Write craft – 1
Something interesting, amusing or inspiring happens around us all the time. It could be a minor incident in our lives, but it could teach us a lesson or provide a good laugh when narrated. It could even be something that was frightening at the time and made us realise what situations we should avoid getting into.
When we tell someone about this incident we are relating an anecdote to them.
An anecdote: may be inspiring; heart-warming; funny; scary; or a brief story of something strange that happened.
It is usually a true story, but when you write it, you could add some spice to it to make it more interesting for the reader. (For example, instead of just saying it was late in the evening, describe how the street lights were flickering or they had not yet come on and it was so dark that you jumped and your heart started thumping when someone suddenly stepped out from behind a tree. Remember, when you are adding this ‘spice’, you should keep your anecdote believable. The reader should feel that whatever you are telling them could happen.
Here are some tips to make your anecdote more engrossing.
The writer is the author of Fun with Creative Writing, a series of workbooks from level 1 to 8, and has co-authored Anyone Can Write, a teachers’ resource book, both published by Foundation Books (Cambridge University Press)