Writing Catherine Oldham Regional Representative

Personal writing portfolioStarting from real experience School sports day
The family party
The argument
The school trip
The sleepover
A time I got into trouble
My best friend<br>

Characterisation is key The reason we read books or watch things is because we care about the character. The best narratives have a strong character or clear sense of narrative voice.

Hot seating
Improvisiation/drama
Fact files
‘Consequences’ game
Experiment with 1st and 3rd person<br>

Reading as a writer(and writing as a reader) Don’t compartmentalise the different parts of the exam
Use the short stories as models for writing and they will be covering the reading skills implicitly anyway.<br>

Fur coat, no knickers?<br>

Get the basics in place Is there a coherent plot that ‘holds together’ or makes sense?
If the reader is left scratching their head, it doesn’t work.
Fancy vocabulary will not hide an incoherent plot.<br>

Openings It was the day we had all been waiting for. My alarm went off as the sun streamed through my curtains into my bedroom. I yawned and dragged myself out of bed as my mum started shouting ‘Get up!’ I got dressed and ….. Thought 1: Is getting up relevant? We do not need to know about the whole day! Get straight into the main event.

Thought 2: Which story is this? If you are writing to a title, make it clear which title you have chosen at the start and throughout.<br>

Plausibility Then I saw the blood spurting down the walls and pink flesh pulsating in heaps on the floor. I couldn’t move. I knew it was the end. Thought 1: Really? Have you ever seen this in reality? Keep it realistic.

Thought 2: Does the reader actually care if you get murdered in the abandoned cottage in the forest? Probably not.


Oh, and how are you telling the story if you are dead?<br>

Settings The bright sunshine sparkled off the blue water and danced in my eyes. All around me the daisies sprouted like little diamonds in the grass. The grass was as green as peas. I was so excited for the treat that was about to happen. Thought 1: ‘As green as peas’? Make sure your imagery fits the storyline.

Thought 2: In the ‘Emma and Robbie’ story, Margaret Atwood tells us that they are in the Caribbean. Describing the soft sand, crystal clear water and bikini bodies is not necessary so…

Thought 3: Is the setting relevant? If so that might be a good place to start. Otherwise it might be better to give a sense of character. Like the next one…<br>

Character I had always been jealous of the treats my best friend got. She was always spinning around showing off her new twirly skirts or stamping on the ground to show how the heels of her new Paw Patrol trainers could light up. She even had that new doll off the telly. The one that cried real tears and even could poo. I really wanted that doll but my mummy said it cost too much. Thought 1: The reason we read a novel or watch something is because we care about the characters.

Thought 2: Create a strong sense of character and that character’s narrative voice (the reader should be able to tell what kind of person is telling the story)

Thought 3: You don’t have to be yourself if it helps you to imagine a character or if you think your own life isn’t interesting enough<br>

A sense of you I have one of those love hate kind of relationships with my best friend. I put a photo on snapchat and she instantly does the same. I show her some shoes I want and the next day she is wearing them. I tell her I like a boy and she’s messaging him all through break. This is the story of how I broke all the best friend rules to teach her a lesson. Thought 1: On the other hand, your own life might be boring to you but the reader might be interested.

Thought 2: The best 1st person stories have a clear sense of the person telling it.<br>

Character- keep it going We were all waiting eagerly for the new arrival, my new baby brother. So eagerly, in fact, that no one had mentioned anything else for at least 24 months (is that how long mum had been pregnant or is that an elephant?). I’d say, ‘Mum can I have £200 to buy the latest edition Little Mix designed Nike trainers?” and she’d say “Yes, dear. I wonder whether we can fit the wicker cot next to my side of the bed.” I would hold out my hand for the cash but she’d be rubbing her massive belly and drifting off to sleep (and when I say massive I would really like to say ginormous but Mrs Taylor at school has told me that isn’t a real word). Thought 1: Who do you think is narrating this story? Use details to reveal things about the narrative voice.

Thought 2: Does this story need any setting so far? Use setting to develop the plot not just to show off your descriptive skills.<br>

Endings a. And then I realised that sparkly Paw Patrol trainers weren’t the best treat in the world.
b. Finally, after the longest 24 months of my life, there was the little pink scrunched up face of my baby brother. And even though he’d taken everyone’s attention away from me for all that time, I still felt the most ginormous amount of love for him. And even Mrs Taylor can’t stop me saying that! Thought 1: How do these writers make their stories cohesive (hang together)? Use details from the start to finish off your story.

Thought 2: Something the character has learned often makes a good ending.<br>

The new arrival
New baby due today but dad is too busy with massive work deadline. Will he let mum down? The treat
Feeling really stressed then my son invited me to a school football match and it turned out to be the best treat he could have given me. The worst job Got this new job I’d always wanted but it turned out to be awful The time I took something that didn’t belong to me
Took my wife’s Porsche to work without telling her and then found out she was coming home early…<br>

Write more!But what about the marking? Students need to build up stamina and the skills to create whole narratives in 45 mins
Read and give class feedback BUT no expectation to mark them all the time- some schools explain to parents that they won’t be able to mark all the stories<br>

Writer’s notebook revisited(for non-fiction) Articles in local newspapers
Twitter feed extracts
Interesting TV documentaries or news
Things from other subjects e.g. report of a hurricane from geography
Topical issues you are interested in from magazines/blogs etc<br>

‘Real’ writing Use local or very topical issues that won’t come up in the exam while you have chance
Really write to actual audiences e.g. send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper or someone in the local council or the Headteacher
Visualise the actual person/s you are writing for<br>

In just a few minutes skimming I found these in my local paper 'We have to stand up for nature before it’s too late’ (reader letter)


'What is the point of bemusing TV adverts?’
(reader letter) Shock and sadness as Wigan plant-based cafe and restaurant The Coven shuts down

More than 300 violent incidents were reported at Wigan schools in three years<br>

Topic Hi class. I have been asked to talk to you about taking up more sports.
Sports are really good for you as they encourage exercise and a healthy lifestyle. You can do all sorts of sports such as football, netball, hockey or even swimming. Why not choose the one that suits you? Thought 1: YIKES.
Worst case scenario.
You have absolutely no interest in the topic of the question. In this case, you can pretend to be someone else. Think of someone who does have a really strong interest and try to imagine being them.

Thought 2: Don’t do lists

Thought 3: Empty rhetoric doesn’t add anything. Obviously, no one is going to chose a sport that doesn’t suit them…<br>

Make a silk purse from a sow’s ear<br>

Audience and development Hello everyone. I am not going to say my name because you all know who I am. I have been asked to talk to you today about sport and to encourage you all to start doing more of it too.
I have been playing football since I was about 5 years old. When I started playing I was in a team called Littletown FC. When I was 7 I moved to Biggertown United and played in the junior league. I also played for my school team. When I was 11…. Thought 1: This tries to relate to the audience but is quite weak. Also, don’t just refer to the audience at the start and end. Weave them in throughout, like this next one…


Thought 2: YAWN! We do not need a chronological account of your interest in the hobby. Develop the most important stages by talking about what you learned and how that has benefitted you.<br>

Audience and development #2 Even if you don’t all know my name, you all know me as the guy with the rugby ball. It’s not something I talk about much because to be honest, I’d rather just play rugby than talk about it. But since I have been asked to do exactly that today, you’re about to find out why I think all of you should bring a ball to school.
You might wonder why I spend hours on the field kicking that ball at the posts over and over again. Well, you know how long you had to practise jumping at just the right time to avoid the crocodiles in that console game you had when you were little? Or how many hours you’ve had to spend doing English exam papers? Well multiply it by hundreds for the amount of practise you’ll have to put mastering a sport. It can teach you the skills of hard work and perseverance. Thought 1: Just like in the narrative writing, it is really good to have a strong sense of the writer’s voice.


Thought 2: Keeps relating to the audience and their shared experience<br>

Development Running is really healthy as you have to eat well to keep fit. It is also healthy because you build up your stamina. It is also really good for you because you can get out in the fresh air. Thought 1: This is just a list of why it is good for you. Take each idea and FLESH IT OUT. Like this next one…<br>

Audience and development #3 Running encourages you to be really healthy in other ways too, for example eating good foods. To run well you have to eat a balanced diet with plenty of protein. I have always enjoyed chicken so that’s what I like to eat a lot of to get my protein. My friend that sometimes runs with me is vegan so she eats lots of nuts and tofu… Thought 1: That’s not the end of the paragraph either- she’s going to continue to talk about food for another few lines. Use anecdotes, examples and experiences to flesh it out.


Thought 2: But don’t forget the audience. Like this next one…<br>

Shared experience Running encourages you to be really healthy in other ways too, for example eating good foods. We’re only young so we can all take a few Snickers now and again but to run well you have to eat a balanced diet with plenty of protein. I have always enjoyed chicken so that’s what I like to eat a lot of to get my protein. OK so my mum isn’t too happy about cooking chicken every day when I’ve got a race coming up. I know that lots of you here don’t eat meat and my friend that sometimes runs with me is vegan so she eats lots of nuts and tofu… Thought 1: Try to make real references to your audience- like places they know or things you know a lot of them like (or don’t like)<br>

Planning Running

Intro.
Para 1- stamina/fitness.
Para 2- food/healthy life.
Para 3- social life.
End. Thought 1: You need just a few key ideas to flesh out. Make a quick plan. You can use a quick spider diagram to elaborate each paragraph.<br>

‘Techniques’ Studies have shown that 85% of people who take up swimming feel more relaxed and stress free.

Studies have shown that 85% of people who take up swimming feel more relaxed and stress free. You may be wondering exactly who took part in that study and I can tell you that it was people at our own local swimming pool who had started swimming when our town launched the ‘Swim Don’t Sink’ campaign to help with mental health issues. Thought 1: Using statistics and quotes can work but keep them realistic and develop them or use anecdotes instead.<br>

‘Techniques’ #2 c. I have no real evidence that shows how swimming can make you relaxed but I can tell you how it makes me feel. I used to get really stressed checking social media every night and wondering whether I was missing anything. Then my mum asked me to go the pool with her as she had never learned to swim before. We started going at about seven every few nights and on those nights I was so busy getting ready and then messing about in the water with my mum that I never looked at my phone. Totally checked Snapchat when I got home, of course, but for those few hours I’d forgotten all about it. Thought 1: b and c are different ways of fleshing out the same thing. Neither of them are true.<br>

Endings So I’m not saying that it has to be a rugby ball, or even a ball of any kind, but sport should be part of your everyday life. Thought 1: Make sure your ending also references the audience.<br>

Opinions On one hand, I agree that we need a new supermarket in town because the one that we have at the moment is out of date and doesn’t have any things like gluten free foods or vegetarian foods…..
On the other hand, I don’t think we need a supermarket in town because everyone just shops on line these days so you should do a website instead. Thought 1: In an opinion piece, don’t give both sides of the argument. Take one line of argument and stick with it.

Thought 2: Couldn’t care less about the new supermarket? If so, take on a persona and make yourself someone else who does care. Like this next one…<br>

Opinions #2 As a 84 year old great grandmother, I think the new supermarket is an excellent idea. Some people might think that we already have a supermarket and we can just order everything on line but I for one do not have a computer and I would not want to give my payment card details to a computer machine even if I did. These things can be hacked. My friend found out that someone in Russia had been using her credit card to buy weightlifting protein shakes and I can tell you that she was definitely not taking up weightlifting anytime soon with her skinny arms.
 
There are some very important items that the supermarket should stock. First of all, I hope that the shop only stocks fresh local produce. I like to squeeze my vegetables before I buy them to check whether they are fresh. That’s another thing you can’t do online. I don’t want to see any of that imported veg in the shop. I want it to be from our own local farmers. My niece married a farmer and he has to send his carrots half way across Europe because the supermarkets here import cheap carrots from goodness knows where. And they don’t taste right either. As a busy father of two young children, I can honestly say that I think the ground can be put to better use than a supermarket. We don’t have enough playgrounds in this town but we already have three supermarkets. Some people might say that you have to go to more than one supermarket to get exactly what you want but since many people shop online anyway you don’t actually need to leave the comfort of your living room to get whatever you want. If you want caviar from Russia you can order it on line. If you want maple syrup from Canada you can order it on line. I can do all of this when my children are in bed but I certainly wouldn’t be able to leave them at home and go searching around the local shops for these things.<br>

Eduqas resources Narrative writing for any exam board
https://resources.eduqas.co.uk/Pages/ResourceSingle.aspx?rIid=1195
KS3 VSSPO and narrative resources for all
https://resources.eduqas.co.uk/Pages/ResourceByArgs.aspx?subid=11&lvlid=3
For Eduqas teachers
https://oer.eduqas.co.uk/<br>

Any Questions? Contact our specialist Subject Officer, Nancy Hutt, and administrative support team with any queries:

gcseenglish@eduqas.co.uk

Contact me for any in school support:

Catherine.Oldham@eduqas.co.uk<br>