When “Being Thoughtful” Isn’t So Simple…
This topic, as featured in SJI International's Prelim Paper, is not as clear-cut as many may think. We examine the layers hidden beneath this seemingly straightforward topic and the thought process students need to navigate before putting pen to paper.
3 questions students may have…
Q1: What does thoughtful even mean?
The dictionary defines being thoughtful as showing care for others. However, taking this definition too literally does not necessarily make for a great story. Thoughtfulness is not simply about being nice or giving gifts. o be thoughtful in a topic like this is to understand or consider another person’s feelings or needs and to let that understanding motivate the Main Character to take further action.
For example, in the story Teacher Nana wrote, the main character does not simply "do something nice" like buy a meal for his grandfather. Rather, he takes the time to understand his feelings and circumstances, then translates the understanding into meaningful action. The scrapbook that he created is thoughtful not because it is a gift but it addresses what truly matters to his grandfather, such as memories and words of appreciation from his customers.
Q2: Does my main character need to be the one who is thoughtful? Can they be on the receiving end of the thoughtfulness?
Especially for PSLE, it is more effective to have the main character demonstrate the thoughtfulness themselves.
When the main character is the one who notices someone’s needs, considers their feelings and takes action, students have greater opportunity to show the character’s thought process and emotions. They can explore the realisation that prompts the thoughtful act, the effort involved in carrying it out, and the satisfaction or sense of fulfilment that follows.
This also makes it easier to develop the story beyond a simple act of kindness.
If it was the main character receiving the act, it would just be,
Someone did something thoughtful → I was thrilled → the end. The story can come across emotionally thin, because the main character has little to do beyond receiving the thoughtful act and reacting to it.
Students can show a more meaningful story progression, such as
The main character understanding Grandfather's circumstance → Understanding how wrong he was → Showing care and love to Grandfather → Acting upon it, by re-creation his store's calligraphy signs, sketching his watches etc. thereby preserving the memories and legacy of the shop → Seeing the positive impact this thoughtful act made on Grandfather.
This gives students more opportunities to demonstrate characterisation, emotions and meaningful character growth.
Q3: Can it be a totally positive story, since the title is so positive?
A story about being thoughtful can begin positively and remain largely positive, but there should still be something that the character notices, understands or responds to. Otherwise, the story will remain flat and merely a sequence of pleasant events.
For Teacher Nana’s story, she did not force a disaster or conflict. The Main Character’s story development does not encounter something “bad happening”. Rather, he experienced a gradual realisation and change in perspective. Initially, from being frustrated with his grandfather, he later understood his situation and eventually chose to support him. The story ends positively.
3 traps to avoid...
1. The perfectly thoughtful MC
If one were to write a story about how the main character was purely thoughtful right from the very start, there is no room to demonstrate growth. If your Main Character already knows how to think about others, then what is there for them to learn?
2. The thoughtful act that came out from nowhere
A thoughtful act should not feel like something the Main Character does simply because the topic requires it. If the character suddenly decides to help someone without a clear motivation or goal, the action can feel out of nowhere. The reader will definitely want to know:
- Why did your main character choose to do this for the side character?
- Why is this important for the main character? Or the side character?
Simply coming up with something “sweet” or “nice” for the Main Character to do is not a strong enough reason to build a story around. Having a motivation drives them towards the action so the reader can understand why it is so important.
3. The one-minute thoughtful act
A trap many, many students fall into is crafting this part too quick with little development. While this may technically fulfil the topic, it can leave the composition severely lacking in content. Do not let your thoughtful act take up three lines when your story has 18 marks of Content to earn. When the thoughtful act is completed in a few lines, it can feel rushed and does not give you enough room to develop this important part.
3 Writers Guild techniques we propose using for this topic:
1. Colourful Characterisationᵗᵐ
Which F.L.A.B. (Family, love interest, arch nemesis, best friend) character did you use? Choosing the right character can make all the difference when writing about “Being Thoughtful”. A thoughtful act becomes much more meaningful when it is specific to the relationship between your Main Character and the side character.
Some questions you may consider while developing the characters…
- What is the relationship between the main character and side character?
- How do the characters look like?
- What is the backstory, if any? What are their personalities?
2. WOWFATBᵗᵐ
Ah, our classic WOWFATBᵗᵐ. Our quintessential show-not-tell emotional showcase comes in particularly handy here.
Why? Because after your Main Character does something thoughtful, what happens next matters.
Don't write:
❌ “Grandpa was touched by my thoughtful gift.”
Show us the reaction.
How did he feel?
How did he express these emotions on his face?
What actions did he do?
What was going through his mind?
How did his body respond?
Our WOWFATBᵗᵐ is not just a random “use show-not-tell” technique here. It helps students demonstrate that their thoughtful act had emotional significance.
Show not tell:
Do not just tell us your character was thoughtful. Show us what that thoughtfulness meant to someone.
3. Slow-Motion Technique
Slow down the thoughtful moment. This is the most important part of the story, where you explain the actual deed of creating, preparing or carrying out the thoughtful act and, crucially, the thought and effort that go into it.
It is not sufficient to state “I decided to make Grandfather a scrapbook.”
Show the reader how the scrapbook came together: what you chose to include, how you went about creating it, what difficulties you encountered and why each detail was meaningful to Grandfather. The thoughtful act should not be a passing sentence. It should be a fully developed scene.
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Perhaps the biggest lesson from this topic is that the word “thoughtful” applies not only to the character in the story, but to the writer too.
Anyone can simply write a story. However, a thoughtful writer considers why the character acts, what the action means and how the characters react upon the execution of the thoughtful act. The goal isn't to have a story ready for every topic. It is to know how to build one.
A simple topic does not necessarily call for a simple story. Sometimes, the simplest-looking topics require the most thoughtful decisions.
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