Discovery: The Ultimate Guide to Creative Writing

[elysepopplewell]

This guide is incredible!

Although, do you have any tips to help make the ending really pack a punch. My teacher's feedback is always that my endings are weak and don't give any impact that makes them memorable. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Depending on the tone and content of your creative, you could also use some irony or humour. My creative was about a woman giving a speech in the 60s, talking about her urge to be more than a domestic goddess. And at the end she calls her listeners to action, asking them if they'd like to have a spot of tea and talk about how their herbs are growing in the heat. Admittedly, it took me a while to think of the ending because I'm not a quick witted person, but it really rounded off the creative well I think! Most people who read my creative said it was their favourite part. Which is cool, because it was the ending - so that means I've left the audience with a really good taste of my creative!

I'm so thrilled that you like the guide

[ktleeeee]

Depending on the tone and content of your creative, you could also use some irony or humour. My creative was about a woman giving a speech in the 60s, talking about her urge to be more than a domestic goddess. And at the end she calls her listeners to action, asking them if they'd like to have a spot of tea and talk about how their herbs are growing in the heat. Admittedly, it took me a while to think of the ending because I'm not a quick witted person, but it really rounded off the creative well I think! Most people who read my creative said it was their favourite part. Which is cool, because it was the ending - so that means I've left the audience with a really good taste of my creative!

I'm so thrilled that you like the guide

Thanks for your help! I think i'll try and work some some humour into it 

[kavinila]

hey guys!
my question is about the expectations of markers from our discovery creatives. i'm a little confused as to what the markers expect; I mean I understand that we need to have answer the question prompt/stimulus and it should be creative and perhaps the conventions of writing should be addressed etc. but beyond that, what is expected of us to access the top range of marks? not sure if my question makes sense ..
but thankyou in advance

[jamonwindeyer]

hey guys!
my question is about the expectations of markers from our discovery creatives. i'm a little confused as to what the markers expect; I mean I understand that we need to have answer the question prompt/stimulus and it should be creative and perhaps the conventions of writing should be addressed etc. but beyond that, what is expected of us to access the top range of marks? not sure if my question makes sense ..
but thankyou in advance

Hey hey! Definitely makes sense, this is from the marking criteria that was used for Creative in the HSC last year, the 13-15 mark range:

• Composes skilfully an engaging piece of imaginative writing that uses ONE of the images provided as the central element
• Skillfully explores the unexpected impact of discovery
• Demonstrates skilful control of language and structure appropriate to audience, purpose, context and selected form

For comparison, the 10-12 mark range:

• Composes effectively an engaging piece of imaginative writing that uses ONE of the images provided as the central element
• Effectively explores the unexpected impact of discovery
• Demonstrates effective control of language and structure appropriate to audience, purpose, context and selected form

Notice that the difference between them is effective vs skillful, getting the job done versus absolutely smashing it out of the park. In general, I like to use a waiter metaphor:

1-3 -> Drops your food all over your head
4-6 -> Has to come back and ask you to repeat the order
7-9 -> Takes your Order with half a smile, does the job but not much else
10-12 -> Polite, super friendly, you go "Oh, that's a nice waiter."
13-15 -> Amazing, goes the extra mile, gives you free drinks, etc

The same thing is required every time, but it is meeting the requirement to a satisfactory, vs great, vs incredible, level

In terms of what you actually have to do, your job description, that's the criteria. Composes an engaging (captures the audience) piece of writing incorporating the stimulus, that develops a powerful idea about discovery, while demonstrating effective control of language (meaning that your grammar, syntax, spelling are on point, as well as story structure and use of techniques)

[EmileeSmith]

THANKYOU SOO MUCH this motivates me to finally start writing creative stories !!

[elysepopplewell]

THANKYOU SOO MUCH this motivates me to finally start writing creative stories !!

Wooohoo! That's what we like to hear. Are you starting from scratch or are you adapting something you've already written?

[kavinila]

Hey hey! Definitely makes sense, this is from the marking criteria that was used for Creative in the HSC last year, the 13-15 mark range:

• Composes skilfully an engaging piece of imaginative writing that uses ONE of the images provided as the central element
• Skillfully explores the unexpected impact of discovery
• Demonstrates skilful control of language and structure appropriate to audience, purpose, context and selected form

For comparison, the 10-12 mark range:

• Composes effectively an engaging piece of imaginative writing that uses ONE of the images provided as the central element
• Effectively explores the unexpected impact of discovery
• Demonstrates effective control of language and structure appropriate to audience, purpose, context and selected form

Notice that the difference between them is effective vs skillful, getting the job done versus absolutely smashing it out of the park. In general, I like to use a waiter metaphor:

1-3 -> Drops your food all over your head
4-6 -> Has to come back and ask you to repeat the order
7-9 -> Takes your Order with half a smile, does the job but not much else
10-12 -> Polite, super friendly, you go "Oh, that's a nice waiter."
13-15 -> Amazing, goes the extra mile, gives you free drinks, etc

The same thing is required every time, but it is meeting the requirement to a satisfactory, vs great, vs incredible, level

In terms of what you actually have to do, your job description, that's the criteria. Composes an engaging (captures the audience) piece of writing incorporating the stimulus, that develops a powerful idea about discovery, while demonstrating effective control of language (meaning that your grammar, syntax, spelling are on point, as well as story structure and use of techniques)

thankyou! the analogy helps
also, I've written three creatives for AOS and the two i wrote for my exams weren't the greatest ... the first ever creative i wrote would probably be my best but there were many superfluous ideas throughout it. would i be better off editing that creative, or amending my exam creatives for which i received feedback from the marker ..?

[Elenaa]

Hi !

I was just wondering do we have to write which stimulus we use, like on the top of the page ? like if it was an image, which image we used and stuff 

Thanks

[asd987]

Hi, I have to compose a short creative writing piece about a personal discovery and how its impacted me. I don't know what to write about so can i get some ideas? ty

[ml125]

Hi !

I was just wondering do we have to write which stimulus we use, like on the top of the page ? like if it was an image, which image we used and stuff 

Thanks

It's usually better not to identify the stimulus you use, and would be unnecessary. In any case, whatever you choose to use must be made obvious to the marker when they are reading your creative anyway

[elysepopplewell]

Hi !

I was just wondering do we have to write which stimulus we use, like on the top of the page ? like if it was an image, which image we used and stuff 

Thanks

As ml125 has said - no need to identify! Some internal assessments may require this of you but not the HSC exam!

Hi, I have to compose a short creative writing piece about a personal discovery and how its impacted me. I don't know what to write about so can i get some ideas? ty

I'll give you some prompts from the rubric and consider them closely against your own experiences:
Spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual and creative discoveries.
Transformative discoveries, or discoveries that cause a simple shift in mindset.
Discoveries that were planned or unplanned.
Discoveries evoked by curiosity, or discoveries carefully planned and hoped for.
Discoveries that affect society, or just you.

Ultimately, I obviously can't tell you a discovery that has happened to you because I wouldn't know! But, if you carefully consider each of these you might find something. Maybe you're considering big events too much, go small scale and consider creative or intellectual discoveries.

[Justina Shehata]

I have a question regarding photos given in the exam to integrate in the creative.
I find fairly easy to integrate quotes or first lines into my exam but i find photos to be quite hard because they usually ask to make it the central piece of your storyline. Also, sometimes I find they are quite literal. For example, one of the images of last year's paper is a bottle floating in the water. The 'discovery' part of my creative is about the discovery  of personal integrity. I would not know how to use that image in my creative

[studybuddy7777]

I have a question regarding photos given in the exam to integrate in the creative.
I find fairly easy to integrate quotes or first lines into my exam but i find photos to be quite hard because they usually ask to make it the central piece of your storyline. Also, sometimes I find they are quite literal. For example, one of the images of last year's paper is a bottle floating in the water. The 'discovery' part of my creative is about the discovery  of personal integrity. I would not know how to use that image in my creative

One of the pictures was of a man (running from something? Worried? I cant remember) in the 2015 HSC. Surely you couldve used that? Or could you have used the bottle as a metaphor—a rediscovery/new discovery surfacing or a truth being uncovered, pent aggression being let out?

You do have to think with the pictorial stimuli, but there are many ways to link it back if you use your smarts about you

[lucyyyyyy]

Hi, I'm not sure if you've already answered this question somewhere else but for a creative stimulus are you able to change the tense or point of view of a statement? Would you be penalised for changing it to match the rest of your creative? Thanks

[ml125]

Hi, I'm not sure if you've already answered this question somewhere else but for a creative stimulus are you able to change the tense or point of view of a statement? Would you be penalised for changing it to match the rest of your creative? Thanks

Small alterations such as gender and tense are usually allowed - just as long as the meaning of the stimulus is kept the same.