Creative exercises

Commonwealth of Australia 2009

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Contents

Brews 1477

page 3

Shakespeare 1611

page 4

Austen 1813

page 5

Ballou 1861

page 6

Steadman 1994

page 7

Smith 2005

page 8

Amnesty International 2006

page 9

Remmulp 2009

page 10

Commonwealth of Australia 2009

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A translation of Brews

Translation and creative writing task

1.

Translate Margaret Brew's letter into contemporary English.

2.

Compose a Valentine's reply from John Paston III in the form of an SMS.

Commonwealth of Australia 2009

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Macbeth to Macbeth
Creative writing task
As Lady Macbeth, compose a reply to your husband's letter. Your letter should reflect:

The CONTENT of the original letter: the witches' prophecy, Macbeth's fears and
the fact that King Duncan will arrive at Macbeth's castle.

The CONTEXT of the original letter: the letter exists within a tragedy - a play
depicting a flaw(s) of humanity and the downfall of its hero.

The STYLE of the original letter: Shakespeare composed the lines of his highborn characters in a stylised form known as iambic pentameter. This consists of
a series of lines of roughly ten syllables each with an 'alternating' sound pattern.
You are not expected to be a expert on Shakespeare, but try to copy the pattern
of the letter, writing in 10 syllable lines and using some of the archaic
(Elizabethan) text and imagery. (HINT: use some of Macbeth's lines in Lady
Macbeth's letter. Shakespeare was known to borrow and adapt the work of
others, so why don't you!)

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Elizabeth Bennet to Mr Darcy

Creative writing task
Compose a response from Elizabeth to Mr Darcy. Your letter should reflect:

The CONTENT of the original letter: including each of Darcy's 'offences', his
previous proposal of marriage and his demands.

The CONTEXT of the original letter: The letter exists within the broader contexts
of Austen's Pride and Prejudice and of early 19th Century English society.
(Please re-read the introduction to this letter before beginning the draft of your
letter.)

The STYLE of the original letter: Austen's novels reflect a time in England
characterised by class-based etiquette and an insistence on decorum in society.
Consequently, Austen's writing, though rich in juxtaposed (placed side by side)
restraint and biting irony is contained within delicately balanced sentences.

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Sarah Ballou to Sullivan Ballou

Creative writing task

Compose a response from Sarah to Sullivan Ballou. Your letter should reflect:

The CONTENT of the original letter: including the love Sullivan has for his wife
and family and the conflict he has faced in choosing between family and country.

The CONTEXT of the original letter: The letter exists within the broader context of
the American Civil War.

The STYLE of the original letter: A heartfelt letter of love, fear and concern.

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Emails from Lane and Dana

Creative writing task

Compose the next series of emails, firstly from Dana and then Lane. Your emails should
reflect:

The CONTENT of the original emails.

The CONTEXT of the original emails: a long distance relationship.

The STYLE of the original emails: including the use of literary allusions and
stream of consciousness.

Commonwealth of Australia 2009

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Reply Email RE: C. Smith

Creative writing task

Choose ONE of the following:

Compose a reply from one of C. Smith's co-workers as a response to her letter of

resignation.

Compose a reply from A. Jones in acceptance of C. Smith's letter of resignation.

Compose an 'email of condemnation' from A. Jones to his competitors - the

prospective employers of C. Smith and receivers of the stolen marketing research.

Remember, you do not want to make the same mistake Smith makes.

Commonwealth of Australia 2009

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Amnesty International
Creative writing task
Compose a Letter to the Editor in response to the paper's publishing of the open letter to the
prime minister from Amnesty International, Oct 2006.
Remember, the purpose of a letter to the editor is to get your opinion succinctly stated and
justified in relation to a specific issue.
Letters to the editor are typically between 50 and 200 words, contain several small
paragraphs and are definitive (i.e. either for or against a specific issue rather than 'sitting on
the fence') .
Language, as is the case with structure, is usually formal.
The audience of a letter to the editor is the readership of the newspaper, rather than the
editor specifically.
For examples of letters to the editor see: http://www.smh.com.au/letters/

Commonwealth of Australia 2009

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Text Message Narrative

Creative writing task

Choose ONE of the following as AThirty Second Romance The Next Thirty Seconds, using
a string of at least five exchanges (10 SMS messages) from:

Cheryl to Justin before the party

Cheryl to Justin after the party

Matt to Cheryl after the party

Matt to Justin after the party.

Remember to work within a typical narrative structure.

EXTENSION: Using Clipart images and PowerPoint and/or Adobe Captivate etc. to create a
flash of A 30 Second Romance - The Next Thirty Seconds.

Commonwealth of Australia 2009

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