Writing and Speaking

Writing and Speaking

Life stories

Writing is a special craft and it takes hard work- very few professional writers comment on it being easy. One of the best ways of improving your writing is to look closely at what other writers have written. Famous writers try to learn from others. Roald Dahl  had a notebook in which he jotted down word and sentences that he liked from other writers' books.

In their autobiographies both Dahl and Oodgeroo Noonuccal have given us detailed, vivid incidents from their childhood. Famous writers John Marsden has some important advice about writing. According to him the most important fault with new writers is omitting detail. He says, 'be specific. Name everything. Instead of saying "I climbed a tree" say "I climbed the old gum tree outside my bedroom window" explain the characters' feeling all the way through. Use all the senses. Describe everything you can about a character or scene.'

As you read the passage that follows, notice how the writers gives you detailed word pictures one after the other:

• 'My mother winding her bright curls around her finger'
• 'Peggotty with eyes so dark they seemed to darken her whole face'
• 'geese at side gate who came waddling after me'.

 It is also important to notice the writers uses his senses and gives his feelings about the scene:

• 'in that mouldy air,smelling of soup, coffee and pickles'
• 'that was a place to be run past at night'.

Memories of Childhood

Looking back into my childhood the first thing I remember are my mother and my old nurse Peggotty. My mother winding her bright curls around her finger, and straightening her waist in front of the mirror, quite proud of being so pretty. And Peggotty with eyes so dark they seemed to darken her whole face, and cheeks so hard and red I wonder the birds didn't mistake them for apples.

What else do I remember? In our backyard: a birdhouse on a pole, right in the centre, without any birds in it; a great dog kennel in the corner without any dog; and a quantity of roosters that looked terribly tall to me and walked about in a menacing manner. There was one who got up on a post and crowed, and made me shiver, he looked so fierce. And geese at the side gate who came waddling after me with their long necks stretched out. I used to dream of them at night as if they were lions.

Then inside the house, there was a long passage leading from the kitchen to the front door. A dark store room opened off it and that was a place to be run past at night. Who knew what lurked in there among those jars, in that mouldy air, smelling of soap, coffee and pickles?

There are my very earliest memories.

From David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Writing life stories

Here's an opportunity to write about memories of childhood or incidents from your life. Try your hand at one of these:

1. Write down some of your memories beginning, 'I remember when...' or ' The first things I remember are...'
2. Think back over your life and then recount an experience that you'll always remember. It can be joyful, sad, exciting, dangerous, exhilarating. Read your experience to the class.
3. Write your life story and present it to the class. It's probably a good idea to start at the beginning and move through the events in chronological order to the present time. You'll need to talk about your family and friends. You may like to mention some of the important happenings and places in your life. Try and make your talk as interesting as possible.