Creative Writing Workshop Notes

Mainspring Learning Centre
www.mainspring.com.sg
Instructor: Mr Joelson Tang

Name: _______________________________
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strictly prohibited and is a violation of the Copyright Act.
2011 Joelson Tang
Copyright. Mainspring Learning Centre

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Continuous Writing
Continuous Writing is part of the PSLE English Paper 1 There would
be 2 questions to choose from one with a picture and the other
without a picture.
Continuous Writing is worth 40 marks. Students are assessed largely
on the relevancy of their Content (20 marks) to a given situation as
well as their competence in Language and Organization (20 marks).
The objectives of this workshop include:
The SCIENCE of Writing
Be able to explain the SCIENCE of Writing
Be able to understand how a piece of writing is structured
Be able to use appropriate terminology for a given situation
Be able to PLAN the Introduction, Body and Conclusion
Be able to utilize the Composition Planning Framework (Annex A)
Be able understand how to WRITE as according to PLAN
confidently
Be able to understand the aspects of EDITING
The ART of Writing
Be able to explain the ART of Writing
Be able to come up with synonyms for various words
Be able to consult useful resources to aid in writing
Be able to utilize and personalize good phrases from materials read
2011 Joelson Tang

Article 1 for discussion:
_____________________________
______________________________
A total of 25 pilgrims were injured when their tour bus rolled over in
Hualien County yesterday. According to initial police investigations,
the accident may have been caused by excessive speed when the
vehicle made a swift turn on a steep downward slope.
_________________________________
Windows of the automobile were shattered and people tumbled onto
each other as the bus lay upside down.
_________________________________
None of the injured passengers were in a critical condition. Twelve of
them were discharged by 4:00 p.m. yesterday, while seven people
suffered from more serious injuries, including fractures and
dislocated shoulders.
_________________________________
By the time local ambulances arrived at the scene, all passengers
had escaped from the bus under the assistance of people passing by.
_________________________________
The driver was taken to the police station for questioning, with the
cause of the accident still under investigation, local police said.
Adapted from The China Post 9 May 2011
2011 Joelson Tang

Article 2 for discussion:

________________________________
_______________________________
JEMPOL - A 71-YEAR-OLD man came home to find his grandson and his
friends ransacking his house - and when he decided to call the police, one of
the youths stabbed him to death.
_______________________________
According to his wife, the man was shocked when he came across his 17-yearold grandson and three other teenagers ransacking his house at 9pm on
Thursday. The 57-year-old woman said the couple had earlier found their
clothes strewn all over and the cupboards ransacked upon their return from
attending prayers for her mother-in-law.
________________________________
'We found a parang on the floor and a short while later, we heard voices from a
room upstairs,' she said, adding that they were shocked to see their 17-year-old
grandson chatting with three teenagers inside. She said her husband lost his
temper then and immediately told her to call the police.
________________________________
'One of the youths suddenly lunged at my husband and began stabbing him
repeatedly. The same youth also hit me,' she said tearfully at her home. She
said although her husband was bleeding profusely, the youths grabbed a bag
containing cash and jewellery worth some RM10,000 (S$4,211) before fleeing.
________________________________
'He was grabbing his abdomen and watching the kids run away. I'll never forget
the look of disappointment on his face to see his own grandson committing
such a heinous crime,' she said. Her husband died from excessive blood loss
while she needed 30 stitches for cuts on her shoulder, chest and arms.
________________________________
Police said the grandson and his friends, including a girl, were detained several
hours later. The suspects were aged between 15 and 18 years.
Adapted from The Straits Times 15 Jan 2011
2011 Joelson Tang

The SCIENCE of Writing

It is studying about the parts of a composition
Categorizing
There is a general structure to every piece of writing
Each article/story has a ________
Each article/story is divided into ________________
Paragraphing
Each paragraph tells the reader _________________
Each paragraph has a _______________________, which
gives a ___________ of the paragraph
Terminology
Terminology refers to words or phrases used for a particular
______________.
By looking at the terminology used, the reader will have a
rough idea about what your composition is
The following terminology have to do with:
Vegetables, Knife, Soup, Kitchen, Pot, Ladle
_________________________
Trophy, Opponents, Goalkeeper, Goals, Field
_________________________
Animals, Zookeeper, Animal Show, Tram, Souvenir Shop
_________________________
Drenched from head to toe, Thunder, Lightning
_________________________
2011 Joelson Tang

Using Proper Terminology

Think of relevant terminologies for the following
situations:
A) A bad stomachache in school
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
B) A wallet was missing
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
C) Struck by a fever
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
2011 Joelson Tang

PLANNING
Purpose: So that you do would not go OUT OF POINT

2 options (choose 1):
1. Situation with a picture
2. Situation without a picture
Pick an option that you can use your _______________, or a
question you have many_________________________ to
share.
Pay attention to ______________, underline/highlight them.
You must answer each of them.
Before you plan, it would be good to have a ___________,
so that you are clear of how the sequence of events will
occur.
Even though it is not required, give a TITLE, so that you can
be more clear how your story will go.
Your composition must have one particular problem/event
that captures the readers attention, so think of a
______________ to focus on.
Brainstorm key ideas/points, write them down and add
more ______________ to each point.
Plan for the 3 parts:
Introduction
Body
Conclusion
You could start planning from either the Introduction, Body
or Conclusion
Use about ______ mins in total
2011 Joelson Tang

Introduction
In most cases, the marker could have an idea of how good or

how poor a students composition will turn out by looking at
his/her introduction!
As a rule of thumb, Introduction will be about _______ lines.
______________ to the situation, do not start with anything
unrelated.
E.g. An accident you witnessed on the way to school.
Whats wrong with this?
The alarm bell rang you woke up brushed your teeth
and had your breakfast wore your uniform left the
house took the lift took a bus saw the accident
It has a lot of ______________________ details!
A better suggestion would be:
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Keep the reader _____________ . Do not reveal what will

happen later on!
E.g. A quarrel between 2 neighbours.
Mr A and Mr B scolded each other vulgar words they
threw objects at each other other neighbours saw
police arrived to maintain order
A lot of these can be written in the ______and ___________
Think of interesting ways to start, NOT:
One sunny day, ; One Monday morning, ; Ring! rang
the school bell
2011 Joelson Tang

Introduction
Suggest suitable introductions for the following
situations:
A) A school sports day meet
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
B) A picnic at the beach
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
C) A robbery of a womans handbag
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
2011 Joelson Tang

Body
This should be the ____________ portion of the composition

The more imagination, the better!
Make sure you answer the points in the question, and add more
interesting ______________ to each point (if possible).
Reveal one event after another little by little: write more details for
one event before writing about the next event (you could have
another paragraph for another event).
For example,
Tom was seen struggling in the swimming pool. His arms
were thrashing about desperately, as he tried to keep himself afloat.
However, it seemed that the more he struggled, the more anxious
he became.
At this time, Jimmy realized the danger Tom was in. He had to
do something. Without much thought, he looked around him to see
if there was any lifeguard on duty. Alas! There was none! Waiting no
longer, he decided he would have to become the lifeguard at all
cost!
Each paragraph should have ONE main idea.
In the above example, the 1st paragraph describes ______________.
Each paragraph should have a TOPIC SENTENCE
In the above example, the topic sentence for the 2nd paragraph is
___________________________________________.
The 2 paragraphs describe _________________________________.
Do not only write about ________________________, but also
describe the _______________ and _______________ about the
characters.
Choose a minimum of ____ characters, a maximum of ____
characters.
Write only those details that are ____________ to the situation.
Avoid using _____________ speech (unless you see it makes
your story more interesting); use ________________ speech.
2011 Joelson Tang
10

Body
Suggest 2 consecutive events for the following themes and give more details for
each event. Give a title for each event.
A) Billy fell down during the soccer match
1) _________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2) _________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
B) The bowl of noodles was overturned and spilled out
1) _________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2) _________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
C) Both boys were fighting
1) _________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2) _________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2011 Joelson Tang
11

Conclusion
Tell the reader what happened in the end
As a rule of thumb, the conclusion would be
about ______ lines, slightly longer than in the
Introduction.
Some ways to conclude are:
Moral of the story (have been used too
often!)
Problem was solved
Problem was not solved
A lesson learnt
How one felt about the day/event
2011 Joelson Tang
12

Conclusion
Suggest a suitable conclusion for each of the following
situations, and write down the method you used.
A) Police fighting with robbers of a bank who tried to escape
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
B) The doctor told me I had to rest at home for three days
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
C) Sallys parents came to know that their daughter was playing
truant
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
2011 Joelson Tang
13

WRITING
If your planning was well-done, writing should be relatively easy!

As a rule of thumb, write about ________ to ________ words
Leave enough space to _____________. Leave a line between 2
paragraphs.
Each paragraph must have:
A _______________ sentence
____________________ sentences
A ____________________ sentence
Use _______________ to link sentences (to make ideas look more
connected)
E.g. The dog dashed toward me. It glared at me. It looked malicious.
Connect the above sentences into one:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
If you easily make grammatical errors, keep your sentences short.
E.g. I was feeling thirsty and uncomfortable and I went to the
kitchen to grab a can of Pepsi which was too enticing to resist and I
gulped the Pepsi down greedily and my thirst was satiated and I felt
refreshed.
Make shorter sentences of the above sentence:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
A new idea may be taught of while writing. Include that idea.
Do not become too carried away with one event. Make sure all
important events are given enough description.
Do not worry about little mistakes made, focus on ______________
as you refer to the ideas in your _____________.
Make sure that your ______________ can be read by most people.
In all use about _________ minutes.
2011 Joelson Tang
14

Composition Discussion
Example 1:
You were playing a game of catching with your friends at your
playground in the neighbourhood. All of a sudden, the
neighbourhood bully appears, and pushes one of your friends onto
the ground.
You must make use of the points below in your story:
What did your friend do
How did all of you react
What happened in the end
You may reorder the points. You may also include other relevant points.
Example 2:
You were at a shop in a shopping centre when you saw a person
behaving suspiciously in a corner. After observing him a while, you
saw him taking things from the shop and hiding them.
You must make use of the points in your story:
What did the person take
What did you do
How did it end
Example 3:
Your younger brother kept complaining he was feeling pain around the
stomach area.
You must make use of the points in your story:
What had occurred
What did you do
What happened in the end
2011 Joelson Tang
15
Annex A
Composition Planning Framework

Title: ________________________________________
Place(s):
Characters:
INTRODUCTION
BODY
Key events:
1.____________________________
Sub-event 1
Sub-event 2
Sub-event 3
2.____________________________
Sub-event 1
Sub-event 2
Sub-event 3
3.____________________________
Sub-event 1
Sub-event 2
Sub-event 3
CONCLUSION
2011 Joelson Tang
16

EDITING
3 main aspects to focus on:
1. Check for Spelling Errors
Make sure you are 100% sure of the spelling of the words
you use!
2.
Check for Grammatical Errors

Make sure your sentences sound OK.
Avoid starting sentences with words like But and Because
Put a comma (,) if you feel that a pause is needed
Use an exclamation mark (!) when there is something very
_______________
3. Replace simple words with better Vocabulary

Use Vocabulary that would better describe a situation,
rather than average Vocabulary.
E.g. The discipline master walked angrily with her eyebrows
closer together at the bully.
Replace the underlined words above with better Vocabulary:
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Dont use bombastic words just to impress! Make sure you
know the ____________ of the word very well and it fits
well with the situation.
It is always possible to ___________ a Composition written,
so use the remaining time you have to edit!
Read your story ________ and ________, make sure you
_________ it!
2011 Joelson Tang
17

What makes a good

composition
Vocabulary
Grammar
Organization
Content
Content
The most ________________ part. It must answer the option
you chose and all of its given points.
Organization
The reader can see clearly how one event leads to the next
event.
Grammar
There no serious grammatical errors e.g. Betty was not at
home when her mother calls her.
Vocabulary
Choice of words used will distinguish an __________ student
from a student who has a good command of English. More
will be discussed in the ART of Writing
2011 Joelson Tang
18

The ART of Writing
It is writing about ideas in a creative way

A good writer can better describe
The ____________ of the characters
How the ____________ and place looked like
Using better Vocabulary and Language

Example:
He was very angry with her, and his face turned red.
(______________ student)
He became infuriated with her, and his face flushed redhot. (______________ student)
Now try to make the sentences below sound better:
She was feeling very happy and proud when she saw her
friends with her prize she won.
_______________________________________________
___________________________________________.
The teacher scolded her for being late for school yesterday
and today.
_______________________________________________
___________________________________________.
Try not to repeat a word you have used, but use a
__________ word that has the ______ idea (Synonym)
2011 Joelson Tang
19

Using Synonyms
Think of at least 2 Synonyms for each of the following
words. Use a Thesaurus to help you if need be.
1) Tired _______________________________
2) Lovely ______________________________
3) Smart ______________________________
4) Shocked ____________________________
5) Big _________________________________
6) Serious _____________________________
7) Scared ______________________________
8) Angry _______________________________
9) Strong ______________________________
10) Smelly ______________________________
11) Walked _____________________________
12) Embarrassed _________________________
13) Stupid ______________________________
14) Attacked ____________________________
15) Dangerous __________________________
16) Kind _______________________________
17) Hardworking _________________________
18) Fast ________________________________
19) Painful ______________________________
20) Sad _________________________________
2011 Joelson Tang
20

Resources to help me
How to improve on the ART of Writing:
I should read:
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
When I find the meanings of words new to me,

I would use these Dictionaries:
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
because _____________________________________
___________________________________________.
I will ____________ forming _______________ with new

words I have learnt.
(Go back at the articles)
I will modify good descriptive ___________ to construct my
own sentences.
E.g. made a swift turn on a steep downward slope (article
1, 1st paragraph)
The car driver tried to avoid colliding into a vehicle in front
so he made a swift turn on a steep downward slope, causing
his car to burst into flames.
2011 Joelson Tang
21

Making use of good phrases

(Look at the articles you have discussed again)
Make a sentence with 3 good phrases you can find from each
article:
Article 1
Phrase: ________________________________________
Sentence: ______________________________________
_______________________________________________
Phrase: ________________________________________
Sentence: ______________________________________
_______________________________________________
Phrase: ________________________________________
Sentence: ______________________________________
_______________________________________________
Article 2
Phrase: ________________________________________
Sentence: ______________________________________
_______________________________________________
Phrase: ________________________________________
Sentence: ______________________________________
_______________________________________________
Phrase: ________________________________________
Sentence: ______________________________________
_______________________________________________
2011 Joelson Tang
22
Annex A
Composition Planning Framework

Title: ________________________________________
Place(s):
Characters:
INTRODUCTION
BODY
Key events:
1.____________________________
Sub-event 1
Sub-event 2
Sub-event 3
2.____________________________
Sub-event 1
Sub-event 2
Sub-event 3
3.____________________________
Sub-event 1
Sub-event 2
Sub-event 3
CONCLUSION
2011 Joelson Tang
23

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Mainspring Learning Centre

Instructor: Mr Joelson Tang

Copyright. Mainspring Learning Centre

Mainspring Learning Centre

Copyright. Mainspring Learning Centre

Mainspring Learning Centre

Article 1 for discussion:

2011 Joelson Tang

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Mainspring Learning Centre

Article 2 for discussion:

2011 Joelson Tang

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Mainspring Learning Centre

The SCIENCE of Writing

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Mainspring Learning Centre

Using Proper Terminology

2011 Joelson Tang

Copyright. Mainspring Learning Centre

Mainspring Learning Centre

Purpose: So that you do would not go OUT OF POINT

Copyright. Mainspring Learning Centre

Mainspring Learning Centre

In most cases, the marker could have an idea of how good or

Keep the reader _____________ . Do not reveal what will

Copyright. Mainspring Learning Centre

Mainspring Learning Centre

2011 Joelson Tang

Copyright. Mainspring Learning Centre

Mainspring Learning Centre

This should be the ____________ portion of the composition

Copyright. Mainspring Learning Centre

Mainspring Learning Centre

Copyright. Mainspring Learning Centre

Mainspring Learning Centre

2011 Joelson Tang

Copyright. Mainspring Learning Centre

Mainspring Learning Centre

Copyright. Mainspring Learning Centre

Mainspring Learning Centre

If your planning was well-done, writing should be relatively easy!

Copyright. Mainspring Learning Centre

Mainspring Learning Centre

Copyright. Mainspring Learning Centre

Mainspring Learning Centre

Composition Planning Framework

2011 Joelson Tang

Copyright. Mainspring Learning Centre

Mainspring Learning Centre

Check for Grammatical Errors

3. Replace simple words with better Vocabulary

Copyright. Mainspring Learning Centre

Mainspring Learning Centre

What makes a good

Copyright. Mainspring Learning Centre

Mainspring Learning Centre

The ART of Writing

It is writing about ideas in a creative way

Using better Vocabulary and Language

Copyright. Mainspring Learning Centre

Mainspring Learning Centre

Copyright. Mainspring Learning Centre

Mainspring Learning Centre

I will forming ___ with new