Writing a Crime Writing Essay (1 Viewer)

[DominiqueSydney]

Hi everyone,

Our EEx1 class is studying Module A: Genre - Crime Writing, but our teacher is not really helpful when it comes down to actually passing exams...

So, I'm fine with the creative writing aspect of the exam, but the essay, not so much. I'm usually fine with the essay part of things, but with Extension 1 it seems a little different.

I've heard that there is a structure or a few guidelines to follow when writing an essay for Crime Writing (or EEx1 in general).

Do we need a 'thesis'? What does this mean? And do we tailor this to the question or incorporate the thesis and the question?

And is there anything else that I should remember for essays in this subject?

A million thanks in advance for anyone who can help me out, I'm just sick of having to put up with teachers who shouldn't really be teaching at all.

Oh, by the way, my texts are:
Prescribed - Skull Beneath the Skin; Rear Window
Own choosing - Gosford Park; Hound of the Baskervilles (and something else that I'm yet to choose - any ideas for an extra text would be great, just to vary my options in the case of a strange question).

Thanks so much again, hope some of the extenders out there can help!

 

[LordPc]

perhaps try a tv series. there is alot to choose from for CF

one thing to remember as well is to include quotes, but more specifically, quotes relating to genre. you are really studying genre, not CF, so you need to have some quotes about what genre is and stuff along those lines. I remember reading a past hsc script in my EE1 class. my teacher fell in love with this one essay that had dozens of quotes, many relating to the problem of defining genres. so yea, quotes, quotes, quotes.

 

[Skitzy]

Hey Dom! lol. i just registered to the site. Its bekki. i am so clueless. im trying 2 rite it nw and i am so lost! If anyone has any Skull beneath the Skin chapter summaries or know where to find them it would be a hge help! aloso for Presumed Innocent...

 

[DominiqueSydney]

perhaps try a tv series. there is alot to choose from for CF

one thing to remember as well is to include quotes, but more specifically, quotes relating to genre. you are really studying genre, not CF, so you need to have some quotes about what genre is and stuff along those lines. I remember reading a past hsc script in my EE1 class. my teacher fell in love with this one essay that had dozens of quotes, many relating to the problem of defining genres. so yea, quotes, quotes, quotes.

Thanks LordPc!

 

[Cassiemon]

It's got to be hard, english extension is not made to be an easy subject. Yes, you will need a thesis- this is hard to write before the HSC exam as they will give you a question in there.
Basically, you will need to know your texts through and through, you will also need to know the blueprint of the genre. In the case of the Skull Beneath the Skin, it would be the conventions of the intuitionist school of crime fiction while in the case of rear window- the coneventions of the realist school of crime fiction.
You will need to know HOW and WHY the texts you are studying are variations or subversions of the conventions.
You will need to account for the continuing popularity of the genre, WHY is crime fiction still popular.. what is so fascinating about it?

The syllabus says you will need to know
-how changing contexts and values have brought about changes in the traditional crime stories and resulted in new conventions, new understandings of what constitutes a crime and who plays the role of detective and even what ‘justice’ means.

Hope it helps

 

[0hNivlek]

Wow thanks for the info. We never had experience writing the essay so this is really helpful !

 

[joelfh1]

I'm just wondering roughly how many quotes are needed for each text in EEx1 crime writing. Right now i'm thinking roughly three or four on each text and one or two on the genre in general.

the number one concern of mine is somehow piecing together my text in the exam, because the questions tend to go in unexpected directions....

 

[Chevalier]

I'm just wondering roughly how many quotes are needed for each text in EEx1 crime writing. Right now i'm thinking roughly three or four on each text and one or two on the genre in general.

the number one concern of mine is somehow piecing together my text in the exam, because the questions tend to go in unexpected directions....

There is no definite no. of quotes you should have for each text, just use as many as you feel comfortable with using. As for the quotes on genre, you should be looking at having some theorist quotes, ideally 2-3, mabye 1 for genre and 2 for crime fiction specifically.