Sally Jones - The Computer Game. Brush Up On Your Writing Skills

Title Page

Creative Writing Tutor

THE COMPUTER GAME

by

Sally Jones and Amanda Jones

Publisher Information

Published by GUINEA PIG EDUCATION

2 Cobs Way

New Haw, Addlestone

Surrey, KT15 3AF

www.guineapigeducation.co.uk

Digital edition converted and distributed in 2013 by

Andrews UK Limited

www.andrewsuk.com

Copyright 2011, 2013 Sally A Jones and Amanda C Jones

This pack may not under any circumstances be photocopied, without the prior consent of the publisher.

Choose a topic and start to practise writing. Each booklet has a theme to help you start to write...stories, reports, articles, letters and many more. Start collecting them now.

Guinea Pig Creative Writing booklets also provide extra practice for children who have completed:

- Creative Story Writing

- Persuasive Writing & Argument

- Information Writing

They are for children who are working at Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum, levels 3-5 (in Years 5 and 6 of primary school), children who are working at Key Stage 3, levels 3-5 (Years 7 and 8 of Secondary School). They provide practice for all 9-13 year olds, especially children taking 11+ examinations.

First things first...

Lets learn to write fiction.

When you write fiction, you must:

• Decide who will be your audience?
• Think of different genres - realistic, detective, ghost, gothic horror.
• Ask what is the purpose of my writing?

When you write to entertain , remember that you must :

• Have an interesting opening and a memorable ending
• Have good characters, setting and plot
• Build up suspense
• Use dialogue - to move the story along
• Use a variety of simple, compound and complex sentences

Plan Your Fiction Writing

PARAGRAPH 1

• Start with a memorable first sentence to make the reader want to read on.
• Introduce the characters and the setting.
• Introduce the plot.

PARAGRAPH 2

• Develop the plot.
• What might happen to trigger off a series of events?
• Build up suspense.

PARAGRAPH 3

• Wind up your story with a good ending. In the resolution you will have solved all the problems.
• It could be happy, sad, a cliff hanger (which leaves the reader to make up his or her own mind), or a moral ending
• Have a memorable final sentence.

Write

• in FIRST PERSON, so you are the main character telling the story (using I or we).
• or
• in THIRD PERSON (using he or she) as if you were a fly watching from the wall.

Remember:

• Use connectives or conjunctions:
  • and or but (to join compound sentences)
  • or, so, if, when, while, after, before, because, unless, until, whereas, although (to join complex sentences)
  • use pronouns - who, which, whose, what, that
  • to link ideas use - firstly, later, therefore, on the other hand, at that moment, by this time, next, soon...
• Use a range of sentences - simple, compound and complex sentences

The Closing Down Sale

Here is a plan for a story.

Characters:

Frank accompanied by Dad.

Setting:

They are walking down the High Street on a shopping trip.

• Frank sees a shop closing down. An exciting new computer game is greatly reduced in the shop window.
• Introduce the Plot: Frank grabs Dads arm, Look, that new game is in the sale. It is the one they advertise on T.V. Can we get one? It is half price.
• They reluctantly join the queue and wait for half an hour for the shop to open and for the sale to start.
• A shop assistant starts to unlock the door. Everyone starts to talk excitedly. The door is open wide. Everyone rushes towards the door.
• They run in towards the electronic department. A huge crowd is racing towards the pile of games. The manager is shouting.
• Everyone is grabbing and pushing each other out of the way. Hundreds of hands are reaching out, clutching at the boxes. Frank reaches for the last box. Another person grabs it too. You cant have this one, its mine, shouts Frank angrily. No, its mine, says the girl stubbornly

What is the outcome?

• Frank leaves the shop in tears with no game, but Dad promises to buy the game from another store.
• The other person politely gives in, saying Frank can buy the game.
• The shop keeper produces another game from the window.
• A huge fight breaks out. A policeman is called.

Put in interesting details to make the story come alive.

Characters:

• Dad:...
• Frank: dressed in his casual clothes and shiny new trainers.
• ...

Setting:

• Where are they?
• Describe the scene in the High Street:...

1. What does Frank see? (Opening of story)

2. What does he do?

3. What does he say to dad?

4. What happens next? (Develop the story)

5. Describe how he ran into the toy shop to get a half price computer game. By the time he gets to the department, there is only one box left. As he reaches out to get it, a girl grabs it off him. Who grabbed it? Why? (Is there a complication?)

6.... And after that? What adds to the excitement and builds up suspense? (Crisis)

7....And then?

8. What is the outcome? How are events resolved? Did he get the game or did he go home without one? What did Dad say? How did he feel? Did he get one: from the internet, as a present for his birthday or did he decide not to get one? (Resolution)

Closing Down Sale

Every Saturday morning, Dad took Frank into town after swimming while Mum worked. They would potter around the market, buy fruit and vegetables, get a milk shake from the fast food place and look in the shop windows as they strolled back up to the multi storey car park. That particular morning, something grabbed Franks attention. It was a huge sign draped outside a store, which read Closing Down Sale, in big black bold letters. This shop sold computer games like the one he wanted. Frank was curious so he tugged Dads arm, Can we have a look? he begged, looking at him pleadingly. OK, replied Dad, glancing at his watch. If were quick.

A huge crowd had formed outside the store, waiting for the shop to open. Frank peered closely into the window. They had the latest computer game in thereand it was reduced to a crazy low price. I have to get one, pleaded Frank, nudging Dad. If you put it on your debit card, Ill pay you back with money from my savings account I promise. Well, thats certainly an amazing bargain, replied Dad. They waited in a huge queue of people for ten minutes, until a flustered shop assistant opened the door. The crowd surged forward. People were shoving and pushing to get to the front. Frank squeezed through - and as the door opened - he ran with the fastest people. The race was on and he zoomed up the escalator to the third floor: running, puffing and panting. There, he caught sight of a pile of boxes containing the latest computer games, but they were going rapidly. Five, four, three, two He grabbed firmly hold of the last box, but someone else snatched it from him. It was a tall girl, with blue jeans and a yellow fleece. Frank saw red as he felt anger rise in him and he seized it back. The girl with eyes like black pools, stared at him with malice. Its mine, Frank protested in a raised voice. No its not. Thats not fair, she retaliated. I was here first. Thats completely out of order, Frank insisted, going red in the face. Its mine, the girl repeated, bursting into floods of tears.