This document provides guidance for a GCSE coursework assignment on creative writing. It includes: 1) Instructions to write a story passage from a character's perspective using their five senses and showing how they feel. 2) Suggestions to imagine being the character to help get into their mindset. 3) Notes that literary devices should arise naturally in context, like metaphors and similes. 4) An example of writing a story passage as a Facebook chat or Twitter stream for originality. 5) Instructions to write a passage from another provided text as a drama script using stage directions and speech.

1. Writing to imagine, explore and entertain, GCSE
coursework
Learning objectives: to learn how to write from a characters’ perspectives, to learn
about literary devices, to learn about writing in different styles.
1. Look at the extract from my novel, The Last Day of Term which fits the title
“Trapped” and answer these questions: how do I tell the story from Bela’s
perspective? What five senses do I use? What’s successful/unsuccessful about this
passage?
Now write a section of your coursework from a characters’ perspective, using the
five senses and showing how the character feels. IMAGINE YOU ARE THEM!
Try this if you are struggling. Shut your eyes, imagine very hard that YOU ARE THAT
PERSON. See the world from their perspective. Feel what they feel. See what they see.
Smell what they smell. BE THEM!
Open your eyes and write; don’t worry about getting stuff wrong. Just BE THEM!
Literary devices will occur naturally because they are a natural part of a good story…We
use literary devices all the time in our language.
LITERARY DEVICES: These should arise NATURALLY and should not be forced. So
things like alliteration (repeated letter sounds), onomatopoeia (sound words), metaphors
(direct comparisons), similes, need to work in CONTEXT.
Look at the section of my novel which is written in a script; I did this to imitate
FaceBook chat. You could do this too…What is interesting about doing this? What are
the problems?
Have a go at turning your piece into a piece of FaceBook chat; this might make it
original. Or turn it into a Twitter stream etc…
2. Look at the extract from ‘A View From The Bridge’; Eddie is Catherine’s uncle
and warning her against marrying. There is a sense that he feels she will become
“trapped” by the marriage. W
What are the conventions of a drama script? What makes this an effective passage?
Now write a section of your coursework as a drama script, using stage directions
and speech. Try and write in a different style from your script.