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...