Y08W15WR The Performance That Changed Something

Part 1

How to Write

Narrative – Short story

A short story draws a reader into a character’s world and carries them through an experience that changes something. It is written for an audience who wants to be engaged and moved — not just informed. The tone is vivid and personal, making the reader feel present in the moment and curious about what comes next.

  • Ideas & content: Give your character a clear situation and a problem or tension that matters. Include specific details rather than general descriptions, and make sure something genuinely changes by the end.
  • Structure & cohesion: Move from orientation to complication to resolution. Use paragraph breaks to shift scenes or time, and connect moments with time words and action to keep the story moving forward.
  • Voice & audience: Find a consistent narrative voice that brings the reader close to the character’s experience. Show feelings through actions and reactions — not just by stating them.
  • Language choices: Choose strong verbs and sensory detail. Use dialogue to reveal character. Vary sentence length — shorter sentences create tension, longer ones build atmosphere.
  • Conventions: New speaker, new line — every time. Use speech marks correctly. Keep your tense consistent throughout.

Common pitfalls: Starting too slowly with too much backstory — get into the situation quickly and let detail emerge naturally. Telling the reader how a character feels instead of showing it through what the character does.

Part 2

Your Task Plan for Today

The brief

Question: Write a story about a character who must perform or present in front of others — on a stage, in a competition, in a class. What happens during the performance, and how does it change something?

Stimulus: A character has to perform or present in front of an audience. They have prepared. Now the moment arrives. Something unexpected happens — during the performance, a realisation dawns, or something occurs to them that changes how they see themselves or the situation.

Task Analysis: This narrative task asks you to show a character performing under pressure and how that performance changes something. The performance could be in sports, music, class, or something else. A strong response shows the character’s internal experience — fear, focus, realisation — through specific moments and sensory detail.

Quick Plan

Before you write, plan:

  • Your character — who are they, what are they performing?
  • What they fear — what could go wrong?
  • The performance moment — what happens?
  • The turning point — what shifts during or because of the performance?
  • The consequence — how are they changed?

Characters & want

Make your character’s stakes clear. What do they want from this performance? What are they afraid will happen?

Setting and pressure

Ground the reader in the performance moment. What does it feel like, look like, sound like? Let the reader sense the pressure.

Turning point

Identify the moment where something shifts. It could be during the performance or triggered by it. Give this moment clarity.

Show, don’t tell details

Use sensory detail and specific moments to show the reader the character’s experience. How does their body feel? What are they thinking?

Resolution & change

Show how the character is changed by the performance. What do they now understand about themselves?