Starter quiz
- Which of these is not a structural feature?
- simile ✓
- flashback
- repetition
- chronological order
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- Which of these is a structural feature involving the writer's use of time?
- repetition
- use of dialogue
- non-linear narrative ✓
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- What is a flashback?
- when a writer shifts to a moment in the future
- when a writer shifts to a moment in the past ✓
- when writer sets their narrative in the past
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- What is a flashforward?
- when a writer shifts to a moment in the future ✓
- when a writer sets their narrative in the future
- when the writer describes a futuristic world
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- What does it mean if something is inevitable?
- It will never happen.
- It will definitely happen. ✓
- It is lucky.
- It is unlucky.
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- Which of these sentences has a poignant tone?
- The old man sat on the bench looking at a photograph.
- The old man chuckled as he looked at the photograph.
- The old man clutched the photograph, tears trickling down his face. ✓
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Exit quiz
- Which of these does Galloway *not* use in the opening of 'The Cellist of Sarajevo'?
- chronological order ✓
- flashback
- non-linear narrative
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- Which moment does Galloway *not* flashback to in the opening of 'The Cellist of Sarajevo'?
- finding a manuscript in 1945
- the cellist's sister's wedding
- the first day of the siege ✓
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- What can you do to make your flashback more powerful in a piece of creative writing?
- make the flashback contrast with the present moment ✓
- make the flashback similar to the present moment
- make it more sad than the present moment
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- How does Galloway use a flashforward in the opening of 'The Cellist of Sarajevo'?
- He describes the cellist's childhood.
- He conveys the inevitability of destruction and grief. ✓
- He conveys the cellist's hope.
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- Which phrase might be useful to help you transition into a flashback?
- She remembered a time when … ✓
- They don't know it now but …
- Years later ...
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- Why is it important to plan the phrases you will use when you shift time in your narrative writing?
- to help ensure a seamless transition in your narrative ✓
- to make the time shift clear to the reader ✓
- to extend the length of your narrative
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Worksheet
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Presentation
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- You can experiment with time to create an interesting structure to your narrative.
- The use of flashback is powerful in 'The Cellist of Sarajevo' to help the reader connect to the character.
- The use of flashforward adds a sense of inevitability and a poignant tone to writing.
- Flashbacks are powerful when they contrast to the present moment in some way.
- Using certain phrases before your time shifts can help to create seamless transitions.
Common misconception
We can only manipulate time in one way in a narrative.
When we know the effect that we want our flashbacks and flashforwards to have, we can use both.
Keywords
Flashback - a transition in a story to an earlier time in the life of one or more characters
Flashforward - a transition in a story to a future time in the life of one or more characters
Poignant - evoking a sense of sadness or regret
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