CREATING

IMAGINATIVE TEXTS
Chapter 8 – Insight Textbook
 WARM UP:
ATTENTION
TO
OVERLOOKE
D THINGS.
Write 2 sentences
that creates an image
of a phone ringing.
Text Forms – the
power of choice
In the composing section of WACE,
you get to choose a form that suits you.
This year, it is important to know your
strengths.
- Imaginative – narrative (Task 3 focus)
- Persuasive
- Interpretive
Creating Imaginative Texts
◦ Most imaginative texts are narratives
◦ They include – short stories, novels, monologues,
drama scripts, and film and television
screenplays.
◦ They should
◦ Immerse the reader within an imagined world
◦ Engage, entertain and move the audience
◦ Develop a theme or central idea
PREPARING
FOR YOUR
IMAGINATI
VE TEXT:
 ◦ The term purpose essentially refers to the main
function of (or intended function) or a text or the
motivation behind its creation.
◦ Texts can serve multiple purposes, but one obvious
motivation might be noticeable.

Purpose of ◦ Your purpose for writing a story might be

connected to the syllabus.

Imaginative ◦ Identity. Culture. Social. Environment.

◦ Entertain.
texts ◦ Provoke thought about something.
 through the use of literary elements.
Consider:
What story are you going to tell and why?
What message do you want your readers to consider?
A moment in time

◦ Your imaginative pieces should take place in one

moment
◦ Think about The Drover’s Wife - all aspects of the
story took place in one moment (the night she spent
watching the kids)
◦ This means your story should not go over a day
◦ Pick ONE moment and explore your story in that
moment only
 ◦ Not all narratives follow a linear structure as outlined earlier
◦ Manipulating the order in which you reveal details to your audience can create
memorable effects

Non-Linear ◦ Try using one or more of the following techniques to create nonlinear narratives
◦ In media res: beginning in the middle of the action can engage your reader
instantly. This opening is typically followed by a flashback or some sort of

Structures expository dialogue to show the audience how the action came about.
◦ Flashback: Slipping back in time, either through a character’s recollections
or through a shift in time, can reveal important background details.
◦ Cyclical: The narrative ends with a situation to the inciting incident,
implying that a similar plot line will play out again, or offering a sense of
Which of these completion and closure
◦ Episodic: The narrative builds in a series of discrete events, sometimes
did TDW use? switching between characters.
◦ Converging: Two plot lines involving different characters eventually
intersect.
◦ Frame: One storyline (the frame) involves characters recounting other
storylines.
Developing Characters
◦ Characters are usually the key elements of a narrative
◦ They engage the reader, and it is through their actions and
reactions that the story develops, and themes are revealed
◦ In your imaginative texts, it is best to use no more than two
main characters (or characters in general)
◦ Planning your main character or characters should:
◦ Enable you to make them speak, think and behave cohesively and
realistically
◦ Enable you to consider character’s values and dreams to help
understand their motivations
◦ Enable you to consider their flaws as it will suggest the mistakes that
they make
◦ Enable you to consider their appearance and mannerisms will help
you describe them in a way the reader can visualise, while providing
some history (or backstory) will make your characters more rounded
 Important to “Show, Don’t Tell” your
characters

Developing You do this by revealing their

personality through their actions,
Characters reactions, thoughts and speech

Read the example on p. 144 of your

textbook
Selecting Narrative POV

The narrative POV provides the perspectives

through which the reader experiences your
story

The choice of the narrative POV also

determines how close the reader feels
to the action in the story
SELECTIN
G
NARRATI
VE POV
TYPES OF NARRATORS
TASK 3 – COMPOSING
IMAGINATIVE
 ◦ Descriptive language can help your reader
visualise the world of your text
◦ Step it up further by using interesting and
active verbs and nuanced choices of nouns to
Using make an impact on your reader
◦ Example: ‘Harrison was tried and sleepy at
Descriptive breakfast’ could become ‘Harrison yawned
his way through coffee and toast.’
& Figurative ◦ Figurative language – such as metaphors,
Language similes and personification – can add further
colour to your writing
◦ Beware of including too many devices, or
devices that suggest quite different things or
feelings, which can undermine the image you
are trying to create
WEAK VS.
STRONG
EXAMPLE
Using Dialogue
◦ If you listen closely to a conversation, you
will notice it is full of pauses, incomplete
sentences and phrases like ‘you know’.
◦ Moreover, when we speak, we communicate
a lot through non-verbal cues such as
gesture and facial expression
◦ Good writers include just enough of the
inconsistency of natural speech to make it
sound more authentic, while ensuring the
dialogue remains meaningful and
interesting.
 TIPS TO
CREATE
EFFECTIV
E
DIALOGUE
EXAMPLE
S OF
DIALOGU
E
Advice
◦ Show don’t tell – rather than telling your reader the facts directly, let them see,
hear and sense what is going on
◦ Balance dialogue with narration – a good story combines the two
◦ Create the right storyteller – choose your narrator carefully and use language
features to craft a voice for them
◦ Keep your purpose in mind – what do you want your audience to take away
from your text?
◦ Be creative – Add interest to your text through creative choices in language,
structure and style
 CONTINUE
WORKING ON
YOUR TASK
USING THE NEW
INFORMATION
TO GUIDE
PLANNING