Don’t forget to review your work

When you have finished writing your narrative piece, you need to spend at least a couple of minutes reviewing it in the exam.

This is the time when you check that largely, your piece meets the requirements.

In your review process, give your attention to these things:

• Structure - Have I followed my plan? Does my story have a clear P1 – P4? How well have I linked these sections? Did I use connecting words to good effect? Is there a basic structure of introducing the scene, a conflict arising, and then a resolution/conclusion? Does the ending close the main event?
• Expression - Does everything make sense? Are there any sentences that are too long-winded and confusing (if so, separate into 2 sentences or cut out)? Or are some sentences too short and abrupt? Adding commas or full-stops can help with giving clarity to your writing.
• Tense - Make sure your story uses the correct tense. If it starts in the present tense (e.g. "The sun shines brightly on the tin roof, as I lie there in the heat") in general, it should continue in this tense the whole way through. The same goes for past tense. There are times where tenses change i.e. in the present, thinking about a past event and you will need to adjust accordingly. The best way to get a hold of tenses is again, in preparation through reading novels and seeing how they are treated in published stories.

The other vital step in your Review process is to check your story using what I call the Three Tests. These are:

1. Does my story have a sense of order? (i.e. beginning, middle, end)
2. Can my story be described in one adjective? (i.e. does it have a "feel" to it?)
3. Does my story conform to the exam requirements?

Usually, with reviews, the best practice is to get someone who hasn't written it to review. This idea of 'fresh eyes'. It's important in your review that you look at each individual word to make sure you pick up everything. A rule my former boss taught me is to:

• Use a ruler
• Look at each individual word to correct it (because your mind generally reads sentences that make 'sense' not isolates out words).
• Then read the whole thing as a flowing story and look at structure.

You have to review at both the:

• Syntax level
• Meaning level

Now…let's do some reviews on a question.

Examples

Watch video to see worked example/s for the following:

CREATIVE WRITING PIECE 1 by user: pinali

Wonderful nature's one of the amazing creation is life.

Everyone wants to enjoy his life in most spontaneous way something similar to this seagal in the picture. My biggest dream is spend most of time in my life close to nature. If you close your eye and feelk the cool breeze of air coming from sea, you forget everything your life including your sorrows along with joy.

Yes I am serious about this dream of mine. Go to some rare place live their with minimum luxury and people. Have food and spend more n more time with nature. It is one of the best way to get cure your internal wounds.

This seagal in picture enjoying breeze of air and getting involved in it. Nature created us along with other species we have very grown brain and habitat but that is the biggest enemy of human. In other hand the rest species like bird is still leaving their life with the way as nature created for them and they are still happy like they were years back.

So I want to live my dear in something similar manner. The way nature want to live us. With nature enjoying every aspect of nature, to be with him in his way.

CREATIVE WRITING PIECE 2 by user: Rosalae

I just wonder what this bird thinking here, while he is relaxing on the front porch overlooking is the ocean view. I'm not quite sure what sort of bird is it. The feet and beak has reddish colour. It has pale white colour feather from the head down to the body and on the tail part it is black.

The porch where he is standing is painted a white colour and the ocean has a crystal clear blue water. The view is breath taking . I would really love to meet this sort of bird in person. I should research what is his name.

Just out of curiosity if this is a pet or a wild one?

CREATIVE WRITING PIECE 3 by user: manjula

There was a huge wind blowing in the ocean. The wave was so high that the water was glittering like diamonds. There were birds flying all over the sky flapping it's white and black wings. They were all flying in a group. I immediately the my Samsung and took a photo of it.

After sometime, the the waves got a bit rough and the captain was finding it hard to travel in the same direction. The glittering water started to turn into a dull blue colour and there was water coming inside the ship. The crew of sailors were warning me to go back to my room but i refused to go because i wanted to experience a rough wave. The waves got rougher and rougher and it started to rain.

There was a huge storm covering the whole ship with water. I quickly ran into my room and hid under the blankets. The sailors were yelling for help and finally a huge wave hit the ship tipping the ship over. I could feel my eyes burning from the salt water and i quickly kicked my foot to get some air. I was stuck in the middle of the ocean. All the sailors were dead and i knew i won't be able to kick my foot for n longer than an hour. The sun was about to rise in a few hours and i had to say alive till then. There was a plank of wood from the ship and i quickly got hold of it.

I didn't have to kick any more. After sometime i could see a blue mammal with sharp teeth coming at me. I could tell it was hungry. It was a shark!! I quickly started to kick my feet as slow as i can. If i kicked fast it would slow me down. The sun was rising and there were a group of birds. The shark was no more than 100 metres and it was coming at me at its full speed and on the other side There were some birds coming at me as well.

The was getting closer and the birds got hold of my shirt lifting me up and the shark got hold of the tip of my shoe. There was a war between the birds and the shark. I used my full strength to kick the blue shark smashing its teeth. I also used the wood to smash its face. The birds carried me high up the sky and landed me in a ship. The next morning i woke up and i was in a 5 star ship and i saw the birds sitting at the edge of the ship.

Key Rules to remember

• Spend time reviewing your work. It sometimes can mean the difference between passing!
• Does my story have order? (i.e. beginning, middle, end)
• Can my story be described in one adjective? (i.e. does it have a "feel" to it?)
• Does my story conform to the exam requirements?

Practice time!

Now, it's your turn to practice.

The questions in this checkpoint are provided to help you develop your writing skills.

To do your practice questions, click on the below to download your question paper. You can print it out or work from the electronic version. We do recommend that you write your answers by hand in a notebook or on paper.

NW-CP16-Questions.pdf

Once you have completed your questions, review the suggested solutions. You can download (and print if you wish) the PDF suggested solutions and/or watch the suggested solutions video (all below).

Once you're done with reviewing the practice question suggested solutions, move on to the next checkpoint.

NW-CP16-Answers.pdf

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