Analyzing Literary Extracts: Understanding Structure and Focus, Lecture notes of Creative writing

Download Analyzing Literary Extracts: Understanding Structure and Focus and more Lecture notes Creative writing in PDF only on Docsity! • Question 3 • 8 marks; 15 minutes; 3-4 paragraphs • Focus on writers’ use of structure, not language. • Structure: the journey the writer takes you on across the extract. • The question will ALWAYS include information on the positioning of the extract within the whole text; for example, ‘This text is from the beginning of the novel’. 1. Underline the focus of the question – your points must be linked to this. 2. Identify the beginning, middle and end part of the extract. 3. Make a quick note of what happens in the beginning, middle and end. Narrow each down to one sentence or word. This will give you an overview of the ‘journey’ the reader is taken on through the text. 4. Paragraph 1: what happens at the beginning of the extract? Why might the writer start it like this? What is the effect? 5. Paragraph 2: what does the focus shift to as the extract develops? Why? What is the impact of this? What is the effect on atmosphere or pace? 6. Paragraph 3: what happens at the end of the extract? What is the effect of this? What is the impact on the reader? • Shifts • Focus • Develops • Repeats • Pattern • Contrast • Tension • Foreshadows • Short sentence • Atmosphere • Narrative pace • Narrative perspective • Flashback (analepsis) • Flash forward (prolepsis)