Higher

Higher

Creative Writing Masterclass to get you started on your folio pieces media type="youtube" key="nLY_uXod8FQ" height="349" width="425"

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Developing your protagonist:

Answer the following questions:


 * What is his/her name?
 * Age?
 * Height?
 * Body shape?
 * Hair colour, skin colour?
 * Job?
 * Favourite saying?
 * Typical outfit to wear?
 * Method of transportation?
 * Immediate plan?
 * Long-range goal?
 * Kind of education?
 * What kind of house/home/apartment?
 * What city/country/location?
 * Does he/she have a pet? What kind?
 * Best friend?
 * Favourite food?
 * Financial situation?
 * Hobby?
 * Skill?
 * Moral attitude?
 * Philosophical attitude?
 * Favourite book? Last-read book?
 * What is the bedroom like?
 * Spouse/mate/steady date/significant other? Why/why not?
 * Parents? Siblings? Kids?

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Use a combination of the above elements to write an effective conclusion.
 * Avoid ending your story with:**
 * And then I woke up.
 * I woke up and realised it was all a dream.
 * //So I went home and went to bed.//
 * //So that is the end of my story.//
 * //The end.//
 * //In conclusion...//
 * //Conclusion in any form//
 * Examples of a successful story ending are:**
 * A memory of the main event.
 * A decision resulting from the main event.
 * An action reflecting an important decision.
 * Thoughts and feelings about the events that have taken place.
 * A hope or wish
 * Sum up the argument which you have made in the essay in one or two sentences. (Do not provide a summary of the essay)
 * A call to action.
 * Restate the thesis in the first or second sentence.
 * An amusing, light-hearted or insightful observation if appropriate.
 * End the essay with a quote that sums up or comments on the topic.
 * Questions to prompt effective story endings:**
 * What would the main character remember most? (A memory)
 * What decisions might be based on events that have taken place? ( A decision)
 * What action could the main character do as a result of the events of the story? (An action.)
 * Is there any appropriate call to actions that could follow the events of the story? (An action)
 * How would the main character feel about the events which have taken place? (A Feeling)
 * What could the main character or readers wish for as a result of the events which have taken place? (A wish)
 * General tips:**
 * Keep the conclusion straight and to the point.
 * One paragraph (four to five sentences) is sufficient.

** Questions on the Poem. **
 * 1) Ambulances are the initial focus of the poem but Larkin uses them as a means of exploring wider concerns. How are the ambulances described in the first stanza? Explain the effect of Larkin’s chosen imagery.
 * 2) Look closely at stanza 2. Explain how (technique) and why Larkin juxtaposes (places side by side) the ordinary with the dramatic.
 * 3) In stanza 3, Larkin writes that observing the ambulance brings ‘the solving emptiness/ that lies just under all we do.’ What do you think this means?
 * 4) How does Larkin use the situation of the ambulance visit to explore the wider issues about human life in the rest of the poem? Which words and phrases help you in your understanding of these issues in the poem?
 * 5) What do you think is the effect of Larkin’s chosen rhythm and rhyme scheme in the poem?
 * 6) What do you consider to be the main themes of this poem? Provide evidence to prove your answer.