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An Introduction to Creative Writing Workshops for A Level AQA

The resources explore the following key components of creative writing:

  • Using personal experiences, universal ideas and music as stimulus
  • The importance of settings, and desire in plots
  • Creating believable characters
  • Choosing Points of View
  • Constructing convincing dialogue
  • Knowing your audience
  • Genre and tone

Thirteen 'pick-up-and-go’ workshops suitable for all units of the new AQA A Level in Creative Writing, but perfect for supporting Unit 3 CREW3: From Reading to Writing.

Created by an experienced tutor of Creative Writing and published writer, the workshops include:

  • Starters
  • Extracts from published fiction with discussion prompts
  • Writing tasks
  • Points to ponder
  • Extension material to take the workshop further

Very clear, comprehensive, enjoyable, suited to the specification, well pitched for the target age group and user-friendly

R Hudis, Lecturer & Peer Reviewer

Also includes teacher’s notes and handy checklists to ensure that you and your students facilitate and experience constructive workshops.

Extracts include work by Roald Dahl, Michèle Roberts, David Almond, Robert Browning, Cormac McCarthy, William Nicholson, Robert Frost, Paul Gallico, Charles Dickens, Nick Hornby, Isla Dewar and E M Forster.

I would recommend the resource wholeheartedly to anyone looking to teach Creative Writing at A Level or as a general course

R Lodge, HoD & Peer Reviewer

What do teachers say about this resource? (5116)

An exceptional resource. Very clear, comprehensive, enjoyable, suited to the specification, well pitched for the target age group and user-friendly. Covers everything and in a way that allows students to actively see the relevance of the specifications and apply the criteria to develop their writing skills.

R Hudis, Lecturer & Peer Reviewer

Good, useful and user friendly. I like the fact that it is written so that materials could be used directly with students or not as preferred. Plenty of inspiration. Very useful for new syllabus, which specifically recommends the workshop approach. I would recommend the resource wholeheartedly to anyone looking to teach Creative Writing at A Level or as a general course.

R Lodge, HoD & Peer Reviewer

This is a very useful, straightforward set of exercises which would provide a helpful entre to creative writing which would be enjoyable for both teacher and student in a workshop scenario.

V Denman, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

These A Level creative writing workshops can be adapted to stand alone or used in conjunction with each other. They are challenging and stretching and comprehensively put together, covering most necessary aspects of the craft including point of view, character profiling, genre formation and writing authentic dialogue. The constructive criticism checklist is an invaluable assessment and evaluation tool for teachers and students alike and the take it further and other tasks and points to ponder enable prospective creative writers to stretch and challenge themselves between workshops.

J Robinson, Tutor & Peer Reviewer

A wide range of literature is used which encourages wider reading. There are also many opportunities for the students to draw upon their own experiences. I feel this is a good resource to get students engaged and involved with the course. There are a range of activities which focus on different aspects of creative writing (characters, description, dialogue) so they could even be used to improve individuals writing targets (target focused homework/individual study).

K Greaves, Teacher & Peer Reviewer