Starting to understand commentaries

OK, I haven't been blogging much but starting life in a  new town, looking after a couple of very apprehensive sons and missing my partner have reduced my motivation somewhat. However, I have been diligently working my way through a textbook by Amanda Boulter, and am now ready to apply myself to A363. In chapter 12, she talks about the commentaries we are supposed to write about the process of creating our fiction / poetry or whatever. This is the main area I fell down in in A215.

Anyway, applying my knowledge to 'Drowning', one of my short stories, I can deduce the questions I should, have been asking were:

• Did a real life event or reading prompt this story? What was the initial spark?
• Discuss the political / social issues around disability in children.
• Analyse other fiction on the subject of euthanasia / childhood disability. What research did I do?
• Discuss theories of narrative. How did they help me focus the story?
• Reflect on any other theories (e.g. philosophical) that inspired the story.
• Consider the planning and structure of the story, and the creative decisions I made e.g. POV character, tense, time.
• Explain the motivations of the characters.
• How did I anticipate the reader would experience / interpret the story?
• What feedback did I receive and how did I use it?
• What didn't work (also what did) and why?
• What have I learned through writing and rewriting this story?

Having been on my university's mature student's course, I can now identify the library and the main buildings. All I have to do now is enrol on Tuesday and head off to my faculty's welcome meeting. I feel a tiny bit better prepared.