There are a considerable amount of students that find creative writing the most challenging aspect when trying to improve their English. Many times throughout my career as a tutor, I have encountered high achieving students who prosper in areas of academia that require pure logic.
A Logical vs An Abstract Mind
These particular students thrive in knowing the difference between a ‘right’ and a ‘wrong’ answer. More often than not, however, these individuals usually find themselves fearing a blank piece of paper. To improve English writing skills, it is important to remember that is like an art, and the writer is the artist where they are able to explore their imagination through writing. Students with a more Mathematical mind may ask questions such as; ‘what is the right way to do it?’, or simply panic and claim that they don’t know what to write.
This is often the result of an under-exercised imagination. Imagination, after all, is like a muscle; a muscle that needs to be nourished by reading, and just as well developed by the practice of creative expression. The power of one’s imagination varies extensively – an ability which often depends on how well someone naturally connects the dots and how well they find relationships between abstract ideas.
Some students are better suited for creative work than others, but that does not mean someone who isn’t cannot write a good story. It does, however, mean adopting a new perspective on what you actually have to do. Writing on the spot is not about deciphering a puzzle or following a formula to produce an expected result, it is more about letting loose and freeing up the mind, ultimately allowing your intuition to be your guide. This can be difficult for a more Mathematical brain to comprehend, as they are so used to doing the ‘right thing’ to produce the ‘correct’ result. Luckily, there are a many ways in developing writing skills for such a mind.
English vs Maths
The first thing to remember when it comes to creative writing is that there is no template answer. In Maths. there is a right answer and an infinite number of wrong answers. In English; there is no wrong or right answer, only varying qualities of work.
One thing that must be stressed is that no matter how good a piece of writing is, there is always room for improvement and so writing will always improve and in that sense, it will never become the ‘right answer’ or the ‘correct’ way to do it. Now, of course. there are correct ways to do some things, like grammar for instance.
However remembering when to use commas, for instance, is not the same as solving an equation with a fixed formula. There are many different ways to use a comma and every way will have its own effect, and so practice is required in getting used to using punctuation in different ways to different effects. Even the brightest of students may occasionally forget how to use an apostrophe correctly, which is why we practise and critique our work over and over, to ensure stable improvement over time.
Eleven plus (11+) English Creative Writing
Structural techniques in writing are perhaps some of the easiest to apply to your work, and can very easily help to enhance the overall quality of a story or a poem with. If you’re writing a short story at the 11 plus level, I would always recommend keeping the first paragraph strictly descriptive, which in most cases will involve describing your story’s setting in as much detail as possible.
An important thing to realise about the 11 plus is that the student’s ability to structure a complete story (with beginning, middle and end) is not the primary focus. It makes more sense to expect this of an 8 plus student, but as the top 11 plus prospects edge closer towards scratching the heels of GCSE quality work; a more sophisticated approach is expected.
As a matter of fact, some exams will even advise you against writing a ‘complete story’. After all, time is not on your side when it comes to the 11 plus. Instead, it is descriptive writing that becomes the primary focus of these exams. Most students of that age would like to make their story exciting and action packed, however this often results in lack of depth and emotional substance. This is why describing the character’s surroundings using literary devices (metaphors, similes, alliteration and personification, etc.) is really what is sought after by the examiner, as these devices help enrich the description with colourful imagery and ultimately bring the setting to life.
For example;
“The thunder was loud and the rain was heavy.” is very dull and lifeless, something expected of an average year 6 student.
“The heavens roared and showered the earth with an ocean’s worth of liquid bullets.” is much more exciting and intricate, an opening that would immediately grab an 11 plus examiners attention.
As a structural rule, it is always better to spend the first paragraph writing descriptively, although you still want to grab the reader’s attention straight out of the gate. I suggest opening with an action by a character or a weather reference like the one from the example above, as long as it is significant to the plot of the story.
This is an introduction that informs the reader that an exciting plot is coming, but they are then almost teased with a detailed description of the setting. This raises tension and fuels the presence of a dramatic atmosphere. Following with a secondary paragraph that focuses on building tension, and then a third that depicts the climax of the story will give your whole piece a sense of structure. Even if the ‘plot’ itself is incomplete, as long as you end it in an interesting way such as cliff-hanger, then you will have a ‘complete’ piece of work in front of you.
English Grammar
Grammar is perhaps the most ‘ruled’ aspect of writing, and there are subtle uses of grammar that could improve the quality of a sentence immensely. It is also very important for enhancing the rhythm and effect of the description, particularly the use of commas to fuel tension or power.
Take the differences in the following two sentences for instance:
“The great fire scorched through the city and burnt the buildings and houses to the ground.”
As opposed to:
“The great fire scorched through the city, burning buildings and houses to the ground.”
Notice the use of the comma in the second sentence and how it provides an eerie pause that raises the significance of the following verb. In addition, the shift in tense to the secondary verb subtlety implies that the “burning of buildings and houses” is an ongoing tragedy, whilst the first sounds way less dramatic. Being over dramatic and over descriptive are the keys to doing well in the 11 plus writing examination, as well as building tension and taking control of the pacing of your story.
Now these are only a few of many examples of rules and techniques that a more mathematical student could adopt to improve their writing. Nevertheless, no matter how technically advanced your prose or poetry is, the heart of great writing like any other art form is creative expression.
Some of the main problems a student may have could include; stringing together a good sentence, or coming up with an interesting plot. There are generally no rules for such expression. Often, it must come from exercising the imagination and then practising expressing yourself through writing.
English Vocabulary
Sometimes it could be a lack of strong vocabulary, or an inability to string the correct words or ideas together. An absolute must in overcoming these obstacles is finding the time to read. Reading not only broadens vocabulary but also improves your own creative ideas, as well the ability to string together interesting sentences and paint pictures with your words.
The first step would be to practice emulating the writing styles of your favourite authors. Take useful aspects from many different writers and in turn, you will eventually develop your own personal style. Whether you’re a GCSE student who is having trouble with expressing emotional metaphors, or an 11 plus student struggling to bring your description to life; reading will help.
There are also other things to try, such as describing a vivid picture in detail using step by step description. This teaches you to pay attention to detail and to never describe something twice (which is something I strongly advise students to avoid doing). There is also continuing writing an extract from another writer and attempting to maintain their style, all the while creating your own alternative plot route, this exercise in particular, is commonly found to be a part of the 11 plus exams.
So despite the fact that there are no ‘formulas’ to produce immediate results, mathematical minds can often find solace in knowing that there are techniques to practise, as well as exercises that could potentially aid in the blossoming of restrained creative potential.
At the end of the day, students differ due to their learning styles. Some have more active logical brains, whereas others are more creative and emotionally confident. Nevertheless, it takes intelligence to successfully navigate both; to critique your own logic and open up to intuitive routes of thought, or to organise abstract ideas and make sense of what you’re feeling. Regardless of how a student may think, there are always ways to apply their skills and learn new ones when writing, but it takes practice, lots and lots of practice.
By Charlie T, private tutor in London
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