True, this individual got 19/20 and 14/15 so he/she must be a very competent writer!! Best solution is to study and ace the HSC!
being good at english isn't hard.
Protips:
Unseen text:
Read through them in reading time.
When you start, spend 5 minutes quickly going over each one, and annotate important lines/techniques. A couple of good ones per text will be fine. This 5 minutes will save you 10 minutes down the road.
Now you can easily answer questions, because all the thinking is done for you! Just select techniques, quotes and talk about it for a bit. Only write as much as you need. A line or 2 for 1 markers, 4-7 lines for 2 markers, half a page - 3/4 page for 3 markers and so on. You should easily do 1 and a bit pages for the 5 maker, probably more in the rage of 1.5. Ideally, you should have to only spend 35 min on this section, including the annotating time. It's really not that hard.
Story: Go in with an idea, but don't have it planned out word for word. Adapt it to suit the question. Interesting ideas win big. Markers read the same shit a lot, so go for something interesting, existential, whatever. It would help if you weren't a retard and have actually read some good stories/philosophy whatever, but if not, try to think of something whacky. Get inspired. My first belonging story at the start of year 12 was E.A.Poe based horror about a scientist as he recounts his experiment in a world to create twins (in which, obviously, twins are not normally formed), and the concept is so unique (irony lol) that everyone has it performed, creating a clone world. Nothing special, yeah, but it's the style of the writing that won it. If you can write in a genre, you are good to go. Use dialogue. A lot. Use it well. Develop your characters. Don't say he was gruff, show it (mother fucker). Break from perspective as well, other points is a nice touch. Maybe have flashbacks. Make your story stick out.
Also, don't make your point about belonging obvious to the question. If the question is belonging to a place, don't actually make it a place, that's stupid. Explore the limits etc. If you send me your short stories, I will tell you how shit/good they are. Not that I have any authority, but my highest marks come from story writing.
Essay:
Don't over-complicate thesis. General thesis is good, but not too general. Have a direction which explores several issues of belonging, but making an intricate thesis will only be your undoing. Keep it simple really. You're marked on how you back up your points, not your argument, so keep that in mind. Use interesting techniques, and talk about your medium of production or textual form! What does the form say about belonging? Why was it chosen? This is stuff no one does, and it will give you some space to grow. Look at sentence structure, English is a really interesting language,
for example:
I died for beauty, but was scarce:
What are some techniques?
Alliteration, whatever, double meaning of scarce? yeah...idk.
Instead, think...well, b is a very sharp sound, it creates emphasis on beauty, the concept worth dying for, but with the comma in the second section, creates a sharp turn off, or sense of isolation.
Idc if thats not what Em Dick had in mind, but the effect of sounds, sentence structure, shape, form whatever is interesting. Use it. Don't skimp on your techniques. Everyone is using the same "unique" quotes as you, so make yours stand out.
Also, use lots of quotes. Fuck. How do people not get this? Quotes = take up space, substitute your ideas for pre-written stuff, and back up argument. Have a quote every 2nd sentence. Maybe even every sentence in a short paragraph. This will show your profound textual knowledge, by being able to use multiple quotes to show a common theme, but express different aspects of this theme.
.. regardless of hsc or school... If you're getting 19/20 and 14/15 that is supreme!! just keep studying and don't worry!!! youll do fine!!!!!!
