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Author Topic: Creative Writing - Advice from a Cambridge Uni Student  (Read 32245 times)

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The-Cambridge-Student

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Creative Writing - Advice from a Cambridge Uni Student
« on: February 25, 2015, 10:40:50 am »
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Hey everyone!

As I’m sure many of you know, writing a creative piece for English Advanced or English Extension One can be a deceptively difficult task! So this week, I thought that I would offer you my three best creative writing tips and an example of my own work from my HSC year ;)

Let’s begin with the plot of your story.

1) You need to be able to write your creative piece in quite a short period of time. This means that you can’t have too many characters. During the HSC I developed a format for my stories that never failed me. Essentially, I would have once character who begins the story in one setting reflecting on, for example, the situation I had placed them in, their family, a particular relationship, etc. I would introduce some sort of complication (usually something that challenged the protagonist’s morals/integrity or just generally gave them a topic to reflect on).

From here, I would give them some sort of flashback if it appropriate and relevant. Eventually my character would move scene maybe once or twice, which would allow me to insert rich visual and sensory imagery as well as a description of the physical world in which they found themselves. All the while, they would be introspectively reflecting on a particular issue or aspect of their life. Usually my story would come to a conclusion after the main character had epiphany of some description, hence imbuing my ending with catharsis. Below this initial section of advice, I have included on of my creative works that follows this structure fairly closely. 

2) If you don’t know how to begin your story, an evocative description of the setting is always awesome and helps your marker mentally picture your character in that setting.

3) Usually it is helpful to have an allegory that can be seen to symbolise an important idea that runs through the piece. You’ll see what I mean in a second when you read my story below. Including a literary device such as this can be really helpful in the HSC, as BOS may ask you to write about hope (like the did in my year), fear, the unknown etc. Thus, by constructing an allegory you will be able to fulfil BOS’s marking criteria in a sophisticated and unique manner.

To provide some contextual background, my story below was written for an English Extension One Assessment for Ways of Thinking After the Bomb and is set in the German Democratic Republic – a communist state established in East Germany following World War Two when half of Germany was placed under the protection of England/America, and the other half fell under Russian influence. 

My main character is being interviewed by a member of the GDR’s secret police (the ‘Stasi’), a group who often harassed ordinary people and functioned as an instrument of the totalitarian state.
 
Title: The Pigeons

A sour scent of sweat permeated the room and clung to walls the colour of nuclear mustard. Back pressed against a chair’s metal skeleton, Ines Krieder chewed her lip and shivered in her coat. Above her, a faulty light, like the colossal eye of Marx, snapped on and off in bursts of fluorescent clarity.

All across Leipzig a thousand withered hands would be tugging open curtains and scooping chunks of knödel into gaping, hollow mouths. Frau Daecher from the apartment across the landing would be marshalling her children to school, their uniform pockets emblazoned with a hammer and a compass. Would she notice that Ines was missing?

What did I do?

Like everybody else, Ines had heard the rumours - whispered snippets traded over cigarette breaks in the passageways and corners of dark alleys. As if by osmosis, stories of cameras and hidden microphones had seeped into her consciousness.

On every concrete crossing, in every grey-brick shop, she could sense a shadow in her tread.

Did I take a loaf of bread that was bigger than my share?

A man that she once knew, and dated for a month, told her that all innocent men rage against their captors. They bruise their knuckles bloody banging on prison bars and lose their voices cursing God. But guilty men are silent. They know that God is dead.

Did I read a forbidden book? What do they want with me?

“Ines Kreider.”

An accusation.

“Hands beneath your thighs.”

The command came from a man in military uniform, separated from her by a metal desk. Ines obeyed. A triumvirate of faces hanging on the wall gazed sternly down upon her. Bespectacled Honecker. Lenin with his beard. Mielke, a solemn warrior, readied for battle.

The man produced a note pad.

“I would like you to tell me about pigeons.”

Pigeons?

For an instant, Ines’ hands ceased trembling. Forehead creased, she stared blankly at her captor.

“Pigeons! Rats of the sky! Tell me what you know!”

“Pigeons, sir?” she hesitated, “Pigeons…they…they fly.”

“Correct. Nasty creatures. I’d like to have them culled in Leipzig Park.”

Ines flinched.

The man leaned forward with his pen poised.

“Does that thought upset you?”

Rats of the sky, he called them. Nasty creatures. Yet in her mind’s eye, Ines could see them gathered on the railing of her balcony, their soft, feathered bodies pressed closely together for warmth. Gently cooing and picking at the seed she had laid out for them, they took to the air with western wind on their wings and circled through the leafless Leipzig Park. An effervescent flash of metallic green and purple glinted on their chests as they flew towards the Wall and soared as one beyond its graffitied facade. Then, from mist and smoke that choked the city sky, they returned to her at twilight beneath distant, hazy stars.

“Who are the messages for Fräulein Kreider?” The military man’s sharp question shattered her reverie.

“Messages? I don’t understand, what messages?”

“You are not trying to contact anyone?” He held her gaze, watery blue eyes searching her face, though Ines could not fathom what he expected to find. For a moment, he waited, fingers tapping out an executioner’s drumbeat against the desk. Then, in one swift motion, he swept a file from a drawer and began furiously scrawling across its pages.

“I will release you from temporary questioning…for now. You will regard this interview as a formal warning.”

“But I haven’t done – ”

The man held up a hand to silence her.

“You will return to your place of residence – ”

“But why was I called here?”

“Do not interrupt me! You will not discuss what has transpired here today.”

As if by a silent, unseen signal, a young guard appeared on her right to lead her from the building through an alley door, out into the open. The city was an elderly man, wheezing and sucking in what oxygen it could. Ines leaned against a nearby wall. Bizarre. What could it all mean? In recent months she had heard whispers that the regime was growing more paranoid, like an ageing beast lumbering in circles, mistaking the flick of its own tail for a fleeing rat.

Passing through a crowd of sallow, empty faces that bore shadows of defeat, Ines clenched and unclenched her freezing hands. Dull fires throbbed in her exposed fingers where air cold enough to burn had crawled beneath her skin. Ice, ice, a thousand eyes grown sharp with fear, or was if something more sinister? She hurried on.

There had been a time when East Berliners celebrated the GDR and its impressive wall – an indomitable affront to the encroaching Western fascists. For a moment, vague memories of posters and proclamations that had filled the streets with the cry EQUALITY FOR ALL flickered in her mind.

Of course, sacrifices had followed.

As time went by, the triumphal music that accompanied television announcements and egalitarian promises had disintegrated into ever-present white noise, a blurred backdrop against which Ines followed her routine. Somehow, she had found a way to survive, unpicking the seams of her hopes and her dreams and fashioning an existence from the spartan ambition that remained.

Like a spreading stain, darkness now seeped into the grey fabric of the sky. At the thought of the pigeons waiting for her, pecking fruitlessly at the window ledge, Ines quickened her pace, hurrying inside her dilapidated apartment block.

Instantly she froze. A light was emanating from beneath her door. Good citizens were expected to save power at all times. Ines never left on lights. Hands trembling she fumbled for her key, but when she turned the handle the door was unlocked.

Papers and clothing were strewn across her floor amidst pile upon pile of torn and ravaged books. So they had come.

Her gaze fell upon her kitchen table. There, wings spread to reveal each individual feather, lay a dead pigeon, neck wrung, eyes opaque.

Frantically, she rushed to cradle its limp body in her arms.

“No, no, no, no, no! I’m so sorry, I couldn’t protect you.”

A creaking sound out in the hallway pierced through her sorrow. Vision blurred by tears she turned to stare vacantly over her shoulder. For an instant, the face of her neighbour Frau Daecher hovered in the faint light, like a grotesque balloon, twisted with bitter distrust, before receding into the gloom as she slowly, deliberately, closed her door.

Further Explanation:

As you can see, in my story, the Stasi believe that my main character is using pigeons to send messages to western countries, however in reality, she simply finds comfort in feeding them and watching them soar over the Berlin Wall.

The ending is a little confusing if you aren’t familiar with the period of time, but essentially, it becomes apparent that Ines neighbour ‘informed’ on her, meaning that her neighbour told the secret police that Ines had pigeons coming to her window sill (which was considered a highly suspicious activity at the time, as GDR officials were incredibly paranoid and were determined to use extreme forms of surveillance to exercise control over their country’s citizens).

In this piece, the pigeons themselves are an allegory for hope, hence at the conclusion of my story, the action of a Stasi agent killing and discarding a pigeon in Ines’ apartment is symbolic of ‘man’s inhumanity to man’ and is employed to reinforce the dystopic tone of my work. Thus, as previously mentioned, the inclusion of an allegory such as this strengthens the creative piece and functions as a way of ‘tying’ together the many ideas explored in the narrative.


Overall, although many students find the creative writing section of the English exams to be quite challenging, but by paying close attention to the syllabus guidelines and also developing your own style of writing, you will be able to maximise your marks while gaining greater confidence in your own ability!

Good luck!  :D

Other Guides:
How to Write a Module C Essay
How to Write a Module B Essay
How to Write an Area of Study Essay
Writing an English Advanced Module A Essay
How to Write an English Extension Ways of Thinking Essay

« Last Edit: June 11, 2015, 05:41:43 pm by Ned Nerb »
18, going to Cambridge University in October to study History :) received a 99.7 ATAR in the 2014 HSC.

frances_goodman

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Re: Creative Writing - Advice from a Cambridge Uni Student
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2016, 12:24:11 am »
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Wow, your creative writing is amazing!! I have found that most really good short stories explore specific historical time periods. Do you suggest writing with this intention? And if so, do you recommmend exploring any specific time periods? (I don't do history  :P)

Thank you :)

jamonwindeyer

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Re: Creative Writing - Advice from a Cambridge Uni Student
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2016, 12:53:54 am »
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Wow, your creative writing is amazing!! I have found that most really good short stories explore specific historical time periods. Do you suggest writing with this intention? And if so, do you recommmend exploring any specific time periods? (I don't do history  :P)

Thank you :)

Hey Frances!! Welcome to the forums!! Let me know if you need any help finding things  ;D

Writing stories in historical time periods is a very interesting idea!! I never did it, but it is definitely worth exploring, and playing with some of the sociocultural peculiarities of that time period. For example:

- An African-American during the civil rights movement
- A Blue Coat/Red Coat Love Affair During the American Civil War
- Aboriginal Community During British Colonisation of Australia

Just a few examples, I'm not much of a historian either, but the key would be to make it clear why you chose that time period. Don't just use it for the sake of it, make it serve a purpose!!  ;D

elysepopplewell

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Re: Creative Writing - Advice from a Cambridge Uni Student
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2016, 10:15:29 am »
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Wow, your creative writing is amazing!! I have found that most really good short stories explore specific historical time periods. Do you suggest writing with this intention? And if so, do you recommmend exploring any specific time periods? (I don't do history  :P)

Thank you :)

We held lectures at UTS last week and at the English lecture, we talked about historical periods for creatives. There are a bunch of ideas at play here. If you aren't a creative person, then you can make your creative purely about the facts of the period. So with any work, there are two aspects for being creative: thinking of it, and writing it. So, with a historical period, you can take out the "thinking of it" bit because you will just use the historical facts, and then you need to focus on writing it.

It is important to choose a historical period that you've done a lot of research on. Similarly, I wouldn't recommend writing about a country that you know nothing about except whatever you've gathered in passing (there's a lot more to Rome than gelato). So whatever you do choose, make sure it is grounded in facts to reflect reality, and then you have the option of varying levels of creativity to weave through the historical/cultural foundations :)

My own creative was written about the 1960s - I did a lot of research on it to make it the way it is now, but it was really fun for me to learn about that time, and put it in a creative!
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kavinila

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Re: Creative Writing - Advice from a Cambridge Uni Student
« Reply #4 on: August 06, 2016, 11:16:39 pm »
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hey!
I was just wondering, how explicit does the 'discovery' have to be in our creative? I mean, I've been told numerous times that the marker has to be able to see it; but what if it's more of an internal thing ..?
thanks :)

elysepopplewell

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Re: Creative Writing - Advice from a Cambridge Uni Student
« Reply #5 on: August 07, 2016, 02:08:27 pm »
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hey!
I was just wondering, how explicit does the 'discovery' have to be in our creative? I mean, I've been told numerous times that the marker has to be able to see it; but what if it's more of an internal thing ..?
thanks :)

Do you mean, an internal discovery? I think discovery definitely needs to be a consistent underlying theme, a catalyst for the plot, the climax, or the resolution. So you can have a story where there are multiple discoveries throughout. Or, you can have a story that starts with a discovery, and the rest of the creative details the ramifications. Else, the discovery can be the climax. Or, the entire story could be leading up to the discovery, which is the resolution. So, discovery essentially needs to be one of these features, even if it is subtle. You don't want to be so obvious that you say something like, "Then Harry discovered what had been lost." You can be subtle because the markers are actually looking specifically for the discovery. They are waiting for it. So yes they have to be able to see it, but unless this is the most subtle discovery ever, they will spot it! Be careful that what you are writing about is a discovery, and not just a reflection or a growth. There needs to be that distinct moment of mental awareness, or physical change, where it is clear that the discovery has occurred :)
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feeah

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Re: Creative Writing - Advice from a Cambridge Uni Student
« Reply #6 on: August 07, 2016, 02:39:43 pm »
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Hi, I have a creative writing piece coming up in my yearly and I'm worried about having to adjust it to the prompts. Do you have any advice on this?

elysepopplewell

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Re: Creative Writing - Advice from a Cambridge Uni Student
« Reply #7 on: August 07, 2016, 03:11:45 pm »
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Hi, I have a creative writing piece coming up in my yearly and I'm worried about having to adjust it to the prompts. Do you have any advice on this?

For an image stimulus, think about:

-Using the colour scheme. Perhaps create a metaphor about black and white, if the image is in black and white.
-Use the salient image. So, if the salient image is a man - talk about a man in your story. Incorporate that in. If you already have a man in your story, perhaps just describe his clothes to be the same as the man in the stimulus.
-Make it a metaphor! If the image is of a cage, for example, create an ongoing metaphor about a cage/being trapped/being on display.
-Add in a reflection. So if your creative piece just does not at all fit with the stimulus, consider adding a "reflection" excerpt in your piece somewhere in the exam. This way, you have complete freedom to flick between time periods, add whoever or whatever you want to suit the stimulus, and you can still use the bulk of your story without adjustment :)
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dylan862

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Re: Creative Writing - Advice from a Cambridge Uni Student
« Reply #8 on: September 28, 2016, 08:09:20 pm »
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Hey guys this is just a creative that should be adaptable to many questions. Just not sure if it's engaging or if it needs more. Any feedback would be great. Thanks :)

I hear the rain punching the leaf blanket. I smell the candle burning away. I observe the splinters hanging off the wooden walls. I walk towards the tattered photograph of Dave, Melissa, Jacob, Megan and I when we went for an adventure in the woods. It catalysed the flashback of the horrid disaster.
****
It was dark and miserable. The lightning repeatedly hit the earth. I returned from the hut after grabbing new batteries for the torch only to find a bear sinking its claws into Mel’s skin, staining her skin with a thick layer of blood. Dave tried to pull her away but he only worsened the situation as he was pulled away and thrown into a mud pit whilst spraying everything around it. As he sunk to the bottom, a pool of blood rose to the top along with strands of his hair. I was shell-shocked. Jacob was jaw-dropped. The monster swiftly landed his fist to his jaw and knocked him out cold. He laid there with his bottom front teeth on the brink of falling out. Megan screamed and ran over to sit Jacob up. I tried to call out to her but it was too late. The roaring beast left dinosaur-like claw marks on her face, dimming my life dramatically. I ran back to the hut and sat at the table we ate at every morning. Perspirations seeped out rapidly, being absorbed by the maple dining table that held us all together. I dropped my head onto the table, feeling lost.
****
I look back at the flame in the centre of the table and it dimmed down. I sit back up and wipe the tears. I look at the empty seats around the table and I reminisced with the uplifting times we spent together.
****
We ventured into the woods on our bikes and found a massive cave. We played games, saw stunning patterns embedded on the walls and ceiling. We all engraved our names on an empty patch. It was also hard to ignore Dave’s atrocious handwriting and we all chuckled about it just like anything else he did that was ludicrous. We then took advantage of the dead silence and soft breeze, kicked our shoes off and took a nap. A few hours later we went back out and observed the sunset. Our eyes were steady to the horizon, faces absorbing the orange sun rays before the twilight beckoned the stars. I looked at each of my mates and they all had a special feature that was shone upon. Dave with his long black hair blowing upwards due to the wind, Melissa having such an olive skin tone, Jacob boasting his permanent perfect smile with his teeth pretty much reflecting the rays, and Megan’s face glowing more intense than a glow stick. We then set up a campfire and sat around it, mirroring our sitting around the timber table with the centred candle back at the hut. This time we told stories and listened to Melissa’s singing of a song she wrote and dedicated for us. Her voice was carried by the calm wind blowing towards us. We were soothed and all felt a mesmerising connection with one another.
****
The song plays on in my head. I am eternally grateful to have such great friends. I have come to realise, I must not revisit the horrid tragedy, but rather remember the positive experiences with them and use them as my life motivation for my speculative future. These experiences with my friends have taught me life morale as I must be appreciative of what I have.

elysepopplewell

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Re: Creative Writing - Advice from a Cambridge Uni Student
« Reply #9 on: September 28, 2016, 09:41:15 pm »
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Hey guys this is just a creative that should be adaptable to many questions. Just not sure if it's engaging or if it needs more. Any feedback would be great. Thanks :)


Hi Dylan! Welcome to the forums! We require 15 posts on the forums to get a full piece marked. You can read more about it in the link in my signature below :) In the mean time, you're more than welcome to chat in the discussion thread here, ask any questions on any subject, or even answer some questions! :)
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cherryred

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Re: Creative Writing - Advice from a Cambridge Uni Student
« Reply #10 on: October 02, 2016, 03:57:09 pm »
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Hey,

What things do you think would always be evident in a discovery creative writing piece that links to the question/stimulus and also earns 14/15 or 15/15? I know it's a pretty general question but further tips would be appreciated :)

THANK YOU!!!

elysepopplewell

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Re: Creative Writing - Advice from a Cambridge Uni Student
« Reply #11 on: October 04, 2016, 02:42:19 pm »
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Hey,

What things do you think would always be evident in a discovery creative writing piece that links to the question/stimulus and also earns 14/15 or 15/15? I know it's a pretty general question but further tips would be appreciated :)

THANK YOU!!!


Hmm...it's a tricky question to answer! I'm genuinely struggling to put together a little list of things. So I'll take a different approach. I think that the best way to ensure that you'll be able to adapt in the exam is to go through every little aspect of the rubric in the days coming up to the exam and asking yourself, "If I was asked about this, what would I do?" It might prompt you to recognise that you need to plan some alternative endings, or to change some characters up a little. This way, nothing can be a surprise to you in the exam!

It is also important to make sure that you incorporate the discovery/stimulus from the beginning. Establish a metaphor early, or identify the beginning of the discovery process early, whatever it may be. Then move forward. It is a criticism from the notes from the marking centre quite regularly that people are leaving the stimulus and discovery to the end entirely, without putting the roots in the beginning/earlier on. So it looks chucked on the end! Consider this perhaps :)

Let me know if I've missed the mark and haven't quite given you what you're looking for lol! :)
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vincentso69

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Re: Creative Writing - Advice from a Cambridge Uni Student
« Reply #12 on: October 08, 2016, 05:11:33 pm »
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How hard is it to change your creative story to fit the stimulas?

cause I had to change the story line a bit for trials and ended up improvising a lot in the end, not good.
Should i try to change 1 event or change a character?
sorry, i think creative is my worst bit

ssarahj

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Re: Creative Writing - Advice from a Cambridge Uni Student
« Reply #13 on: October 08, 2016, 06:08:10 pm »
+1
How hard is it to change your creative story to fit the stimulas?

cause I had to change the story line a bit for trials and ended up improvising a lot in the end, not good.
Should i try to change 1 event or change a character?
sorry, i think creative is my worst bit

Its usually really difficult to change your character and your setting on the spot, so usually changing what happens to them slightly can work a bit better. The less drastic changes the better. To practise fitting your story to the stimulus if you don't have a whole lot of time, get your hands on as many past questions as possible and spend a few minutes on each question brainstorming how you would tweak your story to match each one. You'll get much better with practise! :)
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cherryred

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Re: Creative Writing - Advice from a Cambridge Uni Student
« Reply #14 on: October 09, 2016, 10:31:58 am »
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Hey,

My story is kinda long and covers many aspects of discovery including its negative and positive nature. However due to the stress that I am feeling due to the many words, I am thinking of taking out the positive nature of discovery which is conveyed through a reflection in my story. However, I am kinda worried about doing that. I am scared that it will decrease the fact that my story has many layers... Any tips...?

Thank you :)