This document outlines creative writing exercises that can be used to teach junior cycle English students. It describes exercises in personal writing, functional writing, poetry, fiction and drama. The exercises are designed to give students practice in different writing styles and techniques. They include character sketches, travel brochure descriptions, diary entries, book reviews and more. Each exercise outlines its aim, method, timing and relevance to the English curriculum. The document promotes using these exercises to improve students' grades and engagement with class materials.

1. Making English Come Alive Creative Writing Exercises for Junior Cycle English Derbhile Dromey

2. Benefits of Creative Writing – Personal Writing Take Advantage of Generous Marking Scheme Ability to Write Creatively Significantly Improves Grade Create Memorable Exam Essays

3. Benefits of Teaching Creative Writing - General Gives Structure to Their Thoughts Helps Them Engage with Set Texts Insights Into Techniques Used by Writers Quick Fix for Fridays

4. Outline of Presentation Overview of Exercises Aim, Method, Relevance to Paper Timing and Visual Aids Sample the Merchandise – Practise of Exercises Discussion: Value of Teaching Creative Writing

5. Personal Writing Exercises These exercises will show students how to Get Material for Stories from their Own Lives Hold the Interest of Readers

6. Character Sketch Aim To show how authors create characters Timing : 15-20 Minutes Visual Aids: Photographs in Newspapers Relevance: Questions about people of significance in students’ lives, eg. Grandparents, inspiring people

7. Character Sketch Method Cut photograph out of paper and use as basis to create character. Create profile in 3 sections Basic details – name, age, appearance Personal details – family, hobbies Secrets – a secret from their past no-one knows

8. Selling a Destination Aim To make stories more atmospheric To identify ingredients that make places unique Visual Aids: List of placenames or map of local area Timing: 10-15 Minutes Relevance: Questions about their local area or holidays

9. Selling a Destination Method Give Your students a choice of two placenames to choose from, familiar or foreign Write a paragraph about one of the places in the style of a travel brochure Describe scenery, local customs, people and activities Run X-Factor style competition to vote for most popular holiday destination

10. Napoleon’s Bedroom Aim Helps Students Be Inspired by the Ordinary Show Effect of Time Period on Descriptions of Place Timing: 10-15 minutes Relevance: Questions about favourite rooms, or asking them to imagine the lives of celebrities

11. Napoleon’s Bedroom Method Imagine the bedroom of a historical figure or celebrity Describe bedroom in 3 sections Physical Details, what it looks like Sensory Details, sounds, smells, feel Emotional Details, feelings about room, atmosphere Alternative: Describe Their Own Bedroom and Views of It

12. The 24 Sheep Aim Show students how to use both action and atmosphere to create a compelling story Timing: 20 minutes Relevance: Questions asking students to describe an event or continue a story

13. The 24 Sheep Method Write two-paragraph story based on following scenario: They are in their garden sunbathing when 24 sheep burst in and start eating washing off the line Par 1. Atmospheric, describe garden, weather Par 2. Action, what happens when sheep get in and how they resolve problem

14. Functional Writing Exercises Goal of Exercises Give Students Practise in Structuring Pieces Apply Imagination to Formal Structure Formats

15. Behind the Headlines Aim Give practise in writing in a journalistic style Identify ingredients that make story newsworthy Timing: 10-15 minutes Visual Aids: Headlines from Newspapers Relevance: Insight into skills used by journalists for media sections

16. Behind the Headlines Method Give Each Student a Headline They Write Story Behind Headline Stories Cover 5 Ws of News What Who When Where Why

17. 100-Word Diary Aim Pick Out Most Important Elements of Story How to Use Everyday Activities as Material for Stories Timing: 15 Minutes Relevance: Practise in Diary Structure Useful for both Personal and Functional Writing Section

18. 100-Word Diary Method Write a Diary of Your Day in 100 Words Greetings, Dates and Sign-Offs Not Included Make Notes First About What to Include Write Out Entry Summarising Events Alternative: Write Diary Entry for Character in Text They’re Studying

19. Book Review Aim Gives Insight into How Fiction Works Shows books have life beyond classroom Timing: 20-30 Minutes Relevance: If they know how fiction works, they’ll write more compelling reviews

20. Book Review Method Imagine You’re a Bookseller Write a Pitch Selling Your Current Book to Teacher Title and Plot Genre Who Would Read it Why You Should Buy It Alternative: Write a review of the worst book you have ever read.

21. Adam’s Excuse Note Aim To encourage students to take a more creative approach to letter writing. Gives students practise in laying out letters Timing: 10-15 minutes Relevance: Useful for all exercises based on letters

22. Adam’s Excuse Note Imagine you are Adam in Garden of Eden (revise story if necessary) Write an excuse note to God, apologising for eating the apple and giving reason Letter to be laid out with address, date, greeting and sign-off Alternative: Any situation where well-known person apologises for misdeed, eg. Politician, celebrity

23. Poetry Exercises Goals of Exercises Demonstrate how poets use imagery, language and the senses to create poems Supporting Material for Lessons Dealing with Similes and Metaphor Helps Students to Analyse and Decipher Meaning of Set Poems

24. If the Hat Fits Aim Gives Practise in Creating Similes and Metaphors and Avoiding Cliches Sharpens Descriptive Abilities Timing: 10-15 Minutes Relevance: Helps students identify inventive imagery and comparison in set poems

25. If the Hat Fits Method Bring Unusual Hat Into Class, Students Pass it Around Examine Hat and Write Sentence About it Sentence Begins with This Hat Is/This Hat Is Like Add to Challenge With List of Forbidden Words

26. Alphabet Soup Aim Encourages Students to Play with Words and Reduce Inhibitions Around Language Timing: 20 Minutes Relevance: Helps them identify wordplay and its impact in set poems

27. Alphabet Soup Method Come Up with 26 Words to Match 26 Consecutive Letters of Alphabet Form Words Into Sentences, eg, ABlack Cat Drifted Carry on Until Alphabet Finished Alternative: Write 26 Random Words, Choose 3 and Work them into One-Paragraph Story

28. Guess What Aim Demonstrates ‘show don’t tell’ – subtle descriptions have greater impact Help Identify the Extraordinary Within the Ordinary Visual Aids: Bring in 5-6 Interesting Objects if Classroom Bare Timing: 10-15 Minutes Relevance: Ability to Decode Hidden Messages in Set Poems

29. Guess What Method Pick an Object in the Classroom and Describe it Without Saying What It is Describe it Using Senses – What it Looks, Feels, Smells, Tastes and Sounds Like Read out Description, Other Students Guess Object Extension: Create Life Story for Object

30. Emotion Poem Aim Demonstrates Power of Emotions to Inspire Shows How to Use Five Senses to Describe Emotions – Not Just Sight Timing: 10-15 Minutes Relevance: Helps Students Identify Emotions in Text Poems, Discover Emotions Are Universal

31. Emotion Poem Method Students Write a Poem Describing Emotion eg: Love Line 1: Metaphor for Emotion Line 2: Describe What Emotion Looks Like Line 3: Sound Emotion Makes Line 4: What Emotion Tastes Like Line 5: What Emotion Feels Like Line 6: Smell of Emotion Line 7: Repeat of 1st Line

32. Fiction Exercises Aim Helps Students See Relevance of Set Novels Practise Techniques Used by Author of Novel Become More Familiar with Novel’s Characters, Theme, Setting and Style

33. 20 Questions Aim Gives Insight into How Authors Make their Characters Believable and Interesting Timing: 10-15 Minutes Relevance: Helps Students Become More Familiar with Characters

34. 20 Questions Method Pick Character From Novel and Write Character Sketch of them Other Students Ask Questions to Guess Character When They Have Guessed, Continue to Ask Questions to Learn More About Character Not Allowed to Ask Questions with Yes or No Answers

35. Rough Justice Aim Highlights Theme of Novel, Demonstrates that Themes are Universal Timing: One class period Visual Aids: To Kill a Mockingbird, Pages 21-25 Relevance: Helps them Identify Theme of Novel and Relate to Own Experience

36. Rough Justice Method Read Passage, Identify and Discuss Theme of Fighting for Justice Transpose to Present Day Classroom, Injustice Against Student On Racial or Class Grounds Student Defends Other Student, Pays Price Alternative: Version Relevant to Other Novels, Drawn from Student’s Life

37. Chinese Whispers Aim Shows how to structure story and maintain momentum Shows that story ends up in very different place from where it began Timing: One class period Relevance: Pinpoint Storytelling Techniques Use by Author in Set Text

38. Chinese Whispers Method Based on game Chinese Whispers, check familiarity with rules Give set period of time to write first paragraph of story Pass copy to person three seats away. Student receives another copy and continues story in that copy Pass on again, bring story to an end

39. Story Soup Aim Creates awareness of ingredients in story and shows how to combine them Timing: 10-15 minutes Relevance: Encourages students to think about how ingredients are combined in set novels

40. Story Soup Method Write name of animal, place and verb on sheet of paper, eg. Hyena, supermarket, skipping Hand up paper, papers passed around choose one Write story which includes the three words on paper

41. Drama Exercises Goal of Exercises Give Insight into Techniques Specific to Drama: Dialogue Creation How Characters Behave in Conflict Scene Setting

42. You’ll Never Guess Aim Shows how dialogue is used to get to heart of story and maintain momentum Gives insight into how language used in dialogue differs from that of narrative Timing: 15-20 minutes Relevance: Insight into structure of dialogue in set play

43. You’ll Never Guess Method Create Dialogue in Pairs Based on Following Scenario You are in a cafe waiting for your friend. They burst in, saying ‘You’ll Never Guess!’ Continue writing dialogue from there. One describes event, one responds Aim for natural style, bring to conclusion. Alternative: Write Version of Scenario from set play

44. Superhero Scale Aim Gives insight into how characters behave in conflict situations Shows role of character status in determining outcome of conflict Timing: One class period Relevance: Gives insight into how characters in set plays relate to each other

45. Superhero Scale Method (Part 1) Pick a Number from 1-12 to Denote Status of Character in Set Play The Higher the Number, The More Confident a Character is Write a Paragraph to Show How Status Manifests Itself in voice, gestures, body language and walk

46. Superhero Scale How to Determine Status - Brainstorm High Status Low Status Clear Voice Mutters Confident Gestures Agitated Good Eye Contact Looks Down Strutting Walk Shuffling Walk Characters with status numbers of 6-9 will fall somewhere in between

47. Superhero Scale – Part 2 Method Work in Pairs to Create Conflict Dialogue Scenario: One character wants to go out and the other character won’t allow them Characters Behave According to Status Ends with One Character Triumphant Extension: Have student imagine progress of a dinner party between characters

48. Character Describes Scene Aim Shows how setting of play adds to dramatic tension Demonstrates importance of position of character within scene Timing: 15-20 Minutes Relevance: Encourages Students to Pay Attention to Backdrop and Character Positioning in Set Plays

49. Character Describes Scene Method Student Becomes Character in Play They describe what they see around them Give Sensual and Emotional Details About Setting Also Outline Their Own Position in the Scene and How it Affects them Alternative: Imagine you are transported into world of play. What would you see?

50. Contact Details For Further Questions and to Book Workshops Please Contact derbhile.dromey@gmail.com 087 6959799/051 854426