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What happens if I MIX MY NARRATIVE and description together by accident
umm, i dont think thats a good idea to do. if you have already done it, idk if u will get marked down but it will definitely not sound super interesting as ut would if u just stuck to 1
Original post by Cupcakehugs
umm, i dont think thats a good idea to do. if you have already done it, idk if u will get marked down but it will definitely not sound super interesting as ut would if u just stuck to 1

I understand. Thanks for the advice!
Original post by selfmade student
What happens if I MIX MY NARRATIVE and description together by accident

Narrative involves description. As long as your description is intertwined with the features of narrative (e.g. plot), then you will be fine.
Original post by Englishteacher24
Narrative involves description. As long as your description is intertwined with the features of narrative (e.g. plot), then you will be fine.

Thank You!. Are you a GCSE English Teacher? What techniques and tricks should I include in my creative writing piece?
Original post by selfmade student
Thank You!. Are you a GCSE English Teacher? What techniques and tricks should I include in my creative writing piece?

Indeed, I am.

For narrative, at a basic level, you need to include a problem. A narrative is not a narrative without some sort of complication. Avoid making your problem too big - avoid writing about things like death and murder, if you can, as 45 minutes is not enough time to write about these things effectively or in enough detail. There is more skill in keeping your plot small and making it dramatic, than there is in picking a big problem and writing about it poorly. Resolution does not necessarily mean happily ever after or a cliffhanger. Avoid cliched endings which seem rushed.

For description, you need to capture an image, hence a problem is unnecessary. You can have a narrator but the focus of the piece should be capturing the essence of a scene rather than the narrator's life / problems. For example, if I was describing a market, my narrator could be someone walking through the market, looking at all the produce / interacting with the sellers etc. What I wouldn't do, is go into loads of detail about why my narrator is there, what she is cooking later, what her plans are for the future. Use sensory language in your description - don't just focus on what can be seen. Think about how you are going to link your ideas to make a smooth description. What you don't want to do is have four unlinked paragraphs about a market e.g. one paragraph describing melons, the next paragraph describing the sky, the next paragraph describing meat, the next paragraph describing the spoiled food on the floor. There is no progression between ideas here. It would make more sense to describe the narrator walking through the market, the pink stain of spoiled fruit on the floor staining her sandals, drawing her eye to the pink fruit on the stalls which looked whole and delicious etc. This could lead to the narrator admiring the pink flesh of the hanging meat - foods that are so different but are united in their colour. This could then lead to the narrator admiring the hanging meat, drawing her eyes to the canopy of the market which shields the produce from the intense
heat of the sun.

Include devices in your narrative and descriptive writing. Imagery is your friend: include similes, metaphors, and personification throughout your response. Also include things like alliteration and rule of three. Don't start all your sentences in the same way. Vary your punctuation. Using (but not overusing) a colon and semi-colon can show your skill, as long as they are used correctly.
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by Englishteacher24
Indeed, I am.

For narrative, at a basic level, you need to include a problem. A narrative is not a narrative without some sort of complication. Avoid making your problem too big - avoid writing about things like death and murder, if you can, as 45 minutes is not enough time to write about these things effectively or in enough detail. There is more skill in keeping your plot small and making it dramatic, than there is in picking a big problem and writing about it poorly. Resolution does not necessarily mean happily ever after or a cliffhanger. Avoid cliched endings which seem rushed.

For description, you need to capture an image, hence a problem is unnecessary. You can have a narrator but the focus of the piece should be capturing the essence of a scene rather than the narrator's life / problems. For example, if I was describing a market, my narrator could be someone walking through the market, looking at all the produce / interacting with the sellers etc. What I wouldn't do, is go into loads of detail about why my narrator is there, what she is cooking later, what her plans are for the future. Use sensory language in your description - don't just focus on what can be seen. Think about how you are going to link your ideas to make a smooth description. What you don't want to do is have four unlinked paragraphs about a market e.g. one paragraph describing melons, the next paragraph describing the sky, the next paragraph describing meat, the next paragraph describing the spoiled food on the floor. There is no progression between ideas here. It would make more sense to describe the narrator walking through the market, the pink stain of spoiled fruit on the floor staining her sandals, drawing her eye to the pink fruit on the stalls looked whole and delicious etc. This could lead to the narrator admiring the pink flesh of the hanging meat - foods that are so different but are united in their colour. This could then lead to the narrator admiring the hanging meat, drawing her eyes to the canopy of the market which shields the produce from the intense
heat of the sun.

Include devices in your narrative and descriptive writing. Imagery is your friend: include similes, metaphors, and personification throughout your response. Also include things like alliteration and rule of three. Don't start all your sentences in the same way. Vary your punctuation. Using (but not overusing) a colon and semi-colon can show your skill, as long as they are used correctly.

Wow thank you! Any more tips on content/organisation technical/accuracy. In addition, I struggle with sentence starters and endings.
Original post by selfmade student
Wow thank you! Any more tips on content/organisation technical/accuracy. In addition, I struggle with sentence starters and endings.

Think of different word classes (e.g adjective, verb, preposition) and experiment with starting your sentences with each one. Develop these sentences by using imagery. For example, 'Behind the wizened tree whose bark was wrinkled with age, the young girl rested, her small head propped up by the comforting arms of established tree roots.' Here, I have opened the sentence with a preposition rather than opening with 'the tree' which is comparatively more boring. I have also personified the tree and used the metaphor of wrinkles to explain the texture of the bark.
Original post by Englishteacher24
Think of different word classes (e.g adjective, verb, preposition) and experiment with starting your sentences with each one. Develop these sentences by using imagery. For example, 'Behind the wizened tree whose bark was wrinkled with age, the young girl rested, her small head propped up by the comforting arms of established tree roots.' Here, I have opened the sentence with a preposition rather than opening with 'the tree' which is comparatively more boring. I have also personified the tree and used the metaphor of wrinkles to explain the texture of the bark.

Thank You! These kind of descriptions my teachers dont mention.

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