The Sunday News
Charles Dube
LEST we forget.
For learners to perform well in the English Language examinations constant practice is necessary in all the parts. We start today’s discussion by reminding learners to improve expression for better essays. Learners should use settings they know for good essay writing. The lovely thing about familiar settings is that they are just that — familiar. You are surrounded by them — where you live, where you play, where you go to school.
In such a scenario you have got all the details you need. Do not force matters by trying to think of issues which you are not used to. Details about what is unfamiliar will be scanty. Another relevant tip is never to tell the reader too much for it will be boring. It will also stop the reader using their own experience. Learners should focus on what gets readers hooked so that they cannot bear to put the story down.
According to experts that is the most important and difficult trick in all storytelling: to describe what is happening right now in a way that sets up what happens next. A top tip to get ideas for a story with a familiar setting is to use your own memories — about your happiest time, or saddest time, or funniest, for instance. To become a top writer of stories with familiar settings is to read stories with familiar settings. Do this, you are bound to succeed.
Remember this: Stories in familiar settings are set in real places and are about “real life” people, their feelings and the things they do. Places you know could be: exciting places like a well-known shopping centre, a famous bus terminal or an old house. It could be secret places, ordinary places like a park or holiday places like caves in some national park. On stories with familiar settings, writer should show clearly where the action takes place.
Think of a place you know very well but invent a good name. Use details to make the place sound real. What is the weather like? For instance, is it sunny, stormy, or windy. Think of what you can see, hear and smell and put your character into the setting and at times have something go wrong. Note that stories with familiar settings often use: the past tense, for example, the builder laid the bricks. They also use the third person — he saw a hyena. Time connectives like later and meanwhile to show how time moves on through the story.
Having considered the above suggestions decide who your main characters are. Learners can choose someone they know and then invent a bit — change their name or give them different coloured hair. Do not have too many main characters. Stick to two at the most or they may lose control of them. They should decide on the identity of their characters. What are they called?
Do they have a nickname or title? What do they look like and what are they wearing? For example, a uniform, overalls or torn attire? What is their voice like — soft or hoarse?
There is need to consider what sort of person your character is? For example, violent, aggressive, friendly, shy, bossy or helpful. Tell the readers how your character feels. Is he hungry, excited, sad, why? What is your character doing in the setting you have chosen? Hiding, up to some mischief or carrying out an investigation? What will your character do, see or say? Answers to all these suggested questions guarantee a well written story.
Having considered all the elements to do with the setting of the story we move on to tips for the actual writing of the story.
Here are suggested ideas — Try to see the setting in your mind. Begin with the main characters doing something they enjoy.
Have something go wrong, for example, a shout for help, a fire breaks out, or a bully appears. Use powerful verbs and nouns.
In your learning practice getting more from your words. How do you get more from your nouns? Make them more specific.
For example: writer — scriptwriter, house — mansion, musician — guitarist.
Add adjectives. For example: She had an idea — She had a different idea. He was a painter — He was an experienced painter.
Use figurative language like similes or metaphors. Define them with a telling detail. For example: He fell with a crash onto the floor. — He fell with a crash onto the metal plates of the walkway. She wore a warm coat. She wore a warm leather jacket.
Other examples of improved adjectives: big — colossal, gigantic and mammoth. Hot — baking, boiling, fiery, scalding, scorching and flaming. Get more from verbs.
To get more from verbs you need to make them more specific. For example: went — proceeded, journeyed, hiked. Said — whispered, proclaimed, queried. Got — acquired, received, and retrieved. Verbs can be made stronger. For example, the dog was eating its bone. — The dog was gnawing on a bone. She asked him to stop. She implored him to stop. You can also change adverbs to verbs. For example: They sang tunefully.
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