Imitation is one of the oldest ways to learn how writers work, and a pastiche assignment asks students to write their own short narrative in the manner of an author they have studied. After reading Michel Tremblay's Bonbons Assortis, a teacher might ask students to write a brief story about a childhood memory using a distinctive narrative voice. Grading such work is tricky, because creativity and technical study have to be assessed together.

The first principle is to grade what the assignment actually teaches. If the purpose is to understand how a narrator's voice is built, the rubric should reward evidence that the student noticed and reproduced specific techniques. It should not primarily reward plot inventiveness or emotional impact, which are harder to measure fairly and less connected to the learning goal.

Pair the creative piece with a short written commentary in which students explain the choices they made. A paragraph describing which features of the original they imitated, and why, makes their thinking visible. This commentary also gives you a more reliable basis for grading than your reaction to the story alone.

Designing a Rubric for Creative Imitation

A balanced rubric includes rows for control of voice, use of imitated techniques, originality within the model, and quality of writing. Each row should describe observable features, such as sentence rhythm, point of view, or the kind of details the narrator notices. Without such descriptions, grading creative work can feel arbitrary to students.

• Voice: the narrator sounds consistent and distinctive throughout
• Technique: at least two features of the original style are used deliberately
• Originality: the content is the student's own, not copied from the source
• Craft: sentences, word choice, and structure are polished
• Commentary: the student explains choices with reference to the text

Avoiding Common Grading Pitfalls

One pitfall is rewarding stories that resemble your own taste. A student who writes in a quieter register may demonstrate excellent control of voice even if the piece is less dramatic than a classmate's. Returning to the rubric rows during scoring helps keep personal preferences from distorting grades.

Another pitfall is penalizing students for borrowing too little or too much. Make clear in advance that the goal is not to copy sentences but to apply techniques to new material. A short example showing the difference between imitation and plagiarism protects both students and the integrity of the assignment.

Feedback That Encourages Risk

Creative assignments invite students to take risks, and harsh feedback can discourage them. Start with specific praise for moments where the voice truly works and quote the line you mean. Then offer one or two concrete suggestions for strengthening the piece, such as sharpening a detail or tightening a transition.

Allow revision when possible, since creative writing improves through rewriting. A second draft that responds to feedback often shows a leap in quality. Students also learn that the first version of a piece is rarely the best one, a lesson that carries over into analytical writing.

Connecting Creative Work to Analysis

Pastiche assignments pay off most when students later write analytical essays about the original text. Having tried to build a voice themselves, they notice authorial choices more readily. Teachers often report that students write more confidently about technique after attempting it.

Use the commentary pieces as a bridge by asking students to expand one paragraph into a short analysis. This creates a natural connection between creative practice and literary argument. The result is a unit in which writing and reading reinforce each other.