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I intend to see to it that any man who sails under a pirate flag, or wears a pirates brand, gets what he deserves: a short drop and a sudden stop.

Elizabeth doesn’t know what ‘a short drop and a sudden stop’ means. Gibbs helpfully mimes: a man being hung.

(Abridged from: http://www.weeklyscript.com/Pirates+Of%20The%20Caribbean.html)

II. Practice

1. Discuss the following questions in the group.

What kind of writing does creative writing usually include: descriptive, discursive or narrative? What is the difference between them?

What person are narratives (stories) usually written in? What should you decide on first before writing a story?

Now read the notes below and compare the information with your ideas.

Creative writing usually includes two types of writing:

descriptive writing (to describe characters, acting, setting, scenery, special effects, direction etc.);

narrative writing (to tell the story, relate a personal account etc.).

A narrative (story) can be written either in the first person or in the third

person and describe a series of events, either imaginary or based on your own experience.

Before writing the story you should decide on the theme (the central topic a text treats), plot line (the events which make up the story) and the setting (the historical moment in time and geographic location in which a story takes place, and helps initiate the main backdrop and mood for a story).

2. A narrative should consist of several parts.

Match the parts of a narrative to their descriptions in the table below:

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Note! A narrative may also have a catchy title in order to attract the reader’s attention, especially if it is for a magazine, newspaper, etc.

3. What tips and recommendation for writing narratives (stories) can you give? Share your ideas with your group mates. Consider the following points:

techniques to begin and end the story;

time words and sequence of events, flashbacks;

use of tenses;

use of adjectives, similes, descriptive techniques;

use of linking words;

use of senses;

variety of verbs.

Now read the tips below and compare them with yours.

1.You should never start writing before you have decided on the plot and the setting.

2.To show the sequence of events in a story we can use linking words such as: at first, before, until, while, when, during, then, after, finally, as soon as, at that moment, by the time, next, eventually, meanwhile, after a while, suddenly etc.

3.To make a narrative more interesting to the reader, we should relate the char-

acters’ moods and feelings by:

–using a variety of adjectives (wonderful, fascinating, horrible, depressed, disgusted, exhilarating etc.) and adverbs (fearlessly, surprisingly, etc.) instead of

simplistic ones (good, nice, bad).

4.Be careful with the tenses you choose. You can use the Past Continuous to set the scene, Past Simple to describe the main events of the story, or Past Perfect to give the background of the story. Sometimes the Present tenses are used in the narration to make the story more vivid and dramatic. Present and past participles can also be used.

5.Descriptions of people, places, objects or events and descriptive techniques can be used in a narrative when you want to emphasise specific parts of your narration.

6.When writing a narrative you can use flashback narration. This means you can start your story at a certain point in time (often a very exciting moment), then go back in time and describe events which happened before this time (usually in Past Perfect), lead the reader up to the specified time, then go on with your story and bring it to a conclusion.

7.An interesting beginning is important in order to catch the reader’s attention and make them want to continue reading. An interesting ending will make them feel satisfied.

We can start a story by:

–using the senses to set the scene and describe the weather, atmosphere, surroundings or people’s actions to create mystery and suspense.

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We can start or end the story by:

–using direct speech;

–asking a rhetorical question;

–referring to feelings and moods; addressing the reader directly. We can end the story by:

–describing people’s reactions to/feeling about the events developed in the main body.

4.Mark the statements about writing narratives True or False justifying your answers.

1.A story cannot begin with direct speech.

2.Time words should be used in stories.

3.Stories should not combine description and narration.

4.Use of senses to set the scene should be avoided.

5.Punctuation and paragraph planning are essential in stories.

6.Sequence of events is not important in stories.

7.You can narrate a story by moving back in time.

8.When writing a story, past tenses should be avoided.

(From: “Virginia Evans. Successful Writing. Upper-intermediate”. P. 36)

5. Read the task and two models that follow and decide which one best answers the question.

Task

The editor of a magazine has invited readers to send in a story. The story must begin with the following sentence:

“I can’t believe this is happening,” I thought, as I saw Jane walk into the restaurant.

The best story wins a free meal at a restaurant of your choice. Write your story for the magazine.

Model A

“I can’t believe this is happening,” I thought, as I saw Jane walk into the restaurant. She hadn’t changed at all. She was still tall and beautiful, with wavy blonde hair and bright green eyes. I smiled and thought of how my life had changed since we had last met.

It had all started when I noticed her at a party. I had followed her to the buffet and started talking to her about the food. “You seem very interested in food,” she laughed. “Well, I’m a great cook,” I told her. It was a lie, but I had to find an excuse to see her again. “Why don’t I cook you dinner sometime?”

The dinner party was extremely embarrassing. I ordered food from a nearby restaurant and pretended that I had cooked it. She offered to wash up and found the delivery boxes in the kitchen. She laughed at me and felt awful. Angry with myself, I decided then and there to learn how to cook.

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I never saw Jane after our terrible dinner date. I started a cookery course and found that I was good at it after all. I went on to train to be a chef. I worked hard and saved up until I was able to open my own restaurant.

Now she had walked into my restaurant. Feeling as pleased as punch, I pretended I was a waiter and walked to her table. “Ready to order, madam?” I asked.

Model B

I can’t believe this is happening to me, I said to myself when Jane Harris was coming into the restaurant. It was a long time since we saw each other, but she didn’t look very different. She is still very nice and tall.

Some weeks ago I met her at a party. We talked about food, we both liked food and I told her I was a chef. That was a lie. I wasn’t a chef but I wanted to see her again so I told her to come to my house for dinner. It was very bad. I couldn’t cook so I ordered take-away and told her I had cooked it. She believed me. When she went into the kitchen to wash the dishes, she found the empty boxes. She wasn’t angry, she only laughed at me, but I was shaking like a leaf. I never thought I would see her again, but I learnt to cook. I was very good. I became a chef and now I have my own restaurant Escargots. It’s very famous and my speciality is chicken and apple casserole. I have lots of wealthy customers and I have even won a few awards.

But I never expected to see Jane here. It was a bit of a shock, but now I will cook her the best meal she ever had.

(From: “Bob Obee-Virginia Evans. Upstream Upper-Intermediate. Student’s Book”. P. 135)

Compare and contrast the two models in terms of:

opening with the sentence as given in the task;

interesting beginning and ending;

use of adjectives and adverbs;

time words/phrases;

use of vocabulary;

use of tenses;

having a clear flashback section leading the reader back to the distant past;

describing the character’s feelings;

cohesion and unity of the paragraphs.

In pairs, suggest ways of improving the weak model, then think of another ending. Compare your ending to other pairs. Which do you prefer?

III. On Your Own

1. Choose any task below and write your own story.

1. Colour Coded

Write a short story that begins with the sentence that contains the word “blue”, (or any other colour) and in which the first sentence of every paragraph

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contains a word denoting colour. Use the “colour word” only once in each paragraph, but suggest the colour in as many ways as possible. For example:

The world had turned grey. Nothing but mud and asphalt surrounded the unpainted house, little more than a box made of concrete blocks. Charlie, dressed in faded work pants, rubber boots, and a thick wool sweater, steadied himself with a hand on the top rail of a weathered cedar fence. Behind him, nothing but ash-coloured sky, bare trees, and plumes of smoke belching from the factory in the distance. A lone sparrow rested on a branch, one beady eye watching.

2. Turn a poem into a short story

A poem uses tight language to convey emotional or intellectual ideas in an imaginative and new way. A single poem can provide a rich source of creative writing ideas for fiction writers who can use specifics in the poem as a starting point for a narrative. Use the poem of your choice for inspiration, create a character, a setting, a situation, and a character goal, from the poem and write a short story.

(From: http://www.be-a-better-writer.com/creative-writing-activities.html)

3. A short story competition

Imagine you have decided to enter a short story competition. You should write a story starting with the words “Who can this man be?” and ending with the words “It was only then that I realized they had mistaken me for someone else.” Entitle your short story “A Disastrous Evening.”

2. Assess and evaluate your partner’s short story, checking for the following: a) content:

Is the story line interesting? Is it well developed?

Is there a climax event, a twist? What is it?

b) organization, cohesion and unity:

–Are the vents organized in paragraphs?

–Are the sentences/paragraphs well-linked together? c) accuracy:

–Are there any errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc.? What are they? d) range:

–Is there a range of vocabulary and grammar in the story?

Write your evaluation of your partner’s story and discuss it with him/her.

3. Read all your stories in the group and decide on the most interesting, original, instructive, funny, thrilling one.

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UNIT 5

PROFESSIONAL (BUSINESS) WRITING

I. Lead-in

1.Do you remember what forms of writing refer to professional (business) writing? Which of them have you written yourself? In what situations?

2.Make up a definition of professional (business) writing. Then compare your definition with the ones given below. Which is more precise in your opinion?

“Professional writing is writing for reward or as a profession, or writing to a standard and style demanded by a particular profession. It involves the use of clear language to convey information in a way that is easily understood by the intended audience, and may be focused on information, persuasion or to stimulate debate.”

(From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_writing)

“Memorandums, reports,proposals, emails, and other forms of writing used in organizations to communicate with internal or external audiences. Business writing is a type of professional communication.”

(By Richard Nordquist, from: http://grammar.about.com/od/ab/g/ businesswritingterm.htm)

“Professional writing is a style of written communication used in a workplace environment that allows professionals (e.g. businesspeople, professors, doctors, lawyers, etc.) to make informed decisions. Professional writing typically has a formal tone and differs from written text that is considered literary or artistic, which generally seeks to entertain and/or convey a philosophical truth.”

(By Vivian Taylor, from: http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-professional-writing- definition-lesson-quiz.html)

3.What is the general purpose of professional (business) writing?

4.What are the most common specific functions of business writing? Choose from the ones below:

to encourage action;

to instruct;

to persuade;

to entertain;

to inform;

to affirm shared goals;

to share emotions etc.

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II. Practice

1. Do you know the difference between a report and a proposal? Do they have anything in common? Discuss your ideas with the group mates.

Now read the extract below and compare your ideas to the information given.

Reports and proposals are usually written to present information in formal situations.

Reports tend to be about past events or present situations. Proposals usually outline a course of action for the future. Sometimes (but not always), the proposal needs to be persuasive. In other words, the target reader should be convinced by what is written and likely to agree to the suggestions. For this reason, it is often helpful to include the benefits of the request being granted/the suggestions being put into effect, etc.

Reports and proposals are usually divided into sections. Each section is written as a paragraph, in the same way as other types of writing, but the sections are given headings.

A report or proposal should contain:

An introduction in which the reason for writing is stated.

A main body with headed sections. It is essential to choose appropriate section headings in order to answer the question properly.

A conclusion in which the main points are summarized. The conclusion may include a reference to future action.

2.Read two models below and say which of them is a report and which is a proposal. Explain why you think so. What do these pieces of writing have in com-

mon? Think of:

the contents;

the purpose of writing;the style;

the beginning and the conclusion;structure;

headings etc.

Model A

To: Mr S. Finch, Principal

From: Hugh Jones, Year One

Subject: Suggestions for “Topical Issues’ Course”

Date: 5 November 20…

Introduction

The information below is in support of three subjects that, in my opinion, should be covered in the Topical Issues classes in the college.

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World Debt

One subject that would be a useful addition to the curriculum is a study of world debt. Although we are all very aware of the poverty gap, I believe that very few of us fully comprehend this complex issue. If it were to be included as part of the course, I think it would be very educational. A greater understanding of the situation and the reasons behind it could even go some way towards helping to find solutions to this unacceptable situation.

Crime

This is an issue which I feel is relevant to the majority of students. It would be beneficial to examine this subject from the perspective of, say, psychology or sociology. To my mind, only by examining the motivation behind offences can we fully understand the problem and concentrate on the important matters of protection and prevention.

Environmental Concerns

Another area that I consider to be worthy of further investigation is that of the imminent dangers to the environment. Many of us intend to take up positions in commerce o industry and since environmentally friendly policies are being increasingly adopted by companies, it is vital that we are aware of the latest developments. Furthermore, such knowledge could help to avert a potential ecological disaster.

Benefits

Apart from the specific benefits mentioned above, I am convinced that the running of such a course would be of use to students. Not only will these subjects be helpful in our future careers, but I anticipate that they will also provide us with a better understanding of the society we live in.

(From: “Upstream Advanced. Student’s Book.”. P. 91)

Model B

To: Mr Simkins, Principal

From: Tom Wheeler, Debating Society Secretary

Subject: Issues covered in the Summer Term

Date: 18 June 20…

Purpose

The purpose of this ???? is to present the main issues discussed by the society in the last term.

Crime

By far the most controversial issue that we have covered is the crime rate in modern times. In the three separate debates, chaired by Jonathan Deacon, we had almost maximum attendance. A wide range of opinions was expressed and a final vote was taken, in which the majority were in favour of stricter policing but more lenient punishment.

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Homelessness

In the first of two debates, James Lawton put forward the suggestion that homelessness was a matter of choice. This led to a lively exchange with several members voicing their strong disagreement. The second debate focused on the government’s responsibilities in this area. A final vote on the question of whether the situation would improve in the near future revealed that over sixty percent of our members were undecided.

Poverty

The approach which the society took to this matter was two-fold. Firstly, it was suggested that banks should cancel debts owed by developing countries. After the facts were presented by Jane Howell and Doreen Rose, there was tremendous support for the motion and our members voted overwhelmingly in favour. In addition, it was suggested that the problem of debt needed to be addressed on a local level, with more focus on the individual. It was unanimously agreed that financial counseling should be made more freely available to members of the public.

Conclusion

All in all, this was a successful term, with over eighty per cent attendance on average. For the autumn term we hope to sustain these figures when we discuss the subjects of animal rights, urban anonymity and the use of surveillance cameras.

(From: “Upstream Advanced. Student’s Book”. P. 89)

3.Say which of the statements below are true for Model A only, for Model B only, for both or none:

1.It is written in formal style.

2.It begins and ends like a letter.

3.It states the reason for writing at the very beginning.

4.It consists of sections with headings.

5.It presents the information in short sentences without linking devices.

6.It outlines a course of action for the future.

7.It analyses the events of the past.

4. Read the texts below. Can you say what form of professional writing they are? Are the texts structured in the same way? What is the difference?

Text 1

Park Avenue Writers Meeting – 08 August 20___

Meeting called to order at 4:30 pm by meeting chair Jessalyn Boyce.

Members present:

Chair Jessalyn Boyce

Grace Grayson

Natalie Wilcox

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Jon Mitchell

Luna Stanford

Sierra Winchester

Adam Monroe

Dick Richards

Nick Nicholas

Members not present:

Andrew Anderson (pre-arranged)

Andrea Anderson (pre-arranged)

Reading of Agenda

Motion: To approve the agenda for 08 August 20__ Vote: Motion carried

Resolved: Agenda for the meeting on 08 August 2012 approved without modification

Approval of Minutes

Motion: To approve the minutes for 01 August 20__ Vote: Motion carried

Resolved: Minutes from the meeting on 01 August 20__ approved without modification

Business

Motion from Jon Mitchell: To select Luna Stanford’s manuscript for critique

Vote: 6 in favor, 2 against, 1 abstain

Resolved: Motion carried; Luna Stanford’s manuscript accepted for critique

Motion from Luna Stanford: To replace the meeting table using committee funds

Vote: 3 in favor, 4 against Resolved: Motion failed

Amendment: Nick Nicholas volunteered to repair the table at no cost

Motion from Sierra Winchester: To subscribe to Writer’s Digest using committee funds

Vote: Motion carried

Resolved: Subscription to Writer’s Digest to be purchased using committee funds.

Amendment: Subscription will be in the name of Chair Jessalyn Boyce at special two-year rate

Meeting adjourned at 5:15 pm.

(From: http://www.wikihow.com/Take-Minutes)

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