2011 School Magazine

English

^.

.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

,I

I

I\

~I -

^!'

,

.

.

.

~

.

. . . . .

^e!,

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Senior Writers Retreat

Ju 10r Wr ters Camp On Friday 20 May a group of creative Iy charged Year 8 and 9 students boarded a bus to Marrapatta for the annual junior Writers Camp. Writer in Residence Ms Christine Bongers, a former radio and television journalist, instructed us in the fine art of story writing. Our weekend consisted of seminars on story strudure, 'killer' beginnings, sensory writing and character development. We were also given some useful guidance on how to become published authors. We learnt about 'showing, not telling', using description to convey realities to an audience rather than a simplistic statement of facts - crucial to achieving well in short story assignments. in the evenings we indulged in the traditional hour of 'Sacred Silence' as well as a much anticipated Harry Potter movie night. 'Sacred Silence' is an hour of silent work where each girl Improves a piece of writing started In the tutorials that day. One of the most enjoyable activities was the sensory writing, requiring us to use the Marrapatta landscape as inspiration for a short story excerpt. Some very interesting stories and characters were created. By Monday morning we had been transformed from eager apprentices to ready young authors and were thoroughly exhausted as we boarded the bus back to school

.

.

.

in July, girls from Years 10, I I and 12 attended the Senior Writer in Residence programme, hosted by Mr Laur with special guest Randa Abdel-Fattah, author of the award-winning : novel Does My Head Look 819 In This?. Randa had written the first chapter of her novel when she was just sixteen years old, so was an ideal candidate for aiding and encouraging twelve of Girls Grammar's aspiring writers. Each girl took a journey : through her own psyche, participating in activities aimed at ' bringing out her true inner voice. A personal favourite was the five minute "I remember. .." drill, where we each had to write down as many memories as possible within a time frame. This particular activity proved hilarious, with the girls falling to keep a straight face at some of the more outrageous (and perhaps until now, repressed) childhood recollections. Randa conducted exercises aimed at developing character, plot and dialogue - . from writing with sympathy towards a character caught in the act of doing something hateful, to portraying the protagonist's true feelings toward their significant other through a mere discussion over a lounge chair. The day was hugely successful, with Randa wrapping up the day's hard work with a he pful Q&A session, leaving the girls with numerous tips on how they too can one day get their own novels published . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . .

I Emma Anstey-Codd (9E) I

{ Tess MCBryde (120) I

...................................................................................