Assignment 3

• Assignment 3 only assesses writing skill — 500–800 words, marked out of 25 (10 for content/structure, 15 for style/accuracy).
• Successful stories are built on one plot idea, a maximum of two main characters, and a setting you know well.
• Plan using the five-part narrative structure (Freytag's Pyramid): Exposition → Rising Action → Climax → Falling Action → Resolution.
• "Show, don't tell" is the golden rule — reveal character and mood through detail, not by stating it outright.
• Setting should mirror your character's mood (pathetic fallacy) and change as the story develops.
• Characterisation works best when it's indirect (shown through movement, dialogue, thought) rather than direct (told through narration).
• A toolkit of linguistic devices — metaphor, imagery, repetition, juxtaposition and more — should be used deliberately, for effect, not decoration.
• Avoid clichés (abandoned cabins, "it was all a dream" endings) and don't over-rely on dialogue.

Think of Assignment 3 as a fiction-writing test, not a "recount your day" exercise. Examiners are checking whether you can build an imagined world convincingly — that means a real plot, real characters, and real atmosphere, all inside a tight 500–800 word limit.

The marks split into two separate skills, and it's worth understanding what each one is actually rewarding:

writing without a plan one main event

Here's what each stage needs to do for your story — not just what it's called: