AQA A2 Creative Writing Exam 13th June

I've really found that there are so few people doing this exam haha! But I'm one of them anyway :smile:

The best thing you can do to revise is to read and write really, specifically find some of the prompts that are on the AQA website and respond to them. I've had a look at a lot of the prompts that have been given and through that I really think you can establish what form you're best writing in in the actual thing. For example I know that I can't develop an idea enough in that set time frame to write a prose fiction piece, but I'm really strong when it comes to prose non fiction.

Also with the commentary, its best to talk really personally about yourself and your writing process, rather than just feature spot. The examiners reports are really handy too: http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-CREW3-W-MS-JUN15.PDF http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-CREW3-WRE-JUN15.PDF

Let me know if you have any more questions!

Reply 2

OP

Original post by JennieLouisa

I've really found that there are so few people doing this exam haha! But I'm one of them anyway :smile:

The best thing you can do to revise is to read and write really, specifically find some of the prompts that are on the AQA website and respond to them. I've had a look at a lot of the prompts that have been given and through that I really think you can establish what form you're best writing in in the actual thing. For example I know that I can't develop an idea enough in that set time frame to write a prose fiction piece, but I'm really strong when it comes to prose non fiction.

Also with the commentary, its best to talk really personally about yourself and your writing process, rather than just feature spot. The examiners reports are really handy too: http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-CREW3-W-MS-JUN15.PDF http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-CREW3-WRE-JUN15.PDF

Let me know if you have any more questions!

I know there aren't a lot, it's only me and another boy in my creative writing class haha.

That's what I've been mainly doing. I've just been going over the 2015 exam questions for the past few days.

I'll most likely end up doing a prose fiction piece as I find that I'm stronger at that, but who knows. How many words do we need to do? My teacher said make it look like you've been writing for the time required, so I just thought that 400-500 words would be enough?

Reply 3

Original post by sebnagy22

I know there aren't a lot, it's only me and another boy in my creative writing class haha.

That's what I've been mainly doing. I've just been going over the 2015 exam questions for the past few days.

I'll most likely end up doing a prose fiction piece as I find that I'm stronger at that, but who knows. How many words do we need to do? My teacher said make it look like you've been writing for the time required, so I just thought that 400-500 words would be enough?

I'd say/my teachers have recommended that you write about 3ish pages for the creative piece (not including drafting) and then 4 probably for the commentary :smile:

Reply 4

OP

Original post by JennieLouisa

I'd say/my teachers have recommended that you write about 3ish pages for the creative piece (not including drafting) and then 4 probably for the commentary :smile:

That's quite a lot isn't it, I didn't know we had to write that much :frown:

Reply 5

Original post by sebnagy22

That's quite a lot isn't it, I didn't know we had to write that much :frown:

I think it seems like that in theory but in a three hour exam you've definitely got the time to develop your ideas. Also, I've got fairly big writing (6/7 words a line) so that may factor in too c:

Reply 6

OP

Original post by JennieLouisa

I think it seems like that in theory but in a three hour exam you've definitely got the time to develop your ideas. Also, I've got fairly big writing (6/7 words a line) so that may factor in too c:

Ah right haha, I'll have a word with my teacher on Monday before the exam and see what she says

Reply 7

OP

Original post by JennieLouisa

I think it seems like that in theory but in a three hour exam you've definitely got the time to develop your ideas. Also, I've got fairly big writing (6/7 words a line) so that may factor in too c:

Thank you for the help!

Reply 8

I'm also sitting this exam :smile:

does anybody have any examples of the commentary? I have written a few myself but wanted to see how others are handling this task... do you think we should draw on experiences outside the exam or purely the writing process whilst being sat in the exam?

Reply 9

Original post by aimeefounde_

I'm also sitting this exam :smile:

does anybody have any examples of the commentary? I have written a few myself but wanted to see how others are handling this task... do you think we should draw on experiences outside the exam or purely the writing process whilst being sat in the exam?

I'm afraid I don't have an example as the exemplars for the A2 aren't on the AQA site :/ But I do have some tips as I've discovered my commentaries tend to be better than my creative pieces haha.

1) Talking about other experiences is fine! AQA love when you talk about yourself as a writer and what you've learnt over the two years, ie what you're best at writing, what you've tried, maybe even if techniques like mind mapping and free writing work for you when generating an idea. This is particularly relevant when you're talking about your choice of form in the exam.

2) Talking about other reading/writers is fine too, in moderation. AQA love especially when you talk about 'writers on writing', when you discuss other writers techniques etc etc.

3) They hate feature spotting. If you just say 'The author of the stimulus used a metaphor and so did I', they're going to be fairly unimpressed. The best thing you can do is talk about the effect that metaphor had on you a reader, and then why you chose to incorporate that into your own writing.

4) AQA have this obsession also with really writer specific words like, inspiration, craft, process, drafting, form, genre etc etc and so try to include as many of those as possible.

Finally, the main things you need to talk about in a nutshell are: choice of form, aims, techniques, ideas :smile:

Let me know if you have anything else to ask!

Reply 10

Thank you so much that's brilliant advice! I'm extremely nervous for this exam as we haven't had the greatest teaching this year! Any general tips would be great but other than that what you've just given me is great. Thank you :smile:

on a more specific note do you have any tips on the structure of the commentary? Of course with the first question it depends on the form but for the commentary do you think there's a specific structure you should follow?

Reply 11

Original post by aimeefounde_

Thank you so much that's brilliant advice! I'm extremely nervous for this exam as we haven't had the greatest teaching this year! Any general tips would be great but other than that what you've just given me is great. Thank you :smile:

on a more specific note do you have any tips on the structure of the commentary? Of course with the first question it depends on the form but for the commentary do you think there's a specific structure you should follow?

Aw that sucks that your teaching hasn't been great :c My teachers are both writers in education, so they have both written professionally, which has been really helpful! And which means I have lots of little bits of advice to share haha.

I think for the commentary it's best to work kind of like you did for the coursework, mostly chronologically. Eg, what did you think first? What were your initial ideas about your piece and the stimulus? And then personally I usually go on to my aims for my piece, my choice of form, the techniques I used and how they were similar/different to those of the stimulus (but mostly similar, they like similarities more) and then revisit my aims at the end and say if I think they were successful or not.

Generally, using those words I mentioned before in the commentary, writing enough (3-4 pages), and talking really personally about you as the writer and your process will hopefully put you in the top band :smile:

Looking at the examiners report: http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-CREW3-WRE-JUN15.PDF for last years exam as well as just googling writers on writing (The New York Times page is really helpful) could also help c:

Reply 12

So how did everyone find it? :smile:

Reply 13

Better than expected thanks to your advice! I really am grateful for that by the way, how was it for you? I'm straight onto revising English Lit for Friday now!

Reply 14

Original post by aimeefounde_

Better than expected thanks to your advice! I really am grateful for that by the way, how was it for you? I'm straight onto revising English Lit for Friday now!

Oh good! I'm glad c: It's no problem!

It was alright tbh, those texts were really odd I thought though hahaha.

Same, I've got French tomorrow and LitLang on Wednesday :/

Reply 15

which stimulus text did you choose to use?

Reply 16