How to Write Creatively!Year 8

Objectives: You will be able to;Understand and develop your creative writing skillsIdentify, comprehend and apply 3 techniques in creative writing

1. ‘Show don’t tell’2. Descriptive vocabulary3. Literary devises

Your Starter ActivityYou will work in pairsYou will write imaginatively from the imagesYou have 2 minutes to write discuss and list any descriptive words with your partnerYou will have 5 minutes to writeWe will listen, as a whole group to 3 different examples at random: You will ask yourself:

What was good about the writing?What do you suggest to improve the writing?

Keep hold of your paragraphs

Starter: What happened next? Use your Imagination!The old cottage looked deserted so Mary pushed the front door …  HINT: this image gives you an

impression of what it might be like inside – the atmosphere!

Think: interesting, exciting and creative!

How do we write creatively?Use your imagination; How?

‘Show don’t tell’ Colourful vocabulary:

Adjectives, adverbs Literary or descriptive devices

Similes, metaphors, alliteration

Show Don’t Tell! What does this mean?

The writer is creating an image in the reader’s mind.The reader will see an image, experience the smells or feel the atmosphere or mood from the description – almost like you are there!

ExampleTell: ‘The house looked old’ Show: ‘The house slouched in a yard choked with weeds, its paint faded and flaking, the lace curtains in its windows yellowed with age’.

So what does the writer need to use?

Colourful, descriptive words:Adjectives:Describes the noun eg ‘the cunning fox…’Adverbs:Strengthen the meaning of verbs (doing words)

eg ‘the cat stealthily crept up…’

In pairs you will write a ‘show’ sentence from the ‘tell’

sentences below:Joshua was scared.

Mr. Spindle was a rich man with an expensive car and a large house.

I was really hot and needed a drink to cool down.

When completed you will swap your papers and provide feedback.

What was good about the writing?What you suggest to improve itWrite your comments underneath.

Think about; was it interesting, did they use creative descriptive words, did you see an image, get a feeling or could you smell or hear anything

The ‘Show’ SentencesJoshua’s stomach churned like a washing machine on a slow spin.

Mr. Spindle’s gleaming black Bentley swung through the imposing black gates of Spindle Manor and raced up the long gravel driveway.

Suddenly I realized my throat was parched like the Sahara Desert and I needed a long, smooth and soothing drink, drizzled with ice as I panted in the hot sea breeze.’

Lastly what adds to the creative descriptive vocabulary?

Literary devices; similes, metaphors and alliterationIn pairs you will match the devices with the

definition and examples on the worksheetSwap papers and assess!

Task: your starter paragraphIn pairs, you will spend 5 min again and rewrite your paragraphs; showing (not telling) adding colourful creative vocabulary and applying literary devices (simile, metaphor or alliteration) – you do not have to use all of them!Once completed, you will join a group and share your work!

Homework!Think about your favourite place.First list appropriate adjectives and adverbsThen write a paragraph using the three techniques:

Show the reader – don’t tell them Use colourful vocabulary – descriptive wordsInclude similes, metaphors and alliteration.

Complete for next lesson and you will try and guess each other’s favourite place and assess the work!