Some helpful tips for PPDT and TAT for the students

I wish to share some views on Story writing during PPDT & TAT: (You get 30 sec to view the picture and 04 min to write a story on it)

Let us begin with talking about how to observe the picture when it is shown to you:

First look at the background, see the setting of the story, e.g. rural/urban, market place/ building, etc, then closely observe the foreground and see how many characters are there, what are they holding/doing and what kind of work is going on. Then ask yourself who I am amongst them, and what am I doing there. Relate closely to the main character chosen by you and give him or her, a name.

You may not be able to write more than about 08 lines in the stipulated four minutes, out of which, write about 02 lines for what could have led to this scene, write about 04 lines on what is presently going on in the scene that you have perceived and write about 02 lines to say what was a logical outcome of the scene.

Write the story in past tense and make sure you write a positive, constructive and mature store. The assessor will observe your mental level, general awareness and how you relate to the environment around you. The views conveyed by you in the story would reflect your social attitude and responsibilities that you feel you have towards the others in the society.

 Make sure that the main character chosen by you is empowered eg, improving the standards of a railway station may be done by one of the following; stn master, social activist, NSS students, leader of station vendors’ association, workers/ coolie's union leader, etc.

Secondly, do not unnecessarily for see a problem when it is not shown in the picture, eg. scene of marketplace, do not see an accident, bomb blast, chain snatching, etc if it is not shown, as it will show a pessimistic bent of mind.

Thirdly, unless you know the job of the main character you cannot justify the action done by him, eg, if you have no clue of the work of a nuclear scientist, do not make your main character as a nuclear scientist.

Do not write a wishful story, eg, rags to riches, etc. Your story should depict a positive frame of mind, the main character should be an achiever, who feels and does things for others in the society and do not preferably write an individualistic story.

Never forget to write an outcome of the story, in which do not depict the main character being overly reward seeking person. A simple pat on the back or satisfaction of doing the job that he did is good enough.