CONFLICT CREATIVE PIECE

[MNM101]

So I've written 2 creative pieces on conflict and I keep getting the same reply from my teacher, I keep straying from the prompt and my piece is simply a story. The thing is, I don't know how to link my story to the prompt throught my piece. For example for the prompt "conflict and fear are inextricably mixed" How would you write a good creative piece that would make sure you are constantly answering the prompt. Thanks in advance

[literally lauren]

So I've written 2 creative pieces on conflict and I keep getting the same reply from my teacher, I keep straying from the prompt and my piece is simply a story. The thing is, I don't know how to link my story to the prompt throught my piece. For example for the prompt "conflict and fear are inextricably mixed" How would you write a good creative piece that would make sure you are constantly answering the prompt. Thanks in advance

Easy: spend the first 10-15 minutes planning as though you're writing an expository piece.
(obvs. in timed conditions you'd do this differently, but just in terms of breaking down your approach for now...)

The most common mistake people make when writing creatively is getting too wrapped up in a story which, though it may be well-written and interesting, bears little relevance  to the prompt. Or, if it is relevant, its contention can pretty much be boiled down to 'yes, the prompt is true' or 'no the prompt is not really true.'

So before jumping into the construction of your story in terms of plot or characters, put all that completely out of your head and just focus on what the prompt is saying. It may look simple, but that just means you need to make it complex and sophisticated. Unpack some of the key words, address some of the implications, and see if you can reach the 'core' of the prompt - that is - what you believe its primary message or 'point' to be.

For example, that prompt you mentioned: 'Conflict and fear are inextricably mixed,' a mid-range piece would look at that and say: oh cool, I'll just write a story about someone who feels afraid in the midst of conflict. A better way to explore it would be to break apart what the prompt is implying between the lines:
    - If conflict and fear are mixed together, does that mean they're hard to tell apart?
    - Does conflict lead to fear, or does fear lead to conflict?
    - Why are the two mixed? Are we aware of this? Is it deliberate? Is it a good/bad thing?
    - What might happen if we tried to separate fear/our emotions from conflict/external events?
    - Is this the case for everyone? Are there any important exceptions?
    - How do we know this to be true?
    - Are there any other things that we could say are 'inextricably mixed' with conflict and/or fear?
You might attempt to answer or explore just two of these ideas, or you might want to try and cover three or four. The main point is - these sorts of ideas don't just crop up naturally in your piece unless you intend to put them there. Or, more accurately, although your teacher can sometimes project onto your work and read into ideas that you kind of accidentally included, in the end you can only get full credit for what you've explicitly done. The teachers have a very good sense of when a student has deliberately set out to explore a certain concept of reveal a certain idea, as opposed to students who just 'write' and end up stumbling upon a few noteworthy areas.

Only after you've wrestled with the prompt for awhile and come out the other side with some interesting ideas should you then think about how to construct a story around what you've explored. So you make your piece fit the prompt rather than the other way around