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1 Composition

Content

1.1 Narrative Writing1.1.1 Overview1.1.2 Plot and Structure

1.1.3 Characters1.1.4 Style and Vocabulary

1.1.5 Tips and Pitfalls

1.2 Situational Writing1.2.1 Overview

1.2.2 Formats1.2.3 Structure and Content

1.2.4 Style and Expression1.2.5 Tips and Pitfalls

1.2.6 Format Reference

1.3 Argumentative Writing1.3.1 Overview

1.3.2 Structure & Content 1.3.3 Vocabulary

1.3.4 Tips and Pitfalls

1.4 Summary

Learning Outcomes

Candidate should be able to:

(i) communicate clearly and effectively to suit purpose, audience, context and culture(ii) write in internationally acceptable English

(iii) plan, organise and write coherently and cohesively(iv) write relevantly, showing development of ideas(v) write creatively on a given topic or situation(vi) use appropriate vocabulary with clarity and precision(vii) use correct grammar and punctuation, and spell accurately

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1.1

Narrative writing

1.1.1 Overview

Explain

Fear

Many students find the narrative essay daunting: Part of the reason for this is that a lot of them think of the narrative essay as an unpleasant task that has to be done. This is quite the opposite of what the narrative essay really is; it’s supposed to test your aptitude in the following:

1. Grammar2. Organization/ Structure3. Logic4. Vocabulary5. Creativity

Did you look at the last point on the list? Creativity. This is something that is woefully lacking in student essays – but why? The simple reason is: hardly anyone tries to have fun while writing a narrative essay. Yes, you read correctly. FUN.

What you are doing when you write a narrative essay is essentially, creating a story. Storytelling goes back a long way in human history – even prehistoric cave paintings are essentially telling stories (although these stories revolve largely around hunting very large herbivores and waiting for the rainy season). Human beings are programmed to enjoy stories. Our everyday lives are like miniature stories. The history of our country is a story, and even the history of you family, and perhaps even your ancestors, is a story.

Story telling

In order for you to start getting over your fear/dislike of narrative essays, you need to start looking for ‘stories’ in your everyday life, or your own life experiences. Here is an example of a story from family history:

ExampleExample

Story from family history

Esmeralda Sequeira looked out of the yellowing, dirt-caked window. The train barreled past rolling green hills that guarded vast plains of paddy fields,

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a post card picture of Malaysia’s countryside that changed every few seconds.

Sweat trickled down her smooth café-au-lait skin, conquering the normally invincible duo of talcum powder and rose water that held the inevitable tropical dampness at bay. She fluttered her fan viciously at a stray fly that had found its way into the cabin. She shifted slightly on her perch, trying to find a comfortable spot. And what a perch it was!

The Sequeira family treasure chest, made of fine teak from Borneo and inlaid with the softest silk from Shanghai, was worth a fortune in itself. However, the contents of the chest were priceless – emeralds the size of a baby’s fist, glittering heaps of pebble-sized rubies, and gold nuggets from her father – these were just some of the riches contained in the huge teak treasure chest that Esmeralda sat on as she endured the hot, sticky train ride to her new home – Singapore.

Contrast

Good narrative essays do one single thing – they tell a story so well that the reader is transported (in their imagination, this isn’t Heroes) to the scene of the story itself. In a good narrative essay, characters are larger than life, descriptions as vivid, and the plot keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. To demonstrate what I mean by a good essay, read both the examples below.

Example 1: A good StoryExample 1: A good Story

Write an essay based on Flight

I stared at the strange purple envelope, wondering what it could possibly be. A Christmas card? It was too early in the year for that, surely. The annoyingly familiar sights of the HDB void deck greeted me as I walked to my lift: the sticky puddle of melting ice-cream dropped by a careless child, yellowing cigarette butts, and the occasional cockroach scurrying for cover from the bright noon sun. I sighed, wishing I could escape all this; I wished I could take flight somewhere, far away, where people didn’t need to put urine detectors in the lifts because the residents were civilized enough to use their own bathrooms.

Once upstairs, I greedily ripped open the purple envelope. Inside lay a beautiful, thick, cream-coloured piece of paper that smelled faintly of roses. On one side, an address was printed. On the other side of the smooth paper, a picture of Aunt Faith, whom we hadn’t heard from in 5 years since she decided to travel the world. I turned it over, looking for some small scrap of information that would provide more clues to the reason for this mysterious paper, but that was all there was. I knew she had always been a little eccentric, but this was bizarre. Could she possibly be asking me to look for her? After a few days of puzzled contemplation, I decided to do it. I would seek out this mysterious address and let the dice fall as they might.

After a grueling twenty-seven hour flight, I finally arrived at my destination – Marrakesh. Everything seemed to be obscured in a fog of red dust brought by choking, dry winds. Upon my arrival at the ramshackle hotel, I consulted the creased and stained map I’d bought from a street vendor. When I saw where my destination was, I grew even more puzzled. The building in the address

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wasn’t on the map. This entire adventure was getting stranger by the second. A staccato knock on my door rudely interrupted my musings.

“Miss, your guide is here, please, open up the door!”, a young male voice said, cheerfully enough. My head was beginning to hurt. I was sure I hadn’t ordered any tour guides. I opened the door just a crack, enough to catch a glimpse of my unexpected visitor – dark, twinkling, merry chocolate brown eyes set in a round, honest face.

After politely telling him that I didn’t want or need a guide, he still refused to leave, although he was terribly cheerful about it. An idea then occurred to me. “Do you know where this is?” I showed him the address. His eyes widened in mock horror. “That is the ghost town – we do not go there. No one lives there anymore. Bad, bad place.” I shook my head impatiently. “Fine, but how can I get there?”

He seemed to consider this for several long moments, looking at me doubtfully, as if he were trying to decide if I was quite sane. I appeared to pass his test, however, as he heaved a great sigh at last, and mournfully informed me that he would take me there – for a price. I balked at the sum he mentioned, but agreed in the end – what choice did I have? I’d come this far already.

We set out in the late afternoon, when the sun was beginning to sink lower in the horizon. Through the endless dunes we rode, on sturdy little mules that seemed little bothered by the heat. At last we, reached our destination, a lonely little cluster of squat white houses, pinkish in the rays of the setting sun. As the sun sank sluggishly beneath the horizon, I noticed that one of the houses had the warm glow of lamplight coming from it. I smiled to myself, unseen by my chatty guide in the cool blue twilight. My search was almost at an end – it appeared that I’d finally found my enigmatic aunt.

Example 2: A bad StoryExample 2: A bad Story

Write an essay based on Flight

Flying is a very exciting experience that many people around the world have nowadays. I have flown to Thailand, Australia, and Japan with my family. The most interesting flight I experienced was when my mother, my father, and I flew to Australia. It was also a very frightening flight.

We were on the way to Changi Airport when we realized that our passports were actually still at home. So we had to go back and get our passports. When we arrived at Changi Airport, the luggage check-in counter had a very long queue. There were many Singaporeans in the queue with us who were also going to Australia.

When it was time to board, we walked up to the plane and took our seats. The flight attendants were all very nice and greeted us when we boarded the plane. Taking off was a very exciting experience. The feeling of leaving the ground is really very unique, although some people don’t like it very much.

When we were in the air, we were watching the in-flight entertainment. It was very entertaining. Suddenly, howling, tempestuous winds rocked the plane and everyone started to panic. The pilot announced that it was just some minor turbulence, but I was very scared. My mother is afraid of flying, and she was even more scared than me.

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The plane rattled and shook and the passengers all buckled their seatbelts. Someone’s baby started crying, making my father very irritated as he does not like loud noises. The turbulence carried on for 20 minutes. I was beginning to get quite worried. Without warning, my stomach turned over many times as the entire plane dipped in the air. A few passengers shrieked, but mostly everyone was just silent.

After another ten minutes of the swaying, the plane returned to normal. The rest of our flight to Perth was peaceful, and we got down from the plane happy and excited. I will never forget that memorable plane flight as long as I live.

Good versus bad

Which story did you prefer? Most people would prefer to read the first example. Take note that it contained certain elements that make a story enjoyable to read:

Elements of A Good Narrative Essay

1. It created suspense. Good stories make the reader wonder what will happen next – whether the narrator of the story will achieve their goal.

2. It had vivid descriptions. Contrary to what you may have been told, good descriptions are about writing simply, but painting a clear picture of the story’s scene in the reader’s imagination. You don’t need to use extremely advanced vocabulary to do this.

3. It had a simple, clear plot. A lot of Singaporean students have problems with this – they either have pitifully thin plots in which nothing exciting happens, or they (unwisely) think that the more complicated their plot is, the more points they will score for content. Nobody enjoys being confused. Keep your plot simple and easy to understand, but interesting.

4. It had a unique plot. Most people would think of airplanes when given ‘flight’ as a topic to write about, but the author has come up with a completely fresh idea – how many people would think of flying to a different country to look for a long-lost relative when given this topic to write about? Think out of the box and allow yourself to be creative.

5. It did not have irrelevant/ uninteresting action. The unexciting bits, like going through customs, or packing luggage, or even checking in to the hotel, were cut out, just like in a movie. The reader doesn’t need to know what colour toothbrush the narrator of your story is using, unless it turns out that the story’s villain has an extreme phobia of yellow toothbrushes (i.e., unless it is relevant).

6. It had interesting characters. The cheerful guide who refuse to go away and is very talkative – this is an example of a colourful character. You don’t need to take up a whole paragraph describing a character to make him/her interesting. Use their actions, mannerisms, and physical traits to make them memorable.

7. It provided the reader with vital, relevant information without giving too many details. The main points of information that the reader would like to know would include who the narrator and other main characters

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are, what her goal is, why she is doing it, and where the action is taking place. This is the bare minimum that you should provide in your essay.

Of course, these are not the only things that go into a good essay. We will look at those in much more detail in later chapters, but these are the vital characteristics of well-written essays. No matter how wonderful your vocabulary is, or how flawless your grammar is, you simply cannot score for your content if you ignore the major guidelines above. Let’s look at the main things that were wrong with the second example:

Elements of A Poor Narrative Essay

1. There was virtually no plot. The narrator’s story was, more or less, about turbulence on the plane. There was no goal (otherwise known as motivation), which made the story uninteresting. The way the narrator wrote the story did not imply that the turbulence was life-threatening, so the goal of getting off the plane alive is not a valid one.This makes the story very uninteresting, and does not pull the reader in – because there is nothing for the reader to find out.

2. There was a lot of repetitive, irrelevant action in the extract. Small details such as boarding the plane and viewing the in-flight entertainment are not relevant, and frankly, quite boring. You have to be realistic when deciding what action to include in your essay. If it’s based on your own experiences, make sure that they are unique or exciting enough to be put in there in the first place. Would you like to watch a movie where we see every single boring detail of the hero’s life, like choosing which brand of tomato sauce to buy, or brushing their teeth? Similarly, your reader wants excitement and relevance in your essay’s action.

3. There was hardly any description in the extract. If you’ve never been on an airplane, heard about how being on airplane is like, or even seen what the inside of an airplane is like, you really shouldn’t be writing about it. Good stories need descriptions, and we can’t describe something if we have no idea what it looks like. Extreme air turbulence is a very frightening experience, and the narrator could have written two entire paragraphs of the descriptions of his reaction to it (as well as his family and the other passengers on the plane). However, there were only a few lines describing the action – not the kind of writing that keeps one on the edge of their seat.

4. The characters were flat and ordinary. What I mean by flat is that they had no unique traits. The only things we learnt about the narrator’s family was that a) his mother is afraid of flying, and b) his father doesn’t like loud noises. This level of character detail is alright – if you’re in Primary Three, maybe. However, O-level narrative essays require more complex and engaging characters.

5. There was a lot of unsuitably complex vocabulary in description. This is perhaps one of the most perplexing traits of student essays. It is quite common to find a very sophisticated phrase/expression appearing at very odd moments in the essay, when the rest of the essay has almost no description, and is using a much lower level of vocabulary.One of the reasons for this is that students memorize useful vocabulary ‘phrases’ out of study guides and throw them into their essays blindly

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without considering that they might not be suitable. It is very strange to read an essay that has almost no descriptive language, and then get bombarded with phrases like ‘, howling, tempestuous winds’. Vocabulary improvement is a good thing, but don’t memorize phrases to blindly throw into your essay. Regardless of what you’ve been told, it doesn’t improve the quality of your essay as much as regular descriptive language throughout your essay.

Practice

Write a few paragraphs about a lost child, taking into account the main guidelines for good writing:

1. Suspense2. Vivid descriptions 3. Simple, clear plot4. Unique plot5. Interesting characters6. Relevant information (who, what, why, where)

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(use your own paper if necessary)

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So far, you’ve learnt the general basic guidelines to writing a good narrative essay. In the next few chapters, we are going to examine the following elements of narrative essays in detail:

1. Plot 2. Characters3. Style and vocabulary

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1.1.2 Plot and Structure

What is plot?

A plot consists of the sequence of events (action) in a narrative essay. It is essentially the outline of how the events in a story unfold. Some examples of books with good plot structure are the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling as well as The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.

Why is plot important?

The plot is the most important part of your essay for the following reasons:

1. It forms the foundation of your essay. 2. A well-organized plot helps you to score marks for content and

structure.3. Your plot demonstrates your ability to organize information (the

action points in your essay) for a specific purpose (telling a compelling story).

4. Your plot provides the action that the characters in your essay will carry out.

5. Without a solid plot, your essay can go off point or become uninteresting and/or confusing.

Background: Important terms in plot planning

These are basic terms that you will come across in this chapter. It is useful for you to understand them, but don’t worry about memorizing them. Just take a few minutes to make sure that you understand the concepts; detailed examples will be provided later in the chapter.

1. Protagonist: The main character of a story. Also known as main character or hero. The protagonist’s main goal usually forms the basis of the plot.

2. Antagonist: A character or group of characters who represents the opposition against the protagonist. The antagonist’s goals often are the exact opposite of the protagonist’s goals.

3. Goal: Something that a character in the story wants to achieve. 4. Conflict: Conflict happens when one character’s goals are the

direct opposite of another character’s goals. 5. Action: The events in the story that occur, usually to move the

plot forward.

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What is plot structure?

A lot of film, books, and even television shows follow a certain formula for creating a good plot. It is made up of five main elements as shown in the graph below:

There are five main elements, and they all serve different purposes in telling a story:

1. Exposition

The exposition provides the background information needed to properly understand the story, such as the protagonist, the antagonist, the basic conflict, and the setting.

ExampleExample

In the movie ‘Transformers’, the movie opens with Optimus Prime narrating the history of the Cube, the Allspark, and how its origins were unknown. Wherever it traveled, it created life, even on Cybertron. This cube is the object that is both the heroes (the Autobots) and the villains (the Decepticons) are trying to obtain.

The exposition ends with the inciting moment, which is the incident that without there would be no story. The inciting moment sets the remainder of the story in motion beginning with the second act, the rising action.

2. Rising action

During rising action, the basic conflict is complicated by the introduction of related secondary conflicts, including various obstacles that frustrate the protagonist’s attempt to reach their goal. Secondary conflicts can include adversaries of lesser importance than the story’s antagonist, who may work with the antagonist or separately, by and for themselves or actions.

ExampleExample

In the film ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’, the destructive power of Jean Grey’s ‘Phoenix’ persona provides an additional layer of conflict to the existing conflict between the goals of the X-Men (the heroes) and Magneto (the villain).

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3. Climax

The climax, or turning point, marks a change, for the better or the worse, (but generally for the better) in the protagonist’s affairs. Usually, this is the point where the protagonist will start the final sequence of actions that will end up with him/her achieving their goal.

ExampleExample

In the book ‘Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone’, the climax comes when Harry and his friends discover the way to get past the three-headed dog that guards the Philosopher’s stone.

4. Falling action

During the falling action, the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist unravels, with the protagonist winning or losing against the antagonist. The falling action might contain a moment of final suspense, during which the final outcome of the conflict is in doubt or resolution.

ExampleExample

In the film ‘Transformers’, the falling action occurs when the Autobots battle the in the city streets.

5. Dénouement /catastrophe (Conclusion)

The story ends with a dénouement (a conclusion) in which the protagonist usually achieves the goals that they started off with. The story sometimes ends with a catastrophe in which the protagonist does not achieve their goals. However, this is not common, and you are advised not to pursue this type of ending in your narrative writing unless you are absolutely sure you know what you’re doing.

ExampleExample

In the film ‘Transformers’, the dénouement (conclusion) occurs when Bumblebee regains his ability to speak and asks that he might remain with Sam, and all of the Decepticon bodies are dumped into the sea, where the cold and pressure will prevent them from ever being retrieved.

Summary

To summarize what you have learnt so far:

A plot consists of five main elements. They include:

1. Exposition2. Rising action3. Climax 4. Falling action

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5. Dénouement /catastrophe (Conclusion)

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Practice

Now that you understand what makes up a basic plot structure, try to put this knowledge into practice – fill in the table below, using your favourite book or movie as an example. You may write in point form.

Film/ Book Title: ________________________________________

Exposition Rising Action Climax Falling Action Dénouement

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What makes a good plot?

We’ve covered some of the basic ideas about plot and structure of a narrative essay, so you should be feeling slightly less lost. Now, we’re going to move on to something that puzzles many students: what makes a good plot?

There are three major characteristics of a good plot, and they are:

Elements of A Good Plot

1. GoalOtherwise known as motivation. Without a goal, your character will be more or less wandering around the pages of your essay aimlessly, wondering what on earth they’re doing there. As mentioned before, the protagonist’s goals push the action in the story forward (hopefully, in an exciting manner).Obstacles to the goal are equally important, as they contribute to the next element:

2. ConflictConflict makes your story interesting. Think about all the great stories in film and books that you’ve seen and read. If the heroes and villains in these stories had just decided to ‘get along’, would these stories have been very interesting? Of course not! Conflict, after motivation, is the most important element of your plot – it keeps you reader interested, and it keeps the plot moving as well.

3. SuspenseSuspense is vital to a good plot. If your hero is actually a traitor, don’t tell the reader till the last possible moment! Keep the reader guessing – that is the golden rule. If you doubt the power of suspense in creating a tight plot, then think about a few horror films that you find memorable, like The Ring. They kept you on the edge of your seat, didn’t they? That’s suspense in action – and that’s what makes good essays great.

We are now going to look at these three elements of plot in detail, so that you can fully understand how to use them when writing narrative essays.

Plot elements

Goals

Dramatic goals are also known as motivation. These are what the main character (protagonist) is trying to achieve, and there can be several types of goals. Note that goals can also change as the protagonist themselves mature and gain more knowledge in the course of the story.

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Listed below are some common types of goals and detailed examples:

Types of Goals

1. Threat response (i) Personal (being kidnapped and trying to escape)(ii) Society (hunting down a serial killer)(iii) Universal (finding the cure for a contagious, deadly virus)

2. Quest(i) Obtaining an object (Finding a sacred relic of great value)(ii) Obtaining a person (rescuing hostage)

3. Success(i) Social status(ii) Academic success(iii) Personal relationships

Conflict

Conflict makes stories interesting and drives the action sequences in your plot. Here are some examples of different types of conflict:

Types of Conflicts

1. Inner conflict (character is called upon to do something that is the exact opposite of their values or goals)

2. Outer conflict(i) Conflict between the individual and another individual(ii) Conflict between the individual and a group (society)(iii) Conflict between two groups in society(iv) Conflict between countries/ governments

Do note that you don’t have to stick to only one type of conflict in your essay. You can have more than one; for example, there could be a conflict between your protagonist and the antagonist (individual vs. individual conflict) against the back drop of another, larger conflict, such as a family feud (group vs. group conflict).

This kind of layering of different types of conflict in your story adds a lot of depth to your content, which is, of course, good news for your overall score in your narrative essay. However, having four different kinds of conflict in a 450-word essay is going a bit too far – unless you are terribly confident that you can do this without making your plot too confusing, this may actually give the marker the impression that you have poor plot planning skills, which will negatively affect your content marks.

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Suspense

Suspense makes the reader feel uncertain and anxious (or sometimes, just very curious) about what is going to happen next in a story. It makes narrative essays interesting and is often overlooked by students. It is actually much easier to achieve suspense than you might think.

Basically, suspense is created by introducing a threat to the protagonist or to their goals, but not revealing when or how it will happen. When creating suspense, the ‘less is more’ rule should be your main guideline. Reveal just enough to your reader to make them nervous about when the threat is going to occur, and then give them a few ‘false alarms’ so that when the real threat happens, they will be experiencing maximum tension (which is the whole point of suspense).

Read the short story below to get an idea of how suspense works:

ExampleExample

The Monkey’s Paw

Without, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlour of Laburnam Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly. Father and son were at chess, the former, who possessed ideas about the game involving radical changes, putting his king into such sharp and unnecessary perils that it even provoked comment from the white-haired old lady knitting placidly by the fire.

"Hark at the wind," said Mr. White, who, having seen a fatal mistake after it was too late, was amiably desirous of preventing his son from seeing it.

"I'm listening," said the latter, grimly surveying the board as he stretched out his hand. "Check."

"I should hardly think that he'd come to-night," said his father, with his hand poised over the board.

"Mate," replied the son.

"That's the worst of living so far out," bawled Mr. White, with sudden and unlooked-for violence; "of all the beastly, slushy, out-of-the-way places to live in, this is the worst. Pathway's a bog, and the road's a torrent. I don't know what people are thinking about. I suppose because only two houses in the road are let, they think it doesn't matter."

"Never mind, dear," said his wife, soothingly; "perhaps you'll win the next one."

Mr. White looked up sharply, just in time to intercept a knowing glance between mother and son. The words died away on his lips, and he hid a guilty grin in his thin grey beard.

"There he is," said Herbert White, as the gate banged to loudly and heavy footsteps came toward the door.

The old man rose with hospitable haste, and opening the door, was heard condoling with the new arrival. The new arrival also condoled with himself, so that Mrs. White said, "Tut, tut!" and coughed gently as her husband

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entered the room, followed by a tall, burly man, beady of eye and rubicund of visage.

"Sergeant-Major Morris," he said, introducing him.

The sergeant-major shook hands, and taking the proffered seat by the fire, watched contentedly while his host got out whiskey and tumblers and stood a small copper kettle on the fire.

At the third glass his eyes got brighter, and he began to talk, the little family circle regarding with eager interest this visitor from distant parts, as he squared his broad shoulders in the chair and spoke of wild scenes and doughty deeds; of wars and plagues and strange peoples.

"Twenty-one years of it," said Mr. White, nodding at his wife and son. "When he went away he was a slip of a youth in the warehouse. Now look at him."

"He don't look to have taken much harm," said Mrs. White, politely.

"I'd like to go to India myself," said the old man, "just to look round a bit, you know."

"Better where you are," said the sergeant-major, shaking his head. He put down the empty glass, and sighing softly, shook it again.

"I should like to see those old temples and fakirs and jugglers," said the old man. "What was that you started telling me the other day about a monkey's paw or something, Morris?"

"Nothing," said the soldier, hastily. "Leastways nothing worth hearing."

"Monkey's paw?" said Mrs. White, curiously.

"Well, it's just a bit of what you might call magic, perhaps," said the sergeant-major, offhandedly.

His three listeners leaned forward eagerly. The visitor absent-mindedly put his empty glass to his lips and then set it down again. His host filled it for him.

"To look at," said the sergeant-major, fumbling in his pocket, "it's just an ordinary little paw, dried to a mummy."

He took something out of his pocket and proffered it. Mrs. White drew back with a grimace, but her son, taking it, examined it curiously.

"And what is there special about it?" inquired Mr. White as he took it from his son, and having examined it, placed it upon the table.

"It had a spell put on it by an old fakir," said the sergeant-major, "a very holy man. He wanted to show that fate ruled people's lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow. He put a spell on it so that three separate men could each have three wishes from it."

His manner was so impressive that his hearers were conscious that their light laughter jarred somewhat.

"Well, why don't you have three, sir?" said Herbert White, cleverly.

The soldier regarded him in the way that middle age is wont to regard presumptuous youth. "I have," he said, quietly, and his blotchy face whitened.

"And did you really have the three wishes granted?" asked Mrs. White.

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"I did," said the sergeant-major, and his glass tapped against his strong teeth.

"And has anybody else wished?" persisted the old lady.

"The first man had his three wishes. Yes," was the reply; "I don't know what the first two were, but the third was for death. That's how I got the paw."

His tones were so grave that a hush fell upon the group.

"If you've had your three wishes, it's no good to you now, then, Morris," said the old man at last. "What do you keep it for?"

The soldier shook his head. "Fancy, I suppose," he said, slowly. "I did have some idea of selling it, but I don't think I will. It has caused enough mischief already. Besides, people won't buy. They think it's a fairy tale; some of them, and those who do think anything of it want to try it first and pay me afterward."

"If you could have another three wishes," said the old man, eyeing him keenly, "would you have them?"

"I don't know," said the other. "I don't know."

He took the paw, and dangling it between his forefinger and thumb, suddenly threw it upon the fire. White, with a slight cry, stooped down and snatched it off.

"Better let it burn," said the soldier, solemnly.

"If you don't want it, Morris," said the other, "give it to me."

"I won't," said his friend, doggedly. "I threw it on the fire. If you keep it, don't blame me for what happens. Pitch it on the fire again like a sensible man."

The other shook his head and examined his new possession closely. "How do you do it?" he inquired.

"Hold it up in your right hand and wish aloud," said the sergeant-major, "but I warn you of the consequences."

"Sounds like the Arabian Nights," said Mrs. White, as she rose and began to set the supper. "Don't you think you might wish for four pairs of hands for me?"

Her husband drew the talisman from pocket, and then all three burst into laughter as the sergeant-major, with a look of alarm on his face, caught him by the arm.

"If you must wish," he said, gruffly, "wish for something sensible."

Mr. White dropped it back in his pocket, and placing chairs, motioned his friend to the table. In the business of supper the talisman was partly forgotten, and afterward the three sat listening in an enthralled fashion to a second installment of the soldier's adventures in India.

"If the tale about the monkey's paw is not more truthful than those he has been telling us," said Herbert, as the door closed behind their guest, just in time for him to catch the last train, "we shan’t make much out of it."

"Did you give him anything for it, father?" inquired Mrs. White, regarding her husband closely.

"A trifle," said he, colouring slightly. "He didn't want it, but I made him take it. And he pressed me again to throw it away."

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"Likely," said Herbert, with pretended horror. "Why, we're going to be rich, and famous and happy. Wish to be an emperor, father, to begin with; then you can't be henpecked."

He darted round the table, pursued by the maligned Mrs. White armed with an antimacassar.

Mr. White took the paw from his pocket and eyed it dubiously. "I don't know what to wish for, and that's a fact," he said, slowly. "It seems to me I've got all I want."

"If you only cleared the house, you'd be quite happy, wouldn't you?" said Herbert, with his hand on his shoulder. "Well, wish for two hundred pounds, then; that 'll just do it."

His father, smiling shamefacedly at his own credulity, held up the talisman, as his son, with a solemn face, somewhat marred by a wink at his mother, sat down at the piano and struck a few impressive chords.

"I wish for two hundred pounds," said the old man distinctly.

A fine crash from the piano greeted the words, interrupted by a shuddering cry from the old man. His wife and son ran toward him.

"It moved," he cried, with a glance of disgust at the object as it lay on the floor.

"As I wished, it twisted in my hand like a snake."

"Well, I don't see the money," said his son as he picked it up and placed it on the table, "and I bet I never shall."

"It must have been your fancy, father," said his wife, regarding him anxiously.

He shook his head. "Never mind, though; there's no harm done, but it gave me a shock all the same."

They sat down by the fire again while the two men finished their pipes. Outside, the wind was higher than ever, and the old man started nervously at the sound of a door banging upstairs. A silence unusual and depressing settled upon all three, which lasted until the old couple rose to retire for the night.

"I expect you'll find the cash tied up in a big bag in the middle of your bed," said Herbert, as he bade them good-night, "and something horrible squatting up on top of the wardrobe watching you as you pocket your ill-gotten gains."

He sat alone in the darkness, gazing at the dying fire, and seeing faces in it. The last face was so horrible and so simian that he gazed at it in amazement.' It got so vivid that, with a little uneasy laugh, he felt on the table for a glass containing a little water to throw over it. His hand grasped the monkey's paw, and with a little shiver he wiped his hand on his coat and went up to bed.

In the brightness of the wintry sun next morning as it streamed over the breakfast table he laughed at his fears. There was an air of prosaic wholesomeness about the room which it had lacked on the previous night, and the dirty, shriveled little paw was pitched on the sideboard with a carelessness which betokened no great belief in its virtues.

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"I suppose all old soldiers are the same," said Mrs. White. "The idea of our listening to such nonsense! How could wishes be granted in these days? And if they could, how could two hundred pounds hurt you, father?"

"Might drop on his head from the sky," said the frivolous Herbert.

"Morris said the things happened so naturally," said' his father, "that you might if you so wished attribute it to coincidence."

"Well, don't break into the money before I come back," said Herbert as he rose from the table. "I'm afraid it'll turn you into a mean, avaricious man, and we shall have to disown you."

His mother laughed, and following him to the door, watched him down the road; and returning to the breakfast table, was very happy at the expense of her husband's credulity. All of which did not prevent her from scurrying to the door at the postman's knock, nor prevent her from referring somewhat shortly to retired sergeant-majors of bibulous habits when she found that the post brought a tailor's bill.

"Herbert will have some more of his funny remarks, I expect, when he comes home," she said, as they sat at dinner.

"I dare say," said Mr. White, pouring himself out some beer; "but for all that, the thing moved in my hand; that I'll swear to."

"You thought it did," said the old lady soothingly.

"I say it did," replied the other. "There was no thought about it; I had just—- What's the matter?"

His wife made no reply. She was watching the mysterious movements of a man outside, who, peering in an undecided fashion at the house, appeared to be trying to make up his mind to enter. In mental connection with the two hundred pounds, she noticed that the stranger was well dressed, and wore a silk hat of glossy newness. Three times he paused at the gate, and then walked on again. The fourth time he stood with his hand upon it, and then with sudden resolution flung it open and walked up the path. Mrs. White at the same moment placed her hands behind her, and hurriedly unfastening the strings of her apron, put that useful article of apparel beneath the cushion of her chair.

She brought the stranger, who seemed ill at ease, into the room. He gazed at her furtively, and listened in a preoccupied fashion as the old lady apologized for the appearance of the room, and her husband's coat, a garment which he usually reserved for the garden. She then waited as patiently as her sex would permit, for him to broach his business, but he was at first strangely silent.

"I—was asked to call," he said at last, and stooped and picked a piece of cotton from his trousers. "I come from 'Maw and Meggins.'"

The old lady started. "Is anything the matter?" she asked, breathlessly. "Has anything happened to Herbert? What is it? What is it?"

Her husband interposed. "There, there, mother," he said, hastily. "Sit down, and don't jump to conclusions. You've not brought bad news, I'm sure, sir;" and he eyed the other wistfully.

"I'm sorry—" began the visitor.

"Is he hurt?" demanded the mother, wildly.

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The visitor bowed in assent. "Badly hurt," he said, quietly, "but he is not in any pain."

"Oh, thank God!" said the old woman, clasping her hands. "Thank God for that! Thank—"

She broke off suddenly as the sinister meaning of the assurance dawned upon her and she saw the awful confirmation of her fears in the other's perverted face. She caught her breath, and turning to her slower-witted husband, laid her trembling old hand upon his. There was a long silence.

"He was caught in the machinery," said the visitor at length in a low voice.

"Caught in the machinery," repeated Mr. White, in a dazed fashion, "yes."

He sat staring blankly out at the window, and taking his wife's hand between his own, pressed it as he had been wont to do in their old courting-days nearly forty years before.

"He was the only one left to us," he said, turning gently to the visitor. "It is hard."

The other coughed, and rising, walked slowly to the window. "The firm wished me to convey their sincere sympathy with you in your great loss," he said, without looking round. "I beg that you will understand I am only their servant and merely obeying orders."

There was no reply; the old woman's face was white, her eyes staring, and her breath inaudible; on the husband's face was a look such as his friend the sergeant might have carried into his first action.

"I was to say that Maw and Meggins disclaim all responsibility," continued the other. "They admit no liability at all, but in consideration of your son's services, they wish to present you with a certain sum as compensation."

Mr. White dropped his wife's hand, and rising to his feet, gazed with a look of horror at his visitor. His dry lips shaped the words, "How much?"

"Two hundred pounds," was the answer.

Unconscious of his wife's shriek, the old man smiled faintly, put out his hands like a sightless man, and dropped, a senseless heap, to the floor.

In the huge new cemetery, some two miles distant, the old people buried their dead, and came back to a house steeped in shadow and silence. It was all over so quickly that at first they could hardly realize it, and remained in a state of expectation as though of something else to happen —something else which was to lighten this load, too heavy for old hearts to bear.

But the days passed, and expectation gave place to resignation—the hopeless resignation of the old, sometimes miscalled, apathy. Sometimes they hardly exchanged a word, for now they had nothing to talk about, and their days were long to weariness.

It was about a week after that the old man, waking suddenly in the night, stretched out his hand and found himself alone. The room was in darkness, and the sound of subdued weeping came from the window. He raised himself in bed and listened.

"Come back," he said, tenderly. "You will be cold."

"It is colder for my son," said the old woman, and wept afresh.

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The sound of her sobs died away on his ears. The bed was warm, and his eyes heavy with sleep. He dozed fitfully, and then slept until a sudden wild cry from his wife awoke him with a start.

"The paw!" she cried wildly. "The monkey's paw!"

He started up in alarm. "Where? Where is it? What's the matter?" She came stumbling across the room toward him. "I want it," she said, quietly. "You've not destroyed it?"

"It's in the parlour, on the bracket," he replied, marvelling. "Why?"

She cried and laughed together, and bending over, kissed his cheek. "I only just thought of it," she said, hysterically. "Why didn't I think of it before? Why didn't you think of it?"

"Think of what?" he questioned.

"The other two wishes," she replied, rapidly.

"We've only had one."

"Was not that enough?" he demanded, fiercely.

"No," she cried, triumphantly; "we'll have one more. Go down and get it quickly, and wish our boy alive again."

The man sat up in bed and flung the bedclothes from his quaking limbs. "Good God, you are mad!" he cried, aghast.

"Get it," she panted; "get it quickly, and wish—Oh, my boy, my boy!"

Her husband struck a match and lit the candle. "Get back to bed," he said, unsteadily. "You don't know what you are saying."

"We had the first wish granted," said the old woman, feverishly; "why not the second?"

"A coincidence," stammered the old man.

"Go and get it and wish," cried his wife, quivering with excitement.

The old man turned and regarded her, and his voice shook. "He has been dead ten days, and besides he—I would not tell you else, but—I could only recognize him by his clothing. If he was too terrible for you to see then, how now?"

"Bring him back," cried the old woman, and dragged him toward the door. "Do you think I fear the child I have nursed?"

He went down in the darkness, and felt his way to the parlour, and then to the mantelpiece. The talisman was in its place, and a horrible fear that the unspoken wish might bring his mutilated son before him ere he could escape from the room seized upon him, and he caught his breath as he found that he had lost the direction of the door. His brow cold with sweat, he felt his way round the table, and groped along the wall until he found himself in the small passage with the unwholesome thing in his hand.

Even his wife's face seemed changed as he entered the room. It was white and expectant, and to his fears seemed to have an unnatural look upon it. He was afraid of her.

"Wish!" she cried, in a strong voice.

"It is foolish and wicked," he faltered.

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"Wish!" repeated his wife.

He raised his hand. "I wish my son alive again."

The talisman fell to the floor, and he regarded it fearfully. Then he sank trembling into a chair as the old woman, with burning eyes, walked to the window and raised the blind.

He sat until he was chilled with the cold, glancing occasionally at the figure of the old woman peering through the window. The candle-end, which had burned below the rim of the china candlestick, was throwing pulsating shadows on the ceiling and walls, until, with a flicker larger than the rest, it expired. The old man, with an unspeakable sense of relief at the failure of the talisman, crept back to his bed, and a minute or two afterward the old woman came silently and apathetically beside him.

Neither spoke, but lay silently listening to the ticking of the clock. A stair creaked, and a squeaky mouse scurried noisily through the wall. The darkness was oppressive, and after lying for some time screwing up his courage, he took the box of matches, and striking one, went downstairs for a candle.

At the foot of the stairs the match went out, and he paused to strike another; and at the same moment a knock, so quiet and stealthy as to be scarcely audible, sounded on the front door.

The matches fell from his hand and spilled in the passage. He stood motionless, his breath suspended until the knock was repeated. Then he turned and fled swiftly back to his room, and closed the door behind him. A third knock sounded through the house.

"What's that?" cried the old woman, starting up.

"A rat," said the old man in shaking tones—"a rat. It passed me on the stairs."

His wife sat up in bed listening. A loud knock resounded through the house.

"It's Herbert!" she screamed. "It's Herbert!"

She ran to the door, but her husband was before her, and catching her by the arm, held her tightly.

"What are you going to do?" he whispered hoarsely.

"It's my boy; it's Herbert!" she cried, struggling mechanically. "I forgot it was two miles away. What are you holding me for? Let go. I must open the door.

"For God's sake don't let it in," cried the old man, trembling.

"You're afraid of your own son," she cried, struggling. "Let me go. I'm coming, Herbert; I'm coming."

There was another knock, and another. The old woman with a sudden wrench broke free and ran from the room. Her husband followed to the landing, and called after her appealingly as she hurried downstairs. He heard the chain rattle back and the bottom bolt drawn slowly and stiffly from the socket. Then the old woman's voice, strained and panting.

"The bolt," she cried, loudly. "Come down. I can't reach it."

But her husband was on his hands and knees groping wildly on the floor in search of the paw. If he could only find it before the thing outside got in. A perfect fusillade of knocks reverberated through the house, and he heard the

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scraping of a chair as his wife put it down in the passage against the door. He heard the creaking of the bolt as it came slowly back, and at the same moment he found the monkey's paw, and frantically breathed his third and last wish.

The knocking ceased suddenly, although the echoes of it were still in the house. He heard the chair drawn back, and the door opened. A cold wind rushed up the staircase, and a long loud wail of disappointment and misery from his wife gave him courage to run down to her side, and then to the gate beyond. The street lamp flickering opposite shone on a quiet and deserted road.

-The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs (1902)

Well, that was chilling, wasn’t it? Did you notice how the author created suspense right from the beginning by introducing the threat (or in this case, frightening element)? Your essays don’t have to be as morbid as this, of course, but you should get a general idea of how suspense can be used to make you story more effective.

Let’s try a short exercise now. We’ll look at five different scenarios, and think of a goal (and obstacle), conflict, and suspense for each scenario. The first one has been done for you.

Scenario Goal Obstacle Conflict Suspense

Two friends are ship-wrecked on an island

- Survival- Getting rescued

- animals- no mobile phones

- between friends (on how to get rescued)

- there is a tiger watching them

A wealthy young woman is in danger of losing her inheritance if she doesn’t get married in a year’s time

Scenario Goal Obstacle Conflict Suspense

The family pet has mysteriously gone missing in the middle of the night

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The most popular girl in school is forced to transfer to a new school where she is now a ‘nobody’

A famous chicken rice seller finds out that his brother has opened a chicken rice stall after stealing his recipe

How do I create a good plot?

It may seem like an impossibly huge, task, but creating a good plot is not quite as difficult as you’d think. It simply consists of a few formulaic steps that you will be very familiar with after a little practice. They are:

1. Brainstorming2. Selecting the best idea3. Developing your idea – deciding what the goal is4. Developing your idea – deciding how the protagonist will obtain that goal5. Developing your idea – deciding what the obstacles to the goal are6. Deciding on the setting7. Creating your main characters8. Detailed plot plan with action points (sequence of events in the story)9. Refining your plot plan – does is make sense? Is there too much/ too little

action or information?

The first (and most important) step is brainstorming. Once you’ve selected the question you’re writing about, you have to start thinking about the different directions that your plot can go in, and only once you’ve selected a really good idea, then you can move on to the next step.

When brainstorming, you should be thinking of as many different possible scenarios for your story as possible. This is the stage in which you can let your creative juices flow. If an idea sounds silly or implausible, just write it down anyway. You can worry about selection in the next stage – when you’re in brainstorming mode, let all your ideas out onto the paper.

For all our worked examples in this section, we’ll be using the following question:

Write an essay about the following: Fear

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Exercise

Before you turn to the next page to look at the brainstorm graph, write down 10 things that come to mind when you think of the word ‘fear’.

1. ___________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________

4. ___________________________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________________________

6. ___________________________________________________________

7. ___________________________________________________________

8. ___________________________________________________________

9. ___________________________________________________________

10. ___________________________________________________________

All done? Fantastic! You’ve just completed your first, very simple brainstorming exercise by writing those ten things/ ideas down. Now, let’s take a look at what a brainstorming graph for this question might look like:

We have plenty of material to work with from this graph. Now, we can move on the next stage of plot planning – selection of the best idea. We can start by eliminating the more common ideas, because your plot should be as unique as possible. Marking hundreds of essays about creaky, haunted houses or the SARS outbreak gets very frustrating. We have the same brainstorm chart below, with the most common ideas crossed out.

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Fear

Supernatural

ClownsVampiresHaunted houseGhostly old man

Disease

SARSAIDSCancer30 days to live

Violence/war

Past wars – WW2Future wars – nuclearRacial riots

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We’re left with clowns (before you start giggling, note that some people do have a phobia of clowns), a 30-days-to-live scenario, and an Armageddon-like (end of the world) scenario. All three are intriguing and uncommon, and have great potential as narrative essays. The next step in the section process is narrowing down your shortlisted ideas. Some criteria are:

1. Knowledge of the subject2. Personal interest in the subject3. Any important reasons why you feel you shouldn’t be writing about the

subject

Let’s assume you know a lot about war technology and terminology (knowledge), and you also have a phobia of clowns (reason not to write about the subject). You also have a great interest in war politics (personal interest). The most obvious choice would, of course, be the topic of a future nuclear war. So far, you’ve completed the following steps:

1. Brainstorming2. Selecting the best idea 0

Now, you should be moving on to the next step, which is:

3. Deciding what the goal is

If you’re writing a (fictitious) narrative essay about a future war that involves nuclear fallout, you have a few possible main goals, depending on what part of the war scenario your essay is set in. a few options could be:

Civilian survival (during the war) Military success (during the war) Civilian survival (after the war)

Now, the question you have to ask yourself is: Which option has the most potential? Think about what could possibly happen in each of these scenarios – which has the most capacity for fear throughout the essay?

At first glance, you might think that the ‘military success’ idea has the most promise, but think about it carefully. Action-wise, there is only so much shelling and bombing that you can include (from a soldier’s viewpoint) without getting your reader bored. It is plausible that a soldier in the trenches would experience fear, but it is difficult to sustain this for your entire essay.

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Fear

Supernatural

ClownsVampiresHaunted houseGhostly old man

Disease

SARSAIDSCancer30 days to live

Violence/war

Past wars – WW2Future wars – nuclearRacial riots

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A better option would be ‘civilian survival’, either post-war or during the war. If it’s a nuclear war, then post-war ‘civilian survival’ as a goal would be a better option, because of all the delightfully frightening mutations that humans and animals alike would experience due to the radiation – this in itself is enough of a ‘threat’, and along with the added fear of starvation or murder from fellow desperate survivors – you’ve got a winner here.

So far, you’ve got your scenario and main goal. Now, you have to figure out the next most important plot elements:

4. Deciding how the protagonist will obtain that goal5. Deciding what the obstacles to the goal are

The most obvious main goal of your protagonist would be survival – but that’s just what everyone else in the story is trying to do. To make you protagonist’s goals compelling, make them personal. To do this, you can add in a plot element that is important to the protagonist – such as a family member.

How about this for a main goal – the protagonist’s goal is survival, but not just normal survival. The protagonist has to survive in order to rescue their only living relative (daughter, mother, grandfather, take your pick) from a deserted bomb shelter in an area filled with vicious, man-eating, mutated livestock. Now the stakes are much higher – and you’ve got the interest of the reader, who wants to find out whether the protagonist will manage the rescue in the end. The obstacles have pretty much taken care of themselves; hundreds of man-eating, angry bulls are obvious obstacles.

Now that you’ve got these steps sorted out, let’s take a look at the next steps:

6. Deciding on the setting7. Creating your main characters

These two are fairly easy tasks, so we won’t spend too much time on them – just take note that the setting has to conform to the plot elements that you’ve already decided. If your protagonist has to rescue someone who’s stuck in a bomb shelter that’s surrounded by angry (and hungry) mutant livestock, you obviously can’t set your essay in the heart of the city – it has to be somewhere rural. If your protagonist has a friend, make sure that the friend’s character adds something to the story – comedy is a common element that the typical sidekick/best friend character adds to stories.

The next part of the plot creation process seems like a lot of hard work, but it’s actually quite painless once you start.

8. Detailed plot plan with action points (sequence of events in the story)

A detailed plot plan will have all the main action points that form the content of your story. It is absolutely necessary to write your detailed plot plan before you start writing the essay, for these reasons:

1. You may go off point otherwise and find yourself with a completely bizarre storyline that simply doesn’t work – with 15 minutes left till the end of the exam. Needless to say, this is not an ideal situation.

2. Your detailed plot plan will help you to spot any flaws or plot holes (illogical parts) that you might have otherwise overlooked.

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3. Your detailed plot plan will save you time. When you have all the action mapped out, all you have to do after that is write. You do not want to be in a situation where you’re chewing your pen for 15 minutes in the exam hall while trying to think of how to your protagonist is going to escape the herd of hungry mutant bulls heading straight for him/her.

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This table shows what a detailed plot plan looks like:

Stage Action

Exposition (Intro)

Protagonist wakes up in small cabin (along with best friend)Gets fuzzy radio reception from teenage sister (far away)Finds out that she is trapped in shelter in mutant-infested area

Rising Action Protagonist packs supplies, including weapons, food, and anti-radiation medicationFigures out location of sister from her description (near small lake) and old map in cabinSmall argument with best friend who wants to go, protagonist thinks it is too dangerous for both to goBest friend ends up coming along

Rising Action They trek along countryside, using old map to navigateEscape attack by some mutant livestock, but now low on ammunitionEncounter wandering survivor along the way with Jeep, who appears normal but eventually tries to kill them to get their anti-radiation medication

Rising Action They acquire the Jeep just in time to outrun a herd of mutant livestock, but drop the anti-radiation medication in the chaos of escapeFriend gets bitten by mutant livestock (complication/ later obstacle)

Climax They find the bomb shelter, but cannot find a way inHerd of mutant livestock approachesAt the last minute, someone inside (sister) hears the shotgun blasts and lets them in

Falling action Three others in the cabin, adults, behave weirdly – not relieved at their arrivalSister also seems to be acting weirdlyAs protagonist hugs sister in greeting, she bites him, taking a huge chuck of flesh out of his neck

Falling action Best friend starts to convulse on floor while protagonist collapses

Dénouement Sister, best friend and protagonist, along with three others in cabin, are now all infected with the mutant radiation virusThey set off for the city, looking for prey to hunt

Now that you have your detailed plot plan, the final few steps are correcting the flaws or plot holes in it. Things to look out for when refining your plot plan are:

1. Logical problems (a.k.a. plot holes). If there are things in the story that do not make sense, you have to figure out a way to tweak the details so that they do make sense.

2. Is there any missing action or information? Closely related to plot holes, missing action or information can damage an otherwise unique plot. After

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going through all the trouble of finding a unique plot, you don’t want to sabotage yourself by missing out important information.

3. Is there any extra action or information? There can be too much of a good thing – repetitive action or irrelevant info can also lose you marks for organization.

Congratulations! You’ve made it through this chapter. Once you’ve mastered plot and structure, the other elements of narrative writing will seem quite easy in comparison. To sum up, we’ve learnt the following about plot in narrative essays:

1. Elements of a plota. Expositionb. Rising actionc. Climax d. Falling actione. Dénouement /catastrophe (Conclusion)

2. What makes a good plota. Goal (Motivation)b. Conflictc. Suspense

3. How to brainstorm and select a plot scenario

4. The creation process of a plot plana. Brainstormingb. Selecting the best ideac. Developing your idea – deciding what the goal isd. Developing your idea – deciding how the protagonist will obtain

that goale. Developing your idea – deciding what the obstacles to the goal aref. Deciding on the settingg. Creating your main charactersh. Detailed plot plan with action points (sequence of events in the

story)i. Refining your plot plan – does is make sense? Is there too much/

too little action or information?

Solution

Plot plan of the film, Transformers

Stage Action

Exposition(Intro)

The movie opens with Optimus Prime narrating the history of the Cube, the Allspark, and how its origins were unknown, and where ever it traveled it created life, even on Cybertron.Their society flourished, until they were betrayed by Megatron, and war erupted over the Allspark, which was eventually lost in space and ended up on Earth.

Rising Action Fast forward thousands of years to present day Earth, Qatar,

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where American soldiers are stationed. They fly in to their base and go about the usual routine. Captain Lennox contacts his wife and gets to see his baby girl again, when a helicopter previously thought to have been shot down over Afghanistan comes up on the radar.

Rising Action It lands at the base and the military orders it to stand down, but instead it transforms into Blackout and proceeds to destroy the base. Blackout also lets out some kind of jamming field that blocks all communications channels

Rising Action The Decepticon blasts his way through the base, only momentarily dazzled by flares shot at his face. Blackout tracks down the base's mainframe and proceeds to download info, until the humans cut the computer's hardline, terminating the network's connection.

Rising Action Blackout the destroys the base and everyone on it, save for a few who escape. Blackout then releases Scorponok into the sand to hunt down the survivors.

Rising Action Back in America, we see Sam Witwicky supposedly doing a school report, but is instead hawking his grandfather's memorabilia for eBay sales. His grandfather, Archibald Witwicky was a famous 19th century explorer who tried to reach the Arctic circle, but later went crazy after he claimed to have found a giant man frozen in the Arctic ice.

Rising Action Sam's teacher is none too pleased at Sam's antics, but Sam manages to talk him into giving him an A, so that he can take his money and his A to his dad, Ron Witwicky, so he can buy a car.

Rising Action Initially Sam's dad teases him by driving into a Porsche dealership, but when the joke's over he takes Sam to Bolivia's Used Car Sales, where Bobby Bolivia tries to sell Sam a car.

Rising Action As they drive up, though, and unmanned yellow Camaro drives up and parks itself in the lot.

Rising Action Sam's not too pleased with his choices, until he sees the Camaro. It seems to be the best thing there.

Rising Action A strange sonic pulse emanates from the Camaro, blowing out every windshield in the lot (save its own), and the car dealer quickly sells them the Camaro for $4000.

Rising Action In the Pentagon, Defense Secretary John Keller head up a team of computer analysts and scientists to try to determine who attacked them in Qatar. They've received no word from survivors and all they have is the sound of the signal used to tap in and download sensitive information from the US Government's computer networks.

Rising Action Sam takes his car out for a spin and they run across Mikaela Banes and the jock boys she hangs out with. First the jocks try to intimidate Sam, but Sam's witty comebacks regarding jock intelligence overcomes their male posturing.

Rising Action As Sam is ready to leave, Mikaela leaves the jocks angrily to

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walk home, so Sam kicks his friend out of the car and offers her a ride. She accepts, after Sam finishes his fumbling invitation. Everything seems fine until the car mysteriously stops working near a local make-out spot. The Camaro also mysteriously cuts on the radio to play "Let's Get It On", much to Sam's shock.

Rising Action Mikaela, who is surprisingly mechanically inclined, takes a look under the hood and is impressed by the engine, but can't seem to see any problem past the distributor cap being loose. She decides to go ahead and finish the walk home.

Rising Action Sam begs for the car to start as she leaves and the car suddenly starts, and begins blasting the song "Baby Come Back". Sam spins the car around and gives Mikaela a ride home.

Rising Action In Qatar, a local boy leads the surviving soldiers to his village, where they will be able to use a phone. They have no idea that they are being followed beneath the sand. Out of nowhere Scorponok attacks and begins killing the soldiers.

Rising Action Lennox manages to get a cellular phone, but needs a credit card to activate it, which he gets from Epps, as Epps tries to keep the Decepticon at bay. Lennox gets through to the military and gets an air strike ordered onto the village. They mark Scorponok with lasers and the A-10 Warthogs bomb the Decepticon. Scorponok flees beneath the sand after losing his tail.

Rising Action The Pentagon tries to alert the president, who is aboard Air Force One, but the aircraft has already been infiltrated. Frenzy hides beneath a passenger's seat, disguised as a boom box. He transforms and makes his way down to the plane's interior, where he finds the computer network.

Rising Action He accesses the mainframe and begins a massive download, focusing on facts about Archibald Witwicky, a secret government branch called "Sector 7" and their top secret "Project Iceman".

Rising Action Maggie detects the intrusion and alerts the Pentagon, and convinces them to take the whole network offline to stop the download. The Pentagon is frantic to discover who is behind all of this, as the suspect that it could be Russia, North Korea or China.

Rising Action Maggie is warned to keep her imaginative ideas as to who is behind it to herself, so she make a copy of the strange signal and leaves for a friend's house. Air Force One lands and Frenzy escapes after killing several secret service agents, and hops into a waiting police car (which has a Decepticon sigil on its fender). Frenzy remarks to the car "The stupid insects tried to shoot me".

Rising Action Later, Sam awakes to the sound of his car starting up. Fearing that it is being stolen he pursues the car to a local junkyard, and after dodging the guard dogs, see his Camaro transform into a giant robot. The robot, Bumblebee, sends a signal (in the shape of an Autobot sigil, into space. The cops arrive and arrest Sam, not believing him at all, thinking that he's probably on

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drugs.

Rising Action Maggie takes the top secret file to her friend, Glen, who is "the only hacker in the world" that could break the code. He cracks the signal just before federal agents bust in and arrest them both.

Rising Action After Sam is bailed out of jail, he sees that his car has returned. Terrified he flees on his mom's bicycle and is pursued by Bumblebee. He rides fast until he wrecks in front of Mikaela. He quickly takes off again, and Mikaela follows after him. Sam tries to hide from Bumblebee, and is relieved when a police car rolls up. The policeman doesn't seem too responsive to Sam's pleas, and even threatens him with his car, which suddenly spouts several bladed weapons from the headlights and grill.

Rising Action Then the car transforms into Barricade. Barricade asks Sam if he is "Ladiesman217" (Sam's eBay ID) and Sam tries to escape. Sam runs into Mikaela and tells her that she needs to run, because a monster is after him, then she sees Barricade, too. Bumblebee drives up and the two reluctantly hop in and the car chase begins.

Rising Action Bumblebee leads Barricade on a wild chase and gets the teens away from the Decepticon so that he can face off with Barricade. Barricade battles Bumblebee, but not before releasing Frenzy, who pursues the humans. Bumblebee and Barricade fight while Mikaela and Sam try to fend off the resourceful Frenzy.

Rising Action Eventually Mikaela uses a saws-all to cut off Frenzy's head, which flees in Waspinator fashion, just as Bumblebee leaves Barricade in a broken heap. Bumblebee beckons for the humans to come with him, and reveals through radio transmissions and songs that he's an alien and that he has sent a signal to his comrades for help. Unknown to them all, Frenzy's head has scanned Mikaela's cell phone, and has transformed into it, hiding in her purse.

Rising Action The FBI interrogate Maggie and Glen, and they reveal that the signal pointed Project Iceman and the Witwicky's. Soon afterward Defense Secretary Keller calls them in for continued help. Elsewhere Epps and Lennox study Scorponok's tail and discover that high temperature rounds can hurt the robots.

Rising Action Afterward several "meteors" fall from the sky. Autobots come out of the stasis pods and scan for vehicular forms. Most notably Ironhide lands in a swimming pool, and the little girl who sees him asks if he's the tooth fairy. Bumblebee leads the two humans to their meeting place, where they are introduced to Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Jazz and Ironhide. Optimus Prime tells them about the Allspark and how Megatron searched the Galaxy for it and was lost.

Rising Action He explained how Sam's grandfather discovered Megatron frozen in the ice and accidentally activated Megatron's navigational system, which imprinted Cybertronian script onto his eyeglasses. That script revealed the secret location of the Allspark and its recovery was of the gravest importance,

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because the Decepticons could use it to give life to Earth's machines, creating a new army of Decepticons, and causing humanity to go extinct.

Rising Action Sam leads them back to his home where the Autobots accidentally trample his yard and demolish the lawn decorations. Sam finally finds the glasses with his mother's help Sam gets the glasses to Optimus Prime, just before Sector 7 swoops in and arrests Sam and Mikaela.

Rising Action The Sector 7 operatives try to coerce info about the aliens from Sam and Mikaela, until Optimus Prime opens the agents' car like a tuna can and forces them to release the teenagers. The Autobots surround them and allow the kids to handcuff the agents all together, after Bumblebee pops off what looks like his oil filter and essentially urinates lubricant on Agent Simmons.

Rising Action The agents secretly alert the military who try to track down Optimus Prime and the kids, while the other Autobots split up.

Climax Bumblebee is discovered trying to save the teenagers after they fall off of the hidden Optimus, and is captured by the government, along with Sam and Mikaela. Sam, Mikaela, Maggie, Glen and the captive Bumblebee are all taken by Sector 7 and Keller to Sector 7's secret base, deep within Hoover Dam, where they are shown "Project Iceman", the frozen form of Megatron. Sam tries to warn them about Megatron, and catches their attention when he mentions the cube-shaped Allspark.

Climax It turns out that all modern tech was reverse engineered from Megatron's body, and that the Allpsark could give that technology life, though it usually proved to be violent and destructive to organics when life was given to it. They demonstrate by infusing Glenn's cell phone with the Allspark's energy, and the phone transforms into a tiny robot who viciously tries to attack the humans. Frenzy sneaks out of Mikaela's purse and touches the Allspark, regenerating his body, and he sends out a signal, telling the other Decepticons that the Allspark has been found. Around the world different Decepticons respond: Starscream, Barricade, Bonecrusher, Blackout and Devastator all converge on Hoover Dam. Elsewhere the Autobots decipher the Allpark's location and also head to the Dam. Optimus states that if they cannot win that he will sacrifice himself by absorbing the Allspark into his own spark, destroying the artifact and himself as well.

Climax Frenzy sabotages the cryogenic controls that keep Megatron frozen, and the Decepticon leader begins to wake up. Sam convinces Keller, with some help from Lennox, that Bumblebee is no threat and will in fact help them against Megatron. Bumblebee is reactivated and he transforms the Allspark into a more portable form. They then proceed to escape from the Dam and make their stand in a nearby town.

Climax Megatron breaks free and is greeted by Starscream, who reports that the Autobots have fled with the Allspark.

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Climax The Autobots encounter Bonecrusher on the highway, flanked by Barricade, and Optimus takes Bonecrusher on. The two are carried over a high overpass and battle ensues below. Bonecrusher seems to be a powerful warrior, but Optimus proves to be his better and kills the Decepticon with a long sword blade from his arm.

Climax The Military and the Autobots try to set up defenses in the town, but that is soon disrupted by Megatron's arrival. Devastator and Blackout lay waste to different parts of the town, as they battle Ironhide and Ratchet. Bumblebee is wounded, having both his legs destroyed, as well.

Climax Lennox calls in air support, but most of the jets are shot down by Starscream. Lennox then orders Sam to take the Allspark and take it to the highest building and use a signal flare to attract and escape upon evacuation helicopters. The Autobots try to run defense to protect Sam. Jazz takes on Megatron and is quickly killed by easily being ripped in two. Along the way Sam accidentally releases a burst to the Allspark's energy, which gives life to many nearby machines, (including a car and a Mountain Dew machine) who then attack any humans within reach.

Climax Finally Optimus Prime shows up declaring to Megatron that "one shall stand, one shall fall", and the two behemoths battle. Megatron overcomes Optimus and continues pursuing Sam. Atop the building Sam almost makes it to the helicopter, but it is destroyed before he can give them the cube. Megatron offers Sam the opportunity to survive as his pet if he would hand over the Allspark. Sam refuses and Megatron attacks, causing Sam to fall off of the building. Optimus catches Sam, saving the boy and the Allspark.

Climax On the ground he and Megatron square off again. Elsewhere Mikaela chains the legless Bumblebee to a tow truck and pulls him through the battle field, allowing the Autobot for shoot while she drives. They, with the help of Ratchet, Ironhide, Lennox and Epps take out Devastator and Blackout.

Climax The battle reaches its climax, and Optimus asks Sam to release the Allspark into his chest, but Sam turns and releases it into Megatron's chest, killing the Decepticon leader.

Falling action Optimus stands over Megatron, and looks into his fading optics and laments for his "brother".

Falling action In the aftermath Bumblebee regains his ability to speak and asks that he might remain with Sam. Sector 7 is dismantled, and all of the Decepticon bodies are dumped into the sea, where the cold and pressure should keep them from ever being retrieved.

Dénouement Optimus Prime laments that the Allspark was destroyed, dashing any hopes of revitalizing Cybertron, so he instead broadcasts an invitation to any Autobots left to come make Earth their new home.

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Comments All fonts are changed to Calibri PAGE SET-UP

Top: 0.25” Bottom: 0.5”Inside: 1” Outside: 1.38”Gutter: 0’’

Paper size: New Book page (265190mm)

Different odd and even pagesHeader: 0.45”Footer: 0.21”

Adjusted the page setup to the above specs. Added title bar. Added the syllabus. Adjusted the paragraphing spacings from space 6 to space 10 for in between

paragraphs. The paragraph formats are adjusted. Diagrams ought to be drawn. The contents are not checked. Please refer to Augustine for confirmation of

text quality. Just a general statement, I thought the introduction should be a little longer.

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