherNotesincludealltheinformationneededtoprovideawell-balancedandchallenginglesson.Eachidea
beginswithasummaryofkeyskillssothattheteachercanquicklyplacetheactivitytoaparticularareaofthe
NationalCurriculum.Thereisthenastarter,achunkedmainphaseandaplenary.Foreachonethereisanideafor
homeworkandsuggestionstodevelopthework,ifdesired,bytheteacher.Aparticularfeatureistoinclude,for
eachidea,aspecialfocusanddevelopmentexercisefortheKS4andKS5syllabus.
Idohopethatthisbookhelpsyoutodeliversomegreatlessons.Thereisnothingbetterthanhearingastudent
readhisorherowncreativewritingwithasenseofpleasureandpride.Sometimes,asbusyteachers,wedon’t
realizejusthowdeepthatpleasuregoes.I’vebeenteachinglongenoughnowtohavetheprivilegeofmeeting
studentsinthestreetwhorefertostoriestheyenjoyedwritingdecadesago.Isn’tthatgreat!Theymaynothave
becomefamousauthorsbuttheyproducedsomethingwhichtheywereproudof.Whatajobthisiswhereabitof
creativewritingdoneinyourclassroomwillbesomemorablefortheminyearstocome.Ireallywishyouthebest
indeliveringlessonsthatcanmakesuchanimpressiononyourstudents’lives.
ix
