Improve Your English Skills Through Creative Writing

by Antony W. Khaemba

Overview

Improve Your English Skills Through CREATIVE WRITING, written by Anthony Khaemba and published in 2015, is the prototype of all modern essay books. It is arguably the only book of its type. If youre having problems with English, spoken or written, this is a must-read book. It is equipped with examples and practical exercises. You will improve your English in less than ninety days. This book has well-illustrated essay samples that will teach you how to write better essays and correct your grammar and essay.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781504960588
Publisher:	AuthorHouse
Publication date:	11/11/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	70
File size:	121 KB

About the Author

Anthony Wafula Khaemba is an overachiever with eclectic tastes. He published his first novel, Sons of Immigrants, in 2002, the same year he earned his teaching degree. After completing his teaching practice in Kampala in Uganda, he began his aviation degree in the United States of America. His first novel has been translated into twenty languages. He lives and writes in Maryland, USA.

Read an Excerpt

Improve Your English Skills Through Creative Writing

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By Antony W. Khaemba

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2015 Antony W. Khaemba
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-5049-6059-5

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CHAPTER 1

Creativity and Imagination

Composition writing is all about creating an original and interesting story of your own. You must be creative. To do this, you must decide what to say and how to say it. When you write a essay, you are conveying an idea to somebody who may be far away from you; if you were communicating with someone nearby, you could whisper (or shout). A face-to-face conversation enables you to clarify points, but since the other person (your reader) is not nearby, you must be imaginative enough to sustain the premise. Otherwise, people will get bored and stop reading your work. This is what I mean by being creative.

• Step 1: Understand the subject of the story you will write, and choose an appropriate title.

• Step 2: Try to come up with ideas for your story. A good way to do this is to ask yourself as many questions as possible.

Ask Yourself Questions

To be a champion in composition writing, always adopt the "five Ws and one H" method.

• What?

• Where?

• When?

• Who?

• Why?

• How?

For example, let's say I have been tasked with writing an essay about my school. To spark my creativity, I might ask myself the following questions. Note how they all begin with one of the action words I have listed above.

• What is the name of the school?

• Where is it located?

• When was it established?

• Why was it built in that particular area?

• Who heads it?

• What can I say about the teachers?

• What can I say about the other staff?

• What does the physical facility look like?

• How do students fare in exams?

• What about extracurricular activities?

• What do I like about my school?

• What is the school motto?

• What problems, if any, affect our school?

• How does the school address these problems?

• How are the parents? Are they cooperative?

• How does the school help the local community?

• What can I say about some specific boys and girls?

• What are the hopes of the students?

Once I have the answers to my questions, I can write my story. There are so many questions I might ask myself; the list above is just the beginning.

Assignment 1

Write an essay about a football match at your school. Here are some questions you might ask yourself before you begin:

• When and where was the match held?

• Why was that particular venue chosen?

• Which teams played?

• What were the most exciting moments?

• How did the spectators react?

• Which team won?

• How was the victory celebrated?

• How did the referee do?

Note: In most national examinations in Kenya, the examiner is likely to assign you an essay that has something to do with football. This is because most schools have football pitches. Since students may not have any experience with other sports, it wouldn't make sense to ask them to write about rugby or hockey or basketball. However, students should be familiar with the rules of netball and volleyball.

Assignment 2

Write an essay about a disappointing exchange at the market. Here are some questions you might ask yourself:

• What is the name of the market?

• Where is it?

• Which day is market day?

• Why did you go there?

• Why was the transaction disappointing?

• What could you have done differently?

• Where do the traders come from?

• Who are the buyers?

• What products are sold?

• How busy is market day?

• How long does the market remain open?

• How are goods arranged?

• What problems are there?

• How are those problems resolved?

Assignment 3

Write an essay about a dream you've had. Here are some questions you might ask yourself:

• What did you dream about?

• How did you behave in the dream?

• How did the dream make you feel? Excited? Frightened?

• How did you wake up?

• What did you feel when you realized it was just a dream?

• What events or thoughts do you think led to the dream?

Note: Many writers will let readers know from the start that the story is about a dream. Consider how much more interesting it will be if readers realize it on their own as the story comes to an end. For example, don't use a sentence like this in your writing:

When I was sleeping, I dreamt that a monster was moving at a supersonic speed toward me.

Instead, try this approach:

That night, I went to bed rather late. Suddenly, a stranger appeared. He was walking slowly, his large head held high on his strong neck and huge shoulders. He paced up and down the room with a whip held tightly in his left hand, and he repeatedly threatened to whip me if I did not explain where the gold was!

The second example creates suspense by keeping secret the fact that the protagonist is dreaming. Here is an example of a good ending:

The lion was more focused on me than on my younger brother, so I jumped over the fence and tried to escape through the main gate. As the monster opened its mouth to swallow me, I felt a hand pulling me. It was my mother waking me up for school. When I opened my eyes, I could not believe I had been dreaming. I remembered what had happened so vividly. I tried to call to my brother in the next room, but no sound came out. I was terrified and remained in my bed.

Assignment 4

Write about what you want to be when you grow up. For example, your dream might be to become a doctor. Here are some questions you might ask yourself:

• What do you enjoy doing?

• How can you get a job in this field?

• Why do you want to pursue this interest?

• What are the benefits of working in this field?

• What sort of training will you need?

• What sort of medicine will you pursue?

• Why do you want to be a doctor?

Assignment 5

Write an essay about your best friend. Here are some questions you might ask:

• Who is your friend?

• Where does your friend come from?

• Who are your friend's parents?

• Where does your friend go to school?

• When did you become friends?

• What do you like most about your friend?

• What does your friend like most about you?

• What does your friend do to make you laugh?

• What funny things has your friend done?

• What things do you do together?

• When do you visit each other's homes?

• What do you plan to do together in future?

• Why do you think it is important to have a friend?

It's also important to include realistic conflict in your writing; even the best friends disagree from time to time. Describing how you and your best friend fought and reconciled will make your story much more interesting. Here are some questions you might ask:

• Why did you and your best friend fight?

• What made you angry at this other person?

• What challenges (opposition from your parents, scheduling issues, living far apart, etc.) have you faced as friends?

• How did you reconcile?

Comments

When you are writing about your best friend, even if you are describing a disagreement, be compassionate. Never forget that you are writing about a friend, not an enemy (unless it is your goal to turn your friend into an enemy). This does not mean you can't write a negative sentence or two; even the best friend has bad days. In this case, explain that it was only a day and that the bad blood was there for only a short time. You can use popular sayings to explain the situation. It's also a good idea to include this sort of information in the middle of your story. For example:

After the fight with John, I declared that I would never ever talk to him again. But he came and asked me for forgiveness. I changed my mind, forgot all about the fight, and forgave him. As the saying goes, "To err is human; to forgive, divine."

Describe the person, inside and out. Give a real picture of your friend. In the description below, the writer describes body type, skin, and hair color — the most striking features of his best friend, the ones that make her different than other people. Such a description makes a person more realistic to readers.

Mary is my best friend; she will celebrate her fifteenth birthday this year. She has lovely brown skin and black hair, and she lives with her parents. Her father is a farmer and grows maize. She speaks English and Swahili fluently. She is short and stout.

Assignment 6

Write an essay about what makes your country better than any other. Here are some questions you might ask yourself:

• Why do you think your country is the best country?

• What are the defining features of your country's landscape?

• How are people treated in your country?

• Why should people visit your country?

• What misconceptions about your country can you correct?

The Power of Outlining

In addition to asking yourself questions, you can also use an outline to keep your composition organized and on task. If you don't know where to start, first write down everything that comes to mind. Once you've done that, you can then reorganize the ideas in a more logical order.

Sample Outline: The Importance of Trees

Provide wood for

• furniture

• fuel

• buildings

Provide food

• feed for animals

• fruit for people

Used in agriculture to

• prevent soil erosion

• provide shade

• fertilize the soil

• act as windbreakers

Other uses:

• Medicinal value, e.g., "mwarubaini"

• Home for wildlife and birds

• Religious value, e.g., shrines

• Attract rain

• Paper industry

• Beautiful scenery that attracts tourist.

Assignment 7

Expand on the points outlined above, and write a composition on the importance of trees.

Sample Outline: Wildlife Has Many Benefits

Advantages

• Enhances economic development by attracting tourists, supporting hotel development, and creating job opportunities

• Promotes international relationships

• Interesting to watch

• Food source

• Skin, hooves, etc., used in industry

Disadvantages

• Attacks people and livestock

• Destroys crops and farm land

• Decreases land available for human settlement.

• Encourages corrupt practices, e.g., poaching

Assignment 8

Expand on the points listed above, and write a composition that explains that there are more advantages than disadvantages to wildlife. In your discussion, list the pros and cons, the advantages and disadvantages. Think of your essay like a debate. The best way to discuss the topic is to start with the advantages and then describe the disadvantages. In your last paragraph, state that there are more advantages than disadvantages.

Sample Outline: Causes and Prevention of HIV/AIDS

Causes

• Sexual intercourse with an infected person

• Unsafe blood transfusion

• Unsafe injections

• Sharing cutting or piercing instruments like razor blades or needles • Open wounds and cuts

• Transferred from infected mother to unborn baby

• Breast feeding

Prevention

• Abstain from sexual intercourse before marriage.

• Be faithful to your spouse.

• Only get a blood transfusion in a reputable hospital.

• Avoid cutting the skin or piecing the ear with unsafe instruments.

Other comments

• As yet, there is no cure for HIV/AIDS.

• It can infect anyone.

• It can kill anyone.

Note: HIV/AIDS is a national disaster in Kenya; a lot of people are dying from the disease. The Kenya National Examinations Council is likely to ask pupils to write an essay on this topic. It might be this year.

Assignment 9

Write an essay about HIV/AIDS. Include the things that cannot lead to infections in other people, e.g., kissing, sharing the same plate of food, sharing clothes, etc.

Composition Elements

You may be given one of the following elements and be asked to develop a composition:

(a) introduction (or beginning)

(b) conclusion (or ending)

(c) composites(or the middle)

Assignment 10a

Example: Introduction

The sentences below are the beginning of a story. Read them carefully, and then complete the story making it as interesting as possible. Remember: this will be a happy story, because the mother is excited.

That day my mother came home unusually early. Looking excited, she called all of us into the sitting room. When we were all seated, _________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________

Assignment 10b

Example: Conclusion

Write a story ending in the words below. Make your story as interesting as you can. Describe a memorable day, one that is either extremely exciting or extremely horrifying.

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

That was a day I will not forget for a long time to come.

Assignment 10c

Example: Composition Based on a Proverb

Write a story that shows the truth in the proverb "hurry, hurry has no blessing." Let the proverb serve as the title of the essay.

Assignment 10d

Write an essay about the proverb "slow and steady wins the race." Make sure you fully understand the meaning of the proverb before you start.

Sample Essays

Below are examples of student-written compositions, written by several pupils in different schools. They are followed by suggestions of what might be done to improve the essay.

"Adventures in the Forest": Original Version

She had now been walking for almost two hours. Suddenly Elizabeth stepped still. Did she hear noise in the forest or a roar! Is it her imagination? She listened again and there came a scream of a baby, then of roar like that of a lion and abruptly everything subsided to quietness

Elizabeth stood astonished. Her mind was filled with thousands of thoughts. She tried to concentrate to ring one thought into focus but was not futile. She decided to take to her heels.

Suddenly, there were laughter's of many people coming from the forest. The laughter's were as if the people were enjoying themselves. They were cheering and jeering. Then it came again; the scream of a baby. This time round more loudly. She crotched to catch the voice clearly and if possible identify it. In a split of a seconds went the roar again it seemed to be approaching where Elizabeth was.

Elizabeth was a young girl she was had been waiting to celebrate her sixteenth birthday. She had always been imagining how she would be looking like when she clocked sixteen. She was beautiful she knew it and at sixteen, she figured out that she will be more beautiful. Her face was wide, with fleshy lips and her eyes were clearly as brown as those ones of a newly born baby. She had a dream in life and knew that if she did not save herself, then everything would spill.

Her body was shivering from extreme fear. Her heart beats were almost audible. The hair on her head stood still, she tried again to run but her thin legs could not carry her due to fear. It was as if there was o connection between her body and legs.

"A child crying, a roar" what is the meaning of this" she thought a loud. While she was still pondering about the mystery she was hard hit from behind! She rolled and fell down with a thud "puu-up"

Since she had heard stories of wild animal which did not feast on dead carcass, she pretended to be dead. She held up her breath as the animals rounded her licking her. Then the animals a lion, may be, was sure that Elizabeth was dead. It went away. For all this time she did not open her eyes." Thank you God" she said as she made her way out of the forest.

Comments

I would have given this essay 20 marks out of 40 possible point The writer made some foolish mistakes on tenses and sentence structure. Sentence structure is all about arranging your words in a logical manner to give sense. One way to learn about sentence structure is to read a lot of storybooks. The writer would have used words that are attractive to attract the examiner.

Here is the composition again, with some additional flavor that could have been added to each paragraph.

"Adventures in the Forest": Rewritten Version

At first, Elizabeth thought her mind was playing tricks on her. But everything was as quiet as a grave. Then she smelt a rat, as the saying goes. Clouds indicated rain. Instinctively, she realized something was wrong. She had been walking for almost two hours. Suddenly Elizabeth stood still. She'd heard a noise in the forest. Was that a roar? Was it her imagination? She listened again and heard the scream of a baby, then a roar like that of a lion. Abruptly, everything went quiet.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Improve Your English Skills Through Creative Writing by Antony W. Khaemba. Copyright © 2015 Antony W. Khaemba. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Acknowledgement, vii,
Preface, ix,
1 Creativity and Imagination, 1,
2 Fluency, 23,
3 Writing a Captivating Composition, 32,
4 Speechwriting, 36,
5 Letter Writing, 38,
6 Accuracy, 42,
7 Vocabulary, 49,