creative writing gcse stories

Miss Huttlestone's GCSE English

Because a whole class of wonderful minds are better than just one!

2 Grade 9 Creative Writing Examples

I recently asked my year 11s to pen a piece of description and/or narrative writing for their mini assessment. I gave them the following prompts:

Your school wants you to contribute to a collection of creative writing.

EITHER: Write a short story as suggested by this picture:

OR: Write a description about a person who has made a strong impression on you.

The following were two COMPELLING and CONVINCING examples of the second choice – one pupil taking ‘you’ as a fictional invitation, the other as a biographical one:

EXAMPLE ONE:

Gradually, I awake and open my eyes only to see the cracked white ceiling which greets me every day. Here I sit, slumped in the bed with the scratchy white sheets hugging me and muffled beeping noises jumping into my ears. Rubbing the sleep crust from my bloodshot eyes, I observe the scene before me. The sound of footsteps overlapping as nurses rush from bed to bed; the metallic tang from stainless steel invading my nostrils; the cold metal bed rail imprisoning and mocking me; the pungent scent of antiseptic troubling me and the blood-curdling cries and moans utterly terrifying me. Using all my strength, I try to imagine I am somewhere else, anywhere else but here.

Crowds, signs, roars: it was 1903 and the suffragette movement had begun. It was a crisp night, refreshing almost and I had taken to the streets. It was like I was possessed by something that night, some urge and deep desire within me that had led me there, surrounded by women like myself. I stood clueless and lost in the crowd; the women yelling ‘Deeds not words’ in unison; passionately parading with large wooden signs and viciously shattering windows with bricks and stones. Despite the violence that was displayed before me, I was not afraid of what was happening and I didn’t deem it unnecessary or improper, in fact I wanted the same as these women, I wanted equality. Abruptly, all of the roars and cheers became muted and faint, one woman walked slowly towards me, her hair messily swooped into an updo, her clothes somewhat dirtied and her chocolate brown corset slightly loosened. There was a glimmer in her eyes as tears seemed to swell within their hazel pools, she seemed inspired, hopeful. After reaching me in the crowd, she held out her hand, gently passing me a sign. Immediately, I clasped it and the yelling and chanting rang loudly in my ears once more. My journey had begun.

Here however, is where it ends. I am aware I do not have much time left, as the doctors have told me so, and spending my last moments in this hospital room is not optimal. However, as I look around I can see beauty within a room which at first glance seems void of it. The hollow medical tubes by my side remind me of the awful act of force feeding I have faced in the past; the shrieks and bawls of patients reflecting the pain women had felt in my time and the bed bars mirroring the prisons we were thrown into and the gates we would chain ourselves too. I know these things may seem far from beautiful, but I can see my past within this room, the power I possessed and the changes I have contributed to today. I know now that I can leave this earth having had an impact. Slowly I close my eyes, I can see her, the women who changed my life many years ago, her name, Emmeline Pankhurst.

EXAMPLE TWO:

I will never forget that day. The hazel pools of her eyes glazed over, and hands delicately placed at her sides. Nobody in the room could quite grasp the fact that this was happening. The crowds of black attire row on row seemed to mimic the thing she loves most in life, the piano. However, this time she had taken the ivory natural keys with her and left everyone else with the sharp tones. You needed both to create beautiful symphonies but all that filled the room was the excruciating silence of her absense. Even the metronone like ticks of the clock seemed to come to a standstill.

It had all began that day, she seemed to open up this whole new world for us to explore together as she placed my fingers onto the keys for the first time. I knew that this was what I was meant to do. She was the most passionately beautiful pianist I had ever seen in my life. Often, I would peer round the oak doorway before my lessons just to catch a glimpse at her. It seemed like nothing in the world mattered to her at the time.

As the years progressed, so did the scope of this world we were exploring. Each sheet of lovingly handwritten sheet music was like a new section of the map we were slowly creating together. Each of her students had their own map. Each as beautiful and each as unique as the pianist. The crotchets and quavers that adorned the staves directed the different paths we could take as my fingers graced the keys. This may not have been a beautiful ballet routine, but this was our dance and it had been carefully choreographed just for us.

That piano room was the safest place in the world. Every inch of it her: the potent scent of her floral perfume; shelves full of scruffy and well loved sheet music; rows upon rows of framed photos of her and her students; the vintage piano which she always kept in tune, it was home. I couldn’t bear the

idea that someone else was going move in and rip away the music room without a second thought. It was her music room.

It was up to me now. Up to me to finish this journey we had begun together.

She may not be with me in person anymore, but she will always live within the world we built together and nothing could ever change that. For she could never truly be gone since she left a piece of her within every one of her students; the passion for piano.

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gcseenglishwithmisshuttlestone

Secondary English teacher in Herts. View all posts by gcseenglishwithmisshuttlestone

2 thoughts on “2 Grade 9 Creative Writing Examples”

This has helped me a lot, I myself am preparing for a narrative test like this and these prompts and descriptive short stories are marvellous! Thank you for sharing this! 🙂

My pleasure!

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Insider GCSE creative writing tips + 106 prompts from past papers

by Hayley | Mar 9, 2023 | Exams , Writing | 0 comments

Are you feeling a little bit twitchy about your child’s English GCSE writing task?

Sciences and humanities – although sometimes daunting in their content – seem a fair bet as ‘revisable’ topics. But the creative writing element of the English Language GCSE is less knowable and ultimately more of a frightening prospect for a student keen to do well.

Preparing for the GCSE writing task? You don’t need to do it alone.

We run a weekly online writing club which prepares students to write high-scoring content. Our “Higher” level club is designed to transform your writing so that you can ace the GCSE language paper.

What is the GCSE writing element of the GCSE Language Paper?

There are 5 key GCSE exam boards: AQA , OCR , Pearson Edexcel , WJEC Eduqas and CCEA . Each board sets their own papers which may appear much the same at first glance (bizarrely they all have a similar front cover layout and fonts). Certainly there is plenty of overlap between their mark schemes and the comments and tips they share in their Examiner Reports.

However, as with all your child’s other subjects, it is essential to know which exam board they are preparing for. You may be surprised to discover that schools pick and choose boards by subject, perhaps choosing AQA for chemistry and OCR for mathematics. Individual school departments have their own preferences. My brother teaches at a school where their English Literature and English Language exams have been split between two different boards. This is unusual though, not the norm!

What forms (question formats) can the test take?

It varies by board.

The AQA board has a writing task in their Question Paper 1 called Explorations in creative reading and writing . Students are given two prompts to choose between. The AQA board also has a second persuasive writing task in Paper 2 called Writers’ viewpoints and perspectives.

Jump ahead to AQA creative writing and persuasive writing prompts from past GCSE papers

The Pearson/Edexcel international iGCSE favoured by many UK private schools has two prompts to choose between for each section. The student is asked to complete a piece of transactional writing (perhaps a persuasive speech or an advertisement leaflet) and additionally a piece of imaginative writing.

Jump ahead to Pearson/Edexcel transactional writing and imaginative writing prompts from past GCSE papers

Interestingly, the WJEC Eduqas board favours non-fiction writing. Unit 2 Reading and Writing: Description, Narration and Exposition gives two prompts to choose between, for an account and an essay perhaps, and Unit 3: Reading and Writing: Argumentation, Persuasion and Instructional sets up a letter, or similar.

Jump ahead to WJEC Eduqas non-fiction writing prompts from past GCSE papers

The OCR board offers two prompts to choose between. One might be a talk for other students and the other might be a letter on a difficult subject .

Jump ahead to OCR creative writing prompts from past GCSE papers

The CCEA board has a writing task in called “ Writing for Purpose and Audience and Reading to Access Non-fiction and Media Texts” and a second writing task which offers a choice between personal writing and creative writing.

Jump ahead to CCEA persuasive writing, personal writing, and creative prompts from past GCSE papers

How long do students have to craft their piece of writing?

Creative writing tests are timed at either 45 minutes or 1 hour. The last thing your child will need is to prepare to write for an hour, only to find they have just three-quarters of an hour on the day. If in doubt, insist that they check with their teacher.

AQA students are given 45 minutes to produce their writing response. The introduction advises: ‘ You are reminded of the need to plan your answer. You should leave enough time to check your work at the end.’ What this means is that 30–35 minutes max is what’s really allowed there for the writing itself.

Pearson/Edexcel allows 45 minutes for each of the two writing tasks.

OCR students are given an hour to complete this section of their exam. The introduction states: ‘You are advised to plan and check your work carefully,’ so they will expect the writing itself to take 45–50 minutes.

How long should the completed GCSE writing task be?

Interestingly, although the mark schemes all refer to paragraphingthey don’t state how many paragraphs they expect to see.

‘A skilfully controlled overall structure, with paragraphs and grammatical features used to support cohesion and achieve a range of effects’ (OCR)

‘Fluently linked paragraphs with seamlessly integrated discourse markers’ (AQA)

Why? Because management of paragraph and sentence length is a structural technique available to the student as part of their writers’ toolkit. If the number of optimal paragraphs were to be spelled out by the board, it would have a negative impact on the freedom of the writer to use their paragraphs for impact or to manage the pace of the reader.

For a general guide I would expect to see 3 to 5 paragraphs in a creative piece and 5 paragraphs in a persuasive piece. Leaflets have a different structure entirely and need to be set out in a particular form to achieve the top notes of the mark scheme.

What are the examiners looking for when they are marking a student’s creative writing paper?

There are two assessment objectives for the writing itself:

• It has to be adapted to the form, tone and register of writing for specific purposes and audiences.
• It has to use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures, with appropriate paragraphing, spelling, punctuation and grammar.

As a GCSE English nerd, I really enjoy delving deeper into the Examiner Reports that each board brings out once the previous cohort’s papers have been marked. They are a fascinating read and never disappoint…

Within their pages, examiners spell out the differences they have spotted between the stronger and the weaker responses.

For example, a creative task set by the AQA board was to describe a photograph of a town at sunset. The examiners explained that some of the strongest responses imagined changes in the scene as darkness descended. They enjoyed reading responses that included personification of the city, and those that imagined the setting in the past, or the weariness of the city. Weaker candidates simply listed what was in the picture or referred directly to the fact it was an image. This chronological-list approach weakened the structure of their work.

No surprises that some weaker students relied heavily on conversation. (As an exam marker myself, I dreaded reading acres of uninspiring direct speech.)

Pearson/Edexcel explain that weaker persuasive pieces (in this case on the value of television) simply listed pros and cons rather than developed ideas fully to clarify their own opinions. The higher-level responses here were quirky and engaging, entertaining the reader with a range of appropriate techniques and making the argument their own.

What accommodations are possible for students who have specific learning difficulties?

The UK Government’s Guide for Schools and Colleges 2022: GCSE, AS and A Levels includes information about changes to assessments to support ‘disabled students.’ Their definition of disabled includes specific learning difficulties (dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, ADD, ASD etc).

Exam boards can make a wide range of adjustments to their assessments. Some of the most common adjustments are:

• modified papers (for example, large print or braille exam papers)
• access to assistive software (for example, voice recognition systems or computer readers)
• help with specific tasks (for example, another person might read questions to the student or write their dictated answers)
• changes to how the assessment is done (for example, an oral rather than a written assessment, word-processing rather than hand-writing answers)
• extra time to complete assessments
• exemptions from an assessment

The exam board will expect paperwork to be in place where your child’s specific needs are formally reported by an appropriate professional (Educational Psychologist, Clinical Psychologist, Consultant). The report needs to be recent, but how recent is difficult to confirm.

If your child is likely to need adjustments to their access arrangements you will need to discuss this with their school in plenty of time before the exam itself.

A close friend of mine realised in the final few weeks before her son’s GCSE exams that his tinnitus would have a negative impact on his performance. She approached the school to ask if he might take his exams in a separate room to minimise noise disturbance. Unfortunately, it was far too late by then to apply, and her son was denied the request.

Your child’s school will explain the process for applying for special arrangements and will be able to advise you on what your expectations should be. Never presume your child will be given what they need – but plenty of requests are successful, so stay positive and make sure your paperwork is in order beforehand.

Tips and strategies for writing a high scoring GCSE creative writing paper:

1.         learn the formats.

Know the different formats and conventions of the different GCSE writing tasks. There is a standard layout for a leaflet, for example, where including contact details and a series of bullet points is part of the mark scheme. Not knowing these conventions will knock back a student’s score.

2.         Plan ahead

Prepare a planning structure for each of the written forms you might encounter during the exam. It may need to be flexed on the day, but it will banish fear of the blank page and allow you to get started.

3.         Prepare sentence-openings

Familiarise yourself with appropriate sentence-openings for each type of GCSE writing task. Fronted adverbials of time and place will improve the quality of a creative piece, whereas access to varied and specific conjunctions might push up the mark of a transactional piece.

4.         Check your speaking

Ask your family to check your speech at home. Every now and then try to flip a sentence into formal language, using more interesting synonyms for your usual spoken vocabulary. This will help you to write formally on paper, avoiding colloquialisms.

5.         Forget finishing

Finishing is less important than you might imagine. Sloppy, hurried work is your enemy. GCSE examiners will follow your clear planning and mark you accordingly, even if you’ve not managed to complete that final paragraph.

6.         Note the details

The question often gives additional information the examiner would like to see included. Note it in your plan to make sure it doesn’t get forgotten.

7.         Start strong

Use your best sentence-opener at the start of each paragraph. It will set you up as someone to be taken seriously.

8.         Cut back dialogue

Keep dialogue contained in a single paragraph. Focus on description of the speaker and their actions before noting the second character’s reply.

9.         Revise

Do this by prepping work as above. Nothing beats it.

Would you like me to transform your child’s writing in my higher writing club?

Each week in my higher writing club , we spend 20 minutes on Zoom together. After the task has been introduced, the students write for 15 minutes. Next, they upload their work for 1:1 video marking.

There is no point prepping essays/creative pieces for the GCSE English Language exam if your child’s writing is poor. First, their scruffy presentation, attention to detail, punctuation, grammar and vocabulary need to be addressed.

After 2 months in the higher writing club your child’s written technique and fluency will be transformed by our 1–2-1 video marking system (consistent messaging is achieved by matching your child with their own teacher).

Each weekly activity is drawn directly from the GCSE English Language Subject Content and Assessment Objectives , published by the English Department of Education.

Here’s an example of a student’s writing, BEFORE they joined our club:

It is chaotic, poorly-presented and nonsensical. Letter-sizing is confused and the student is clearly anxious and repeatedly scribbling through small errors.

Below is the same student 2 months later:

Observe the rich vocabulary, authorial techniques (the jagged rocks are ‘like shards of broken glass’) and general fluency and sophistication.

Real and recent GCSE example questions/prompts from each of the 5 key exam boards

Aqa english language gcse questions, paper 2 writers’ viewpoints and perspectives:.

• ‘Our addiction to cheap clothes and fast fashion means young people in poorer countries have to work in terrible conditions to make them. We must change our attitude to buying clothes now.’ Write an article for a magazine or website in which you argue your point of view on this statement. ( Source )
• ‘People have become obsessed with travelling ever further and faster. However, travel is expensive, dangerous, damaging and a foolish waste of time!’ Write an article for a news website in which you argue your point of view on this statement. ( Source )
• ‘Cars are noisy, dirty, smelly and downright dangerous. They should be banned from all town and city centres, allowing people to walk and cycle in peace.’ Write a letter to the Minister for Transport arguing your point of view on this statement. ( Source )
• ‘All sport should be fun, fair and open to everyone. These days, sport seems to be more about money, corruption and winning at any cost.’ Write an article for a newspaper in which you explain your point of view on this statement. ( Source )

Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing:

• A magazine has asked for contributions for their creative writing section. Either write a description of an old person as suggested by the picture below or write a story about a time when things turned out unexpectedly. ( Source )

• Your school or college is asking students to contribute some creative writing for its website. Either, describe a market place as suggested by the picture below or write a story with the title, ‘Abandoned’. ( Source )

• Your local library is running a creative writing competition. The best entries will be published in a booklet of creative writing. Either, write a description of a mysterious place, as suggested by the picture below or write a story about an event that cannot be explained. ( Source )

• A magazine has asked for contributions for their creative writing section. Either, describe a place at sunset as suggested by the picture below or write a story about a new beginning. ( Source )

OCR English Language GCSE questions

Paper: communicating information and ideas.

• Either, Write a post for an online forum for young people about ‘A moment that changed my life’.
• Or, You are giving a talk at a parents’ information evening about why all children should study science at school. Explain your views. ( Source )
• Either, Write a letter to a friend to describe a challenging and unpleasant task you once had to do.
• Or, Write a short guide for new workers about how to deal successfully with difficult customers. ( Source )
• Either, “Was it worth it?” Write an article for a magazine to describe a time when you had to do something difficult.
• Or, Write a speech for an event to congratulate young people who have achieved something remarkable. ( Source )
• Either, Write the words of a talk to advise pet owners how to make life more enjoyable for their pet and themselves.
• Or, Write an article for a travel magazine to describe your dramatic encounter with an animal. ( Source )
• Either, ‘How I prefer to spend my time.’ Write the words of a talk to young people about your favourite activity
• Or, Write a magazine article to persuade parents to allow their teenage children more freedom. You are not required to include any visual or presentational features. ( Source )
• Either, Write a talk for other students about a person you either admire strongly or dislike intensely
• Or, Write a letter to a friend to explain a difficult decision you had to make. ( Source )

Paper: Exploring effects and impact

• Either, Hunger satisfied. Use this as the title for a story.
• Or, Write about a time when you were waiting for something. ( Source )
• Either, The Taste of Fear Use this as the title for a story.
• Or, Write about a time when you were exploring a particular place. ( Source )
• Either, Alone. Use this as the title for a story.
• Or, Describe a time when you found yourself in a crowd or surrounded by people. ( Source )
• Either, Land at Last. Use this as the title for a story.
• Or, Imagine you have visited somewhere for the first time and are now reporting back on your experience. ( Source )
• Either, The Playground Use this as the title for a story
• Or, Write about a memory you have of playing a childhood game. ( Source )
• Either, It seemed to me like I had been magically transported. Use this as the title for a story.
• Or, Describe a place where you have felt comfortable. ( Source )

Pearson Edexcel English Language iGCSE questions

Paper 1: transactional writing.

• Either, ‘In our busy twenty-first century lives, hobbies and interests are more important than ever.’ Write an article for a newspaper expressing your views on this statement.
• Or, ‘We are harming the planet we live on and need to do more to improve the situation.’ You have been asked to deliver a speech to your peers in which you explain your views on this statement. ( Source )
• ‘ Zoos protect endangered species from around the world.’ ‘No wild animal should lose its freedom and be kept in captivity. Write an article for a magazine in which you express your views on zoos.
• Write a review of an exciting or interesting event that you have seen. ( Source )
• Your local newspaper has published an article with the headline ‘Young people today lack any desire for adventure’. Write a letter to the editor of the newspaper expressing your views on this topic.
• ‘The key to success in anything is being prepared.’ Write a section for a guide giving advice on the importance of preparation. ( Source )
• You and your family have just returned from a holiday that did not turn out as you expected. Write a letter to the travel agent with whom you booked your holiday, explaining what happened.
• A magazine is publishing articles with the title ‘Friendship is one of the greatest gifts in life’. Write your article on this topic. ( Source )
• ‘Important lessons I have learned in my life.’ You have been asked to deliver a speech to your peers on this topic.
• Your local/school library wants to encourage young people to read more. Write the text of a leaflet explaining the benefits of reading. ( Source )
• ‘Most memorable journeys.’ A website is running a competition to reward the best articles on this subject. Write an article for the competition about a memorable journey.
• ‘Cycling is one form of exercise that can lead to a healthier lifestyle.’ Write a guide for young people on the benefits of exercise. ( Source )
• ‘Television educates, entertains and helps global understanding.’ ‘Television is to blame for society’s violence and greed and delivers one-sided news.’ You have been asked to deliver a speech in which you express your views and opinions on television.
• ‘Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions we ever make.’ Write the text of a leaflet that gives advice to young people on how to choose a career. ( Source )
• Write the text for a leaflet aimed at school students which offers advice on how to deal with bullying.
• A museum is planning to open a new exhibition called ‘Life in the Twenty-First Century’. ( Source )

Paper 2: Imaginative writing

• Write about a time when you, or someone you know, enjoyed success
• Write a story with the title ‘A Surprise Visitor’.
• Look at the two images below. Choose one and write a story that begins ‘I did not have time for this’ ( Source )

• Write about a time when you, or someone you know, challenged an unfair situation.
• Write a story with the title ‘Bitter, Twisted Lies’.
• Look at the two images below. Choose one and write a story that begins ‘It was a new day …’ You may wish to base your response on one of these images. ( Source )

• Write about a time when you, or someone you know, visited a new place.
• Write a story with the title ‘The Storm’
• Look at the two images below. Choose one and write a story that ends ‘I decided to get on with it.’ ( Source )

• Write about a time when you, or someone you know, saw something surprising.
• Write a story with the title ‘The Meeting’.
• Look at the two images below. Choose one and write a story that starts ‘Suddenly, without warning, there was a power cut.’ ( Source )

• Write about a time when you, or someone you know, went on a long journey.
• Write a story with the title ‘A New Start’
• Look at the two images below. Choose one and write a story that begins ‘I tried to see what he was reading. ( Source )

• Write about a time when you, or someone you know, felt proud.
• Write a story with the title ‘The Hidden Book’.
• Look at the two images below. Choose one and write a story that begins ‘It was like a dream’ ( Source )

• Write about a time when you, or someone you know, had to be brave
• Write a story with the title ‘Everything Had Changed’
• Look at the two images below. Choose one and write a story that begins ‘It was an unusual gift’. ( Source )

WJEC Eduqas English Language GCSE questions

Unit 2 reading and writing: description, narration and exposition.

• Write an account of a time when you enjoyed or hated taking part in an outdoor activity.
• “It’s essential that more people are more active, more often.” (Professor Laura McAllister, Chair of Sport Wales) Write an essay to explain how far you agree with this view, giving clear reasons and examples. ( Source )
• Describe an occasion when you did something you found rewarding.
• Famous chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Mary Berry have spoken of the need for better food and better education about food in schools. Write an essay to explain your views on this subject, giving clear reasons and examples. ( Source )
• Write an account of a visit to a dentist or a doctor’s surgery.
• NHS staff, such as doctors and nurses, provide excellent service in difficult circumstances. Write an essay to explain your views on this subject, giving clear reasons and examples. ( Source )
• Write an article for a travel magazine describing somewhere interesting that you have visited.
• You see the following in your local newspaper: ‘Young people are selfish. They should all be made to volunteer to help others.’ Write an essay to explain your views on this subject, giving clear reasons and examples. ( Source )
• Describe an occasion when technology made a difference to your life.
• Write an account of a time you were unwilling to do something. ( Source )
• Describe a time when you faced a challenge
• Write an essay explaining why charity is important, giving clear reasons and examples. ( Source )
• Write an account of a time when you did something for the first time.
• “It’s time for us to start making some changes. Let’s change the way we eat, let’s change the way we live, and let’s change the way we treat each other.” Tupac Shakur Write an essay on the subject of change, giving clear reasons and examples. ( Source )
• “School uniform is vitally important in all schools.” Write an essay explaining your views on this, giving clear reasons and examples.
• Describe a time when you had to create a good impression. ( Source )

Unit 3: Reading and writing: Argumentation, persuasion and instructional

• Your school/college is considering using more Fairtrade items in its canteen. Although this will help to support Fairtrade farmers, it will mean an increase in the price of meals. You feel strongly about this proposal and decide to write a letter to your Headteacher/Principal giving your views. ( Source )
• Increasing litter levels suggest we have lost all pride in our beautiful country. Prepare a talk for your classmates in which you give your opinions on this view. ( Source )
• Write a guide for other students persuading them to stay safe when using social media and the internet. ( Source )
• According to your PE teacher, ‘Swimming is the very best form of exercise.’ You have been asked to prepare a talk for your classmates in which you give your views about swimming. ( Source )
• You read the following in a newspaper: ‘Plastic is one of the biggest problems faced by our planet. Why would we use something for a few minutes that has been made from a material that’s going to last forever?’ Write a letter to the newspaper giving your views on the use of plastic. ( Source )
• “People today never show enough kindness to one another. We must make more effort to be kind.” Write a talk to give on BBC Wales’ new programme Youth Views persuading young people to be kind to others. ( Source )
• ‘We have enough problems in the world without worrying about animals.’ Write an article for the school or college magazine giving your views on this statement.
• You would like to raise some money for an animal charity. Write a talk for your classmates persuading them to donate to your chosen charity. ( Source )

CCEA English Language GCSE questions

Unit 1: writing for purpose and audience and reading to access non-fiction and media texts.

• Write a speech for your classmates persuading them to agree with your views on the following issue: “Young people today are too worried about their body image.” ( Source )
• Write an article for your school magazine persuading the readers to agree with your views on the following question: “Should school uniform have a place in 21st century schools?” ( Source )
• Write a speech for your classmates persuading them to agree with your views on the following question: “Are celebrities the best role models for teenagers?” ( Source )
• Write an article for your school magazine persuading the readers to agree with your views on the following statement: “Advertising is just another source of pressure that teenagers don’t need!” ( Source )

Unit 4: Personal or creative writing and reading literacy and non-fiction texts

• Either, Personal writing: Write a personal essay for the examiner about what you consider to be one of the proudest moments in your life.
• Or, Creative writing: Write your entry for a creative essay writing competition. The audience is teenagers. You may provide your own title. ( Source )
• Write a personal essay for the examiner about an experience that resulted in a positive change in your life.
• Write a creative essay for the examiner. The picture below is to be the basis for your writing. You may provide your own title. ( Source )

• Personal writing: Write a speech for your classmates about the most interesting person you have ever met.
• Creative writing: Write a creative essay for your school magazine. The picture below is to be the basis for your writing. You may provide your own title. ( Source )

• Personal writing: Write a personal essay for the examiner describing your dream destination.
• Creative writing: Write a creative essay for publication in your school magazine. The picture below is to be the basis for your creative writing. You may provide your own title. (Source)

Get 1:1 support and personalized feedback on your GCSE creative writing practice

For 1–2-1 writing support for your pre-GCSE child, join the Griffin Teaching Higher Writing Club—online weekly writing classes specifically tailored to English GCSE creative writing preparation.

In just 20 minutes per week and their writing will be transformed.

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GCSE English language: 10+ tips for creative writing

On paper creative writing should be one of the easiest parts of the English language GCSE but you're not alone if you're finding it tricky.

Creative Writing in GCSE exams can take various forms: You may have to tell an entire short story or you could be asked to write a description of a picture.

Here's some top tips when it comes to dealing with your creative writing headaches...

Understanding the Exam Format

First and foremost, it's essential to familiarise yourself with the GCSE English Language exam format. Creative writing usually forms a significant part of the assessment, often as part of a coursework component or in a specific section of the exam. Knowing what is expected in terms of length, format, and content can significantly boost your confidence and performance.

Reading Widely

One of the best ways to enhance your creative writing skills is to read a diverse range of literature. This exposure helps you understand different writing styles, narrative techniques, and genres. By reading extensively, you can develop a sense of what makes a story engaging and learn how to incorporate these elements into your own writing.

Practising Writing Regularly

Consistent practice is key in improving your writing skills. Try to write something every day, whether it's a short story, a descriptive piece, or even just a diary entry. This not only helps improve your writing style and vocabulary but also keeps your creative juices flowing.

Answer The Question

Read it VERY carefully because your answer will only be marked in the context of what was actually asked in the first place, regardless of how well written your piece may have been. Pay special attention to the type of creative writing you're asked to come up with and it's audience (see more below).

Developing Strong Characters and Settings

In creative writing, characters and settings are the heart of your story. Spend time developing characters who are believable and relatable. Similarly, create settings that are vivid and contribute to the mood of the story. Using descriptive language and sensory details can bring your characters and settings to life.

READ MORE: > 10+ GCSE creative writing ideas, prompts and plot lines

Mastering Narrative Structure

A good story has a clear structure - a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning should hook the reader, the middle should build the story, and the end should provide a satisfying conclusion. Think about the plot and how you can weave tension, conflict, and resolution into your narrative.

Showing, Not Telling

'Show, don’t tell' is a golden rule in creative writing. Instead of simply telling the reader what is happening, show them through actions, thoughts, senses, and feelings. For example, rather than simply telling the reader a character is tall, show them that in your writing: "He towered above me like a skyscraper." This approach makes your writing more engaging and immersive.

Take Inspiration From Real Life

Write more convincingly by taking inspiration from your real life experiences and feelings, embellishing where necessary.

Go Out of This World

If you're given a prompt to write the opening of a story involving a storm, it doesn't need to be a storm on earth. Going out of this world allows you to be really descriptive in your language and paint a picture of a completely unique world or species.

Varying Sentence Structure and Vocabulary

Using a range of sentence structures and a rich vocabulary can make your writing more interesting and dynamic. Avoid repetition of words and phrases, and try to use descriptive language that paints a picture for the reader. Consider the senses such as what you might hear, smell, feel or taste.

Don't Leave The Ending To The, Well, End

Some pieces will lend themselves to a nice, easy ending - and in some questions, the ending may even be provided for you - but other times it's not so simple to stop. When it comes to fictional stories, it may well be easier to plan your ending first and work backwards, you don't want to end on a whimper, in a rush or with leftover loose ends from the plot.

Editing and Proofreading

A vital part of writing is reviewing and refining your work. Always leave time to edit and proofread your writing. Look out for common errors like spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and punctuation issues. Also, consider whether your writing flows logically and whether there's anything you can improve in terms of language and style.

Seeking Feedback

Don’t be afraid to ask teachers, friends, or family members for feedback on your writing. Constructive criticism can provide new perspectives and ideas that can help you improve your writing significantly.

Staying Calm and Confident

Lastly, it's important to stay calm and confident during your exam. Stress and anxiety can hinder your creativity and writing ability. Practice relaxation techniques and believe in your preparation to help you stay focused and composed during the exam.

Remember, creative writing is an opportunity to express yourself and let your imagination run wild. With these tips and consistent practice, you can excel in your GCSE English Language creative writing exam look forward to results day and enjoy the process of crafting your own unique stories.

Thomas Brella is the founder of Student Hacks, starting the website in 2013 while studying at the University of Brighton to share tips and tricks on life as a cash-strapped student. He's now spent over 10 years scoping out the best ways to live on a budget

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Writing: Crafting Creative Writing Revision

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By the end of this page you should know how to respond effectively and efficiently to the writing section tasks in your GCSE exam.

We will learn what’s in the mark scheme , how to plan your answer , and how to give you a few structuring ideas so you understand what the examiner is looking for .

What Are You Being Tested On?

There are only two Assessment Objectives in the writing portion of the exam. 

You may remember them from our previous pages…

AO5 and AO6 !

Let’s have a refresher of what these two objectives entail. 

From the mark scheme :

• Students should aim to communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively .
• They can select and adapt their tone , style and register for different forms , purposes and audiences .
• Students are able to organise information and ideas, by using structural and grammatical features to support their coherence .
• Students should use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effec t in their writing.
• Students should have consistently accurate spelling and punctuation .

How to Plan your Answer

Thinking about themes:

By the time you get to the writing question, you will actually already have been given clues as to what the theme of this question will be! 

Questions in a paper are usually under one theme.

For example :

If the questions from the reading section of Paper 1 focuses on ‘ Oliver Twist ‘ by Charles Dickens, the question might ask you to write a story inspired by the word ‘ alone ’.

Putting pen to paper:

Make a note of some key words or ideas that come up once you’ve read the question through properly.

For example:

If the focus is on climate change you might write pollution , deforestation , fire , smoke .

Here you can pull out themes or repeated ideas you find interesting or can develop into a creative piece.

In this example , you might write about a deforested section of the Amazon, using language techniques to describe fire and smoke , or presenting climate change in an emotive context.

Think about the individual parts of the question and which angles you could take. Some exam boards , including AQA, will give you an image for example, so you could use this to form the basis of your writing.

This will grab the examiner’s attention by showing that you are able to respond to a prompt and engage in specific questions creatively .

On the other hand, other exam boards, such as Edexcel , might ask for a time in your life  when a particular event , which is relevant to the theme , took place.

This does not have to be based on your real life , but you should still aim to make it as interesting as possible. 

Who are you writing for?

In some cases, the question may give you a hint as to who your audience is. For example, it may ask you to ‘ write an article for a local magazine ‘ or ‘ write a letter to your local MP ‘.

Once you know the intended audience of your writing, you can decide on the tone and register you should use.

For example, in an article for a local magazine , you might use more informal language, whereas to the MP , you would use a more formal register.

The format will also be dictated, here it’s an article or a letter. You should be familiar with the formatting for a variety of texts before your exam, but we will go through these in depth in the next box!

Why are you writing?

The question may also give you clues about the purpose and aim of your writing, for example ‘write a letter to your local council to complain about the noise levels in your area.’

In instances like this, you would then think about persuasive language techniques you could use in your writing, including emotive language or rhetorical questions for example.

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Structuring

In a creative writing question where you have more free reign, like a story or description , there are different ways to experiment with structure.

• The basic story arc of beginning, middle and end  that you may already be familiar with can be subverted , through a different perspective than the expected main character.
• Or the perspective could shift halfway through to give another character’s opinions on the event , creating interest for the reader and showcasing your skills to the examiner !
• Starting the story at the climax of action is a creative way to switch up the structure of your entire answer. You could work backwards and then explain the events that led up to the climax, or describe the aftermath in detail. 

If the question specifies a format , like a letter or article, you should use the appropriate structural techniques .

Letter Structure

A letter typically takes a formal tone . 

You should include an appropriate greeting : ‘ Dear Sir/Madam ‘

You should also include an appropriate sign-off : ‘ Yours faithfully ‘ if you don’t know who the recipient is, ‘Yours sincerely’ if you do know.

If the letter is to a known audience , you could take a more friendly tone and use first names , e.g., ‘ Dear Mohammed ‘. Your sign-off could match this tone, e.g., ‘ Best wishes ‘.

You should also include the address of the person sending the letter in the top right corner of the page, the address of the person receiving the letter in the top left corner of the page, but slightly underneath the first (these can be made up).

Article Structure

An article should include an engaging headline , which could be an exclamation or question for example.

A strapline  is a small line of text under the headline that offers more information on the topic or idea that the headline introduced initially. 

Subheadings can be used to organise information in your article. You could make them interesting by adding humour or a rhetorical question to grab the reader’s attention. They should give the reader an idea of what the next paragraph will be about. 

Your article should also have a date , and author attribution , e.g., ‘ by David Smith, 25th May 2022 ‘.

Checking Your Answer

It’s a good idea to leave at least five minutes at the end of the exam to check over your answer.

Read through it carefully and make your improvements neatly if needed.

Some questions to think about are:

Could a more sophisticated word choice replace something already there?

• An important part of AO5 and AO6 is using a wide range of sophisticated language, so try to think of some creative swaps for simple words. 

Have you got any repeated points that you could remove ?

• AO5 requires you to be concise and clear in your communication, which is hindered by repetition of points. Once you have made a point, try to develop it further by asking what happens next ? What is the impact on the people or things in your writing?

Is your spelling and grammar correct? 

• Ensuring the sophisticated language you use is spelled correctly is essential to get the 16 marks available for AO6 in these questions. Check out our more detailed SPaG pages for more information on common mistakes you might make in the exam, and how to fix them!

Is your punctuation placed right ?

• Don’t just stick to full stops and commas in your writing. As long as you use it correctly, get creative with the types of punctuation you use in your answer for a higher AO6 mark. For example, exclamation marks and question marks to create a more conversational tone between the author and the reader. Hyphens , brackets and colons are just a few more you can use in the exam for effect.

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How to Structure Creative Writing for GCSE (Creative Writing Examples!)

Posted on August, 2022

Structure Creative Writing for Success

Having plenty of ideas for creative writing is one thing, but nailing down the right structure can be a bit more challenging.

There are several steps for children to think about before they begin writing, and that includes creating a structure or plan for how their story will flow.

Creative writing is all about grabbing the reader’s attention immediately, so children in their GCSE years need to understand the importance of structure when writing, in order to organise their ideas and make sure their work reads cohesively.

In this post, we will go through everything your child needs to know from paragraphing, to creating a satisfying ending, providing examples along the way to demonstrate the best way to structure their creative writing.

How Should I Structure Creative Writing?

There are several types of creative writing questions that could come up on the GCSE reading and writing exam. There will be the option to either write creatively based on an image, or a made-up scenario.

Having a solid structure for longer creative writing questions and exercises helps to ensure your child is prepared.

By using a structure that helps to organise your child’s ideas, it helps their writing to flow. It also allows your child to become more confident in their creative writing process.

Planning is more important than you might think, as mark schemes from most exam boards include ‘well-controlled paragraphs’ or something very similar within the top band of criteria for creative writing.

Therefore, children should practise planning out creative writing structures well before their writing exam. Planning gives them time to get into the habit of always providing themselves with a simple, but focused idea of what they are going to write.

Structure Creative Writing with Seven Story Archetypes

Introduction.

Understanding the fundamental structure of a story is crucial for crafting engaging narratives. Beyond basic sequences, story archetypes provide a deeper framework. Christopher Booker , a renowned scholar, identified seven main story archetypes.

Each archetype outlines a distinctive journey and the challenges faced by characters.

1. Overcoming the Monster

This archetype portrays an underdog’s quest to conquer a formidable evil. Examples include the epic tales of Harry Potter battling Lord Voldemort, the classic struggle in Jurassic Park, and the timeless narrative of Jack and the Beanstalk.

2. Rags to Riches

Embarking from a starting point of poverty or despair, characters rise to newfound wealth and success. Witness this transformation in stories like Slumdog Millionaire, The Pursuit of Happyness, and The Wolf of Wall Street.

3. The Quest

A hero’s journey to discover something, overcoming trials and tribulations along the way. Iconic examples include the Fellowship of the Ring’s quest in The Lord of the Rings, Marlin’s journey to find Nemo, and the epic adventures of Odysseus in The Odyssey.

4. Voyage and Return

Protagonists venture into unknown territories, facing adversity before returning home transformed. Dive into this archetype with examples like the curious escapades in Spirited Away, Bilbo Baggins’ journey in The Hobbit, and the enchanting Chronicles of Narnia.

Contrary to our typical perception of humour, this archetype involves destined lovers kept apart by conflicting forces. Delight in the comedic twists of relationships in classics such as 10 Things I Hate About You, When Harry Met Sally, and Notting Hill.

Protagonists with major flaws or errors leading to their inevitable downfall. Witness the unraveling of characters in tragedies like The Great Gatsby, Requiem for a Dream, and the Shakespearean masterpiece Othello.

Characters succumb to darkness but redeem themselves throughout the narrative. Experience the transformative journeys in stories like Atonement, American History X, and the animated Beauty and the Beast.

Application Across Mediums

Beyond literature, these archetypes seamlessly apply to filmmaking and photography. A well-crafted photograph or film can mirror the same narrative arcs, captivating viewers on a visual adventure akin to storytelling. Explore these archetypes to infuse depth and resonance into your creative endeavors.

Paragraphing for a Solid Creative Writing Structure

First of all, paragraphing is central to creative writing as this is what keeps the structure solid.

In order to stick to a creative writing structure, children must know exactly when to end and start a new paragraph, and how much information each paragraph should contain.

For example, introducing the main character, diving into the action of the story, and providing 10 descriptive sentences of the weather and location, could be separated and spread throughout for impact.

Structuring a creative writing piece also involves creating an appropriate timeline of events. Then, you must map out exactly where the story will go from start to finish. This is assuming the writing piece is in sequential order.

Occasionally, there may be a question that requires a non-sequential order.

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What does a Solid Creative Writing Structure look like?

This list below details every section in a creative writing piece and should look something like this:

• An engaging opening
• A complication
• The development
• The turning point
• A resolution or convincing close

With this structure, it is important to bear in mind that for the AQA GCSE English Language paper 1 reading and creative writing exam.

You can also use Freitag’s pyramid or a story mountain to help you understand the basic structure of a story:

Children will be expected to spend about 50 minutes on the creative writing section. It’s therefore vital to get them into the habit of planning their writing first. As with anything, practice makes perfect.

If you want to find out more about GCSE English Language papers 1 and 2, check out our blog .

We will dive deeper into the creative writing structure further on in this post, but first, let us go through the importance of paragraphing, and how TipTop paragraphs can help to improve children’s writing.

Paragraphing and TipTop Paragraphs

Before children begin to plan out the structure of their stories, it’s essential that they know the importance of paragraphing correctly first.

At this stage of learning, your child should be comfortable in knowing what a paragraph is, and understand that they help with the layout of their stories throughout the whole writing process.

Paragraphs essentially help to organise ideas into dedicated sections of writing based on your child’s ideas. For example, having a paragraph for an introduction, then another paragraph introducing the main character.

This means your child’s writing will be in a logical order and will direct the reader further on into the writing.

Be as creative as Kevin’s booby traps from “ Home Alone “.

To avoid your child straying from their creative writing structure and overloading paragraphs with too much information, there is a simple way to remind them of when they need to start a new paragraph.

TiPToP for a Clearer Creative Writing Structure

Using the TiPToP acronym is such an easy way for you to encourage your child to think about when they need to change paragraphs, as it stands for:

When moving to a different time or location, bringing in a new idea or character, or even introducing a piece of action or dialogue, your child’s writing should be moving on to new paragraphs.

During creative writing practice, your child can ask themselves a series of questions to work out whether they need to move onto a new paragraph to keep their story flowing and reach that top band of criteria.

For example:

• Is the story going into a new day or time period?
• Is the location staying the same or am I moving on?
• Am I bringing in a new idea that I haven’t described yet?
• Am I going to bring in a new character?

Providing opportunities to practise creative writing will help your child to get into the habit of asking themselves these questions as they write, meaning they will stick to the plan they have created beforehand.

Now it’s time to get into the all-important creative writing structure.

Structure Creative Writing: A Step-by-Step Guide

Producing a creative writing structure should be a simple process for your child, as it just involves organising the different sections of their writing into a logical order.

First, we need to start at the beginning, by creating an engaging opening for any piece of writing that will grab the reader’s attention. You might also be interested to check out this blog on story structure that I found in my research.

This leads us nicely onto step 1…

1. Creating an Engaging Opening

There are several ways to engage the reader in the opening of a story, but there needs to be a specific hook within the first paragraph to ensure the reader continues.

This hook could be the introduction of a word that the reader isn’t familiar with, or an imaginary setting that they don’t recognise at all, leaving them questioning ‘What does this all mean?’

It may be that your child opens their story by introducing a character with a description of their appearance, using a piece of dialogue to create a sense of mystery, or simply describing the surroundings to set the tone. This ‘hook’ is crucial as it sets the pace for the rest of the writing and if done properly, will make the reader feel invested in the story.

Read more about hooks in essays .

If your child needs to work more on description, I definitely recommend utilising the Descriptosaurus :

Additionally, it’s important to include a piece of information or specific object within the opening of the creative writing, as this provides something to link back to at the end, tying the whole storyline together neatly.

Engaging Opening Examples:

• Opening with dialogue – “I wouldn’t tell them, I couldn’t”
• Opening with a question – “Surely they hadn’t witnessed what I had?”
• Opening with mystery/ or a lack of important information – “The mist touched the top of the mountains like a gentle kiss, as Penelope Walker stared out from behind the cold, rigid bars that separated her from the world.”

2. Complication

Providing a complication gets the storyline rolling after introducing a bit of mystery and suspense in the opening.

Treat this complication like a snowball that starts small, but gradually grows into something bigger and bigger as the storyline unfolds.

This complication could be that a secret has been told, and now the main character needs to try and stop it from spreading. Alternatively, you could introduce a love interest that catches the attention of your main character.

In this section, there should be a hint towards a future challenge or a problem to overcome (which will be fleshed out in the development and climax sections) to make the reader slightly aware of what’s to come.

Complication Example:

• Hint to future challenge – “I knew what was coming next, I knew I shouldn’t have told him, now my secret is going to spread like wildfire.”
• Including information to help understand the opening – “Bainbridge Prison was where Penelope had spent the last 2 years, stuffed into a cell the size of a shoebox, waiting for August the 14th to arrive.”

3. Development

The development seamlessly extends from the previous section, providing additional information on the introduced complication.

During this phase, your child should consider the gradual build-up to the writing piece’s climax. For instance, a secret shared in the compilation stage now spreads beyond one person, heightening the challenge of containment.

Here, your child should concentrate on instilling suspense and escalating tension in their creative writing, engaging the reader as they approach the climax.

Development Example:

• Build-up to the challenge/ climax – “I saw him whispering in class today, my lip trembled but I had to force back my tears. What if he was telling them my secret? The secret no-one was meant to know.”
• Focusing on suspense – “4 more days to go. 4 more days until her life changed forever, and she didn’t know yet if it was for better or for worse.”

The climax is the section that the whole story should be built around.

Before creating a structure like this one, your child should have an idea in mind that the story will be based on. Usually this is some sort of shocking, emotion-provoking event.

This may be love, loss, battle, death, a mystery, a crime, or several other events.  The climax needs to be the pivotal point; the most exciting part of the story.

Your child may choose to have something go drastically wrong for their main character. They must regardless, need to come up with a way of working this problem into their turning point and resolution. The should think carefully about this will allow the story to be resolved and come to a close.

Climax Example:

• Shocking event: “He stood up and spoke the words I never want to hear aloud. ‘I saw her standing there over the computer and pressing send, she must have done it.’”
• Emotion-provoking event: “The prisoners cheered as Penelope strutted past each cell waving goodbye, but suddenly she felt herself being pulled back into her cell. All she could see were the prison bars once again.”

5. Turning Point or Exposition

After the climax, the story’s turning point emerges, crucial for maintaining reader interest.

During this post-climax phase, address and resolve issues, acknowledging that not every resolution leads to a happy ending.

Turning points need not be confined to the story’s conclusion; they can occur at various junctures, signifying significant narrative shifts.

Even in shorter pieces, introducing turning points early on can captivate the reader.

Creative writing allows for individual storytelling, and effective turning points may differ between your child and you.

Maintain suspense in this section, avoiding premature revelation of the ending despite the climax’s conclusion.

Turning Point Example:

• Turning point: “Little did they know, I was stopping that file from being sent around the whole school. I wasn’t the one to send it, and I had to make sure they knew that.”
• Turning point: “She forced herself through the window, leaving the prison behind her for good this time, or so she thought.”

6. A Resolution or Convincing Close

The resolution should highlight the change in the story, so the tone must be slightly different.

At this stage, the problem resolves (happily or unhappily) and the character/s learns lessons. The close of the story must highlight this.

The writer should also not rush the resolution or end of the story.

It needs to be believable for the reader right until the very end. The writer should allow us to feel what the protagonist is feeling.

This creates emotion and allows your reader to feel fully involved.

Remember the piece of information or specific object that was included in the story’s opening?

Well this is the time to bring that back, and tie all of those loose ends together. You want to leave the reader with something to think about. You can even ask questions as this shows they have invested in the story.

Resolution Example:

• Happy resolution: “He came up to me and curled his hand around mine, and whispered an apology. He knew it wasn’t me, and all I felt was relief. Looks like I should have told them right from the start”
• Unhappy resolution: “All she felt was separation, as she felt those cold, rigid prison bars on her face once more.”

How to Structure Your Creative Writing for GCSE (with Creative Writing Examples!)

To enhance your children’s GCSE creative writing skills, allocate time for practice.

Plan a structure for creative writing to guide children in organising their thoughts and managing time during the GCSE exam.

Apply this structure to various exam questions, such as short stories or describing events.

Focus each creative piece on a climactic event, building anticipation in the beginning and resolving it at the end.

Consider a tutor for GCSE preparation to help children focus on specific areas.

Redbridge Tuition offers experienced tutors for learning from KS2 to GCSE, providing necessary resources for your child’s success.

Get in touch to find out how our tutors could help.

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25 Awesome Story Ideas for Creative Writing for GCSE English Language

by melaniewp | Jun 23, 2013 | Creative Writing , English Language Exam , GCSE , IGCSE , Writing | 0 comments

ALL ABOUT CHARACTER

[1] Old man loses his last picture of himself with his long dead wife. This could link to ‘Long Distance’ by Tony Harrison. Trying to find it, he goes through her things. This is one for flashback. He discovers secrets, or that she has left him a series of letters/notes for after her death. Start this when he realises he’s lost the picture.

[3]  A woman’s (or man’s) jealousy of her (or his) best friend takes over their life . Could link to ‘Othello’ or ‘Medusa’. Think about why. Start this when the woman is with her friend in a frenzy of jealousy…

[4]  A model who has always been obsessed with her looks has acid splashed in her face and is disfigured. Could link to ‘Les Grands Seigneurs’, or ‘Mirror’ by Sylvia Plath. Start this with her looking in the mirror then opening her front door… By the way, this story is true. The woman in the picture is called Katie Piper .

[5]  Fear of heights : nine year old with family who are in visiting a famous tall tower for the first time. The rest of her family want to go up the tower, but if the child won’t go up, someone will have to stay behind with them. Start this at the foot of the tower…

Want more ideas? Get a complete set plus a teaching scheme with model essays and all resources on my TES Resources shop  here .

[6]  Small child really wants cake but has been forbidden from taking it down from the shelf. Start this story with the child lusting after the cake, which you should describe – baking, decorating etc – in delicious detail. [ read a short, very funny version of this here ]

[7]  A man is obsessed with a woman who does not love him back (or the other way round) . Could link to ‘Havisham’ by Carol Ann Duffy, ‘Give’ or ‘Alaska’ by Simon Armitage or  ‘The River God’ by Stevie Smith . Start this when he realises she doesn’t love him back or when he decides to do something about it – get a haircut, stop eating raw onions, go to the gym, pretend that he also loves ‘horoscopes’ and ‘shopping’…

[8] Dangerous Ambition (links to Macbeth). Want the lead role in the school play (or to be head girl/boy)? What will you do to get it? Start this when you realise the lead is up for grabs but you’re not the first choice.

Racing Car driver (motorcross, road or drag racer) is up against his old teammate, now his main rival. Driver needs to win this one or it’s the end of his career. He sees that one of the mechanics on his  rival’s car has fixed something up wrong. What does he do?

[9]  Jealous woman (or man) chases husband (wife) to find out where they’re going. Could link to ‘Medusa’, ‘Havisham’, or ‘Othello’. Start this story when they decide to chase / follow. Use flashback, or recollection to explain why.

[10] Small child really wants to go to another child’s birthday party but there’s a problem. He has to go to his dad’s that weekend/hasn’t been invited/has to go to the dentist instead. How does he deal with or solve it? Start this story at the moment where the child realises he can’t go. [ read a short, hilarious one here ] III Lost

[11]  An old man, who has never cooked or cleaned for himself, has just got home after his wife died (of old age, in hospital). You could link this to ‘Old Age Gets Up’ by Ted Hughes. Now he has to try to do housework – cook, etc. Could be comic / tragic.

[12]  You go for a forest walk (e.g. on a Geography trip or DofE) with someone you don’t like much from school and get lost.  Could link to Robert Frost’s poem ‘The Road Not Taken’, ‘Storm in the Black Forest’ by D.H. Lawrence or ‘Wind’ by Ted Hughes. Start this story just before the main character begins to suspect they are lost. Start funny, ends up scary as it starts to go dark. Get describing words for a forest story here .

[13] Parent-Child:  In a busy town centre, a mother loses her child who has previously been annoying her . Link this to ‘Mother A Distance Greater…’ by Simon Armitage, ‘Catrin’ by Gillian Clarke or ‘My Father Thought it Bloody Queer’. Start this with the child’s tantrum, mother’s thoughts then quickly move to realising the child is gone.

[14]  World famous BMXer (or other sports person, footballer, skateboarder, surfer) is in a car crash – or other accident – and loses his leg. Will he ever ride again?  This can link to ‘Out, Out-‘ by Robert Frost. For more on the guy in the photo see this video . Start this story when he wakes up in a hospital bed.

[15] A bsent father returns trying to spend time with his kids. How do they react to seeing him after so long? [this idea is done beautifully in the story, ‘Compass and Torch’ in the AQA anthology Sunlight on the Grass]. You could also link this to ‘Follower’ by Seamus Heaney. Start this when the re’s a knock at the front door.

[16]  You win a million pounds on the lottery. Everyone you know wants some. What would you buy? Friendships are ruined. Then you are robbed… Start this when you check your bank balance and there are sooooo many noughts at the end it looks like a bank malfunction. IV Coming of Age

[17]  Death of a pet. Ferociously funny, very short story about a girl and a fish [ here ]. Start this when you find the pet… dead, or just before. You can use flashback – when you first got the pet, etc.

[18]  Learning a secret you wish you’d never found out – e.g. finding texts on your dad’s mobile from his girlfriend while your parents are still married – or learning that your mum is planning to secretly leave your dad. Start this when you’re just idly messing with the parent’s phone or laptop.

[19]  falling in love for the first time , as in Romeo and Juliet. Start this when they see each other or their first proper meeting. Link this to ‘Sonnet 18 Shall I Compare Thee’, ‘Sonnet 116 Let Me Not’, ‘Quickdraw’ or ‘Hour’, by Carol Ann Duffy or ‘To His Coy Mistress’ by Andrew Marvell.

[20]  The first time you have to do a really disgusting piece of housework / cook a meal for yourself and how you tackle it. Start this when you realise that no one else is going to do this foul job except you. Read a description of cooking a meal here .

V The Chase / Monsters

[21]  You’re camping with your friend in the woods. Then you hear a noise outside (wolves, person, etc). Start this as you’re getting settled to go to sleep – then you hear snuffling (or whatever). Read Bill Bryson’s hilarious account of this exact event, and also an account of surviving a bear attack from the OCR exam paper here.

[22]  You have something someone else wants – gold, diamonds etc. They chase you to get it. You choose the landscape: city, ruined derelict warehouses, Brazil, forest, cliffs etc. Start this at the moment you realise someone is following you. You can link this to the final chapter of Lord of the Flies .

[23]  You are the last surviving human after the zombie/vampire apocalypse. Now they have found you. This is the plot of ‘I Am Legend’. You can link this to Edwin Muir’s post-apocalyptic poem ‘Horses’, ‘Wind’ by Ted Hughes or the final chapter of Lord of the Flies . Start this at the moment you (or the main character) realises someone is coming towards your hiding place.

[24]  The King is a tyrant who has killed your family. Now you will take revenge . Start this story as you are just about to go through the city walls.

[25]  You wake up and discover you have been turned into a giant insect. How does your family react? This is the plot of Kafka’s Metamorphosis. Read this here . Start at the point you wake up, and gradually realise what has happened.

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English Language GCSE: Your Step-By-Step Guide to Creative Writing

Are you preparing for your English language GCSE creative writing task? Feeling a mixture of excitement and anxiety about how to channel your creativity into a structured piece of writing that ticks all the boxes for examiners? You're not alone. Creative writing can seem daunting, but with the right approach and understanding, you can craft a story that not only captivates but also earns you top marks. This guide will walk you through the process of developing your narrative, from the initial brainstorming phase to the final touches before 'pens down'!

Understanding the Assessment Criteria

Before embarking on your creative writing journey, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the assessment criteria is imperative. The evaluators of your English language GCSE creative writing piece will scrutinise several key areas: the coherence of your narrative structure, range of ideas you explore, the variety and complexity of your sentence structures, and the precision of your spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Familiarity with these standards is not just a prerequisite but a strategic tool; it enables you to tailor your creative efforts to meet these benchmarks. As you proceed with each stage of your writing, keep these criteria at the forefront of your mind. They serve as a guiding framework, ensuring that every element of your piece, from the initial plot conception to the final dialogue, contributes towards a cohesive, engaging, and technically proficient narrative. Remember, understanding what is expected is the first step to excelling in your creative writing question.

Finding Your Inspiration

We often talk about 'cultural capital' and how evident it is in the most engaging creative pieces we read when examining. Cultural capital is all around you: let curiosity be your guide, leading you through books that span genres and eras, conversations that challenge and provoke, and the rich tapestry of everyday life. Engage with various forms of art - cinema, paintings, music - to stimulate your senses and uncover fresh perspectives. Record fleeting thoughts, overheard conversations, or the peculiarities of a typical day in a dedicated notebook. This reservoir of ideas will become an invaluable resource to tap into in the exam. Always remember, the seeds of great stories lie in the willingness to explore and the readiness to be inspired by the world around you.

Planning Your Story

After identifying a spark of inspiration, it's crucial to channel that energy into a structured plan for your piece. Crafting an outline is essential, so don't skip the plan! Examiners can always spot an unplanned piece as it will fall apart somewhere around the middle. You only have 50 minutes:: you have time to write a moment, not a movie. Imagine a fascinating five minutes in the picture you've been given as stimulus. Plan a conflict, a contrast or a change that could happen within the five minutes. Remember, a well-thought-out plan not only acts as a roadmap for your writing but also ensures that your narrative remains coherent and compelling from start to finish.

Crafting Descriptive Settings

The environment where your narrative unfolds plays a pivotal role in immersing your audience in the world you’ve created. To craft settings that captivate, employ descriptive language that appeals to the senses. Envision your scene's sights, sounds, smells, and textures, and articulate these in your writing to conjure vivid imagery. Consider the emotional tone your setting imparts; a bustling city street can exude energy and possibility, whereas a secluded forest path might evoke tranquillity or mystery. Reflect on how the environment influences your characters’ actions and decisions, adding depth to your story. A well-drawn setting acts not merely as a backdrop but as a character in its own right, with the power to affect mood, reveal aspects of your characters, and even steer the narrative’s direction. Through thoughtful description, your settings can become memorable landscapes that linger in the reader’s mind long after they've turned the final page.

Don't skip the final five minute check

It feels very tempting to write to the last second but I implore you not to. Even if your spelling, punctuation and grammar is already perfect, the last second tweaks and edits you make could take you from one grade into the next.

Found this helpful? You can sign up for my creative writing guided revision session here .

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Creative, imaginative, descriptive and narrative writing

Develop KS3-4 English students' confidence and enjoyment in writing for pleasure with a selection of inspiring classroom resources and activities. 

One of the great pleasures – and challenges – of teaching English is helping students to develop their own 'voice' and style as writers of short stories. Assessing their creative, imaginative, descriptive and narrative writing skills at GCSE is a different matter, and can prove to be less rewarding for students, as writing on demand can test even the most confident of writers. The rich collection of creative writing resources on Teachit, generously shared by our fantastic English teacher contributors, are a testament to the creativity, resourcefulness and ingenuity of English teachers as we seek to tease out the best in students' writing. Here is a selection of popular resources for writing classes and lessons, as well as some of our newly published creative and narrative writing resources:

Planning and structuring writing 

Story building grids  is a flexible writing prompt resource to help students with the first steps of planning the writing process, with suggestions for different literary devices to include (metaphors, similes, alliteration, personification, dialogue, point of view etc.). 

Another writing prompt resource, Beth Kemp's  Imaginative writing: creating a scene , carefully walks them through the whole planning and writing process. Like a screenplay writer, students learn how to zoom in on key scenes to create pace, tension and atmosphere, while considering point of view and their main characters' traits. This resource also focuses on the importance of re-writing and editing their piece of writing. Fran Nantongwe's delightful and hugely popular  The quest for a cure  is perfect for younger students and will take your class through a range of different genres and written forms over several English lessons, and also includes some non-fiction tasks.

Word choices 

Ditch the adjective  is a great new resource by contributor Sally-Ann Griffin, which include a range of writing tips to guide students through the process of making better word choices and focuses on the importance of re-writing. 

English teacher Helen Down's  Turning pictures into word banks  helps students to select really engaging words to use.  Writing pyramids  is a flexible resource for students to refer to again and again to support their writing experiments.  

Story starters

For inspiration for creative writing activities, try  Super story starters  or  Engage your sleeping author!  which offers students a range of examples of creative writing and opening sentences which help them to explore different forms (diary, epistolary, historical). With imaginative writing, it's important to inspire students. Stephen Mitchell's  Exploring beginnings  and  Attention-grabbing story starters  both encourage students to consider the effect of different story openings. For a series of lessons, try the thoughtful  Memory-inspired creative writing . And if you are looking for more imaginative writing, creative writing or narrative writing resources, try our  Writing fiction  or  Writing techniques  collection for hundreds of classroom resources for English students and teachers on the following: 

• how to create characters and explore character development
• how to experiment with narrative style, such as using the first person or exploring different points of view 
• how to explore different genres, settings or plots, and different types of creative writing
• how to use literary devices and techniques. 

For non-fiction and creative non-fiction writing, try our  Writing non-fiction texts  collection.  

This article was first published as an Editor's pick newsletter in January 2022. 

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Senior Content Lead at Teachit, and former head of English and e-learning. 

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Paper 1: Creative Writing

In the exam you're normally given two options: a descriptive piece or a narrative piece. neither is worth more or less than the other so it's up to you to choose which suits you best. though describing the same thing for 45 minutes can see a little tough, i'd argue that the description is actually easier than the narrative. the problem with writing a short narrative, is its shortness., to do this well you need to make sure that your plot is very, very , very , very simple . you'll only have 45 minutes to write it, and that doesn't leave a lot of space for character development or events., really, you should be able to tell your storyline in one sentence, any more than that and it's probably too complex for the exam., i've included some of my own below to give you an idea of how much plot i've managed to include....

The Simple Scene

Perspectives

An Unreliable Narrator

Using Description

Read over the stories above and pick one structure that you think you could use. then, google some images and see if you can find a way for your chosen structure to become a story connected to that image. the key with a structure is that you can practice with it, but it will still fit any end you choose., but also, there are literally millions of short stories on the web, simply because writing is such a pleasure and sharing stories is so fundamentally human. to help you filter through some of them, you'll find a list of some of my favourite places below:, https://themolotovcocktail.com/, https://wigleaf.com/, https://blog.reedsy.com/short-stories/, https://www.flashfictiononline.com/.

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Improving Writing Skills at GCSE: Punctuation that Tells a Story

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been taking you through all the ways that you can improve your narrative writing for GCSE. Since it’s a universal task across all the exam boards and since it’s a high-stakes skill carrying a lot of marks, it’s worth spending some time to get it right.

Today we look at punctuation. It’s something I’ve covered in a lot of depth, having looked at ways to use all kinds of punctuation marks across the two writing tasks. Today, we look specifically at punctuation in narrative writing and how it can be used to tell a story.

One of the most depressing things to see as I open a piece of writing is a list like this:

.,?!:;…-“”()

All it tells me is that I’m about to read something that is written as a vehicle to get in a load of punctuation marks because that’s how the candidate feels marks are awarded.

The more you use, the more marks you get, right?

This comes back to my previous post about vocabulary, and how the chief examiner for AQA used that term ‘contrived’. All contrived means in this sense is artificial, used deliberately in an unrealistic way rather than appearing spontaneously. Punctuation often suffers the same fate as linguistic devices: because it can be reduced to a mnemonic of sorts, students go into the exam, slap down a checklist and tick each one off as they go.

Yet writing like this never gets high marks.

What readers are looking for is the right mark in the right place.

I’m looking for candidates who understand that punctuation can be as much a part of the story as the words themselves. They control the pace, the musicality, the style. They speed things up. And then, when you are in desperate need of taking a while, in need of lingering a little to allow your reader to catch their breath, your punctuation and the structure of your sentence do all the heavy lifting, stretching the sentence out in order to delay, to deliberate, to pontificate.

It’s not about using ALL the punctuation.

Nor is it even about using all the punctuation correctly.

It’s about using punctuation for deliberate narrative effect.

Punctuation, after all, is not just some add-on. It’s not an after-thought. It is – or, at least, it should be – an integral part of your writing.

Here are five ways you can use punctuation more effectively in your narratives, using them to tell a story.

#1 Think of the overall effect before you commit yourself to paper

Are you trying to go for a tense mood? A terse narrative style? Or are you planning on waxing lyrical and releasing your inner poet as you uncover a moment of beauty within the story? Are you in need of making something startling and striking?

Are you trying to slow your reader down or speed them up?

Before you even start to write, it’s a good idea to consider whether you want it to be fast or slow, at the very least.

Of course, with punctuation, it’s hardly as if you can map out your entire story before you start, but even in the planning stages, you can include some notes for yourself. Think of your plan almost as a musical conductor’s notes. Do you want it to be adagio or allegro ? Slow or bright? Are you building to a crescendo or a cliffhanger?

Punctuation is all about mood.

In Dark Matter by Michelle Paver, she creates many scenes of suspense and tension. Look at the terse, tense, sharp, staccato sentences here:

I wake to darkness and dead cold.

In the instant of waking I know that I am perceiving what cannot be – and yet it is. I am awake and I see it, it is real. Through the doorway I see it. It is standing in the main room looking out of the north window. It’s inside.

Now it’s turning towards me. I feel its rage. Its malevolence crushes me to my bunk.

I fumble for my torch. Can’t find it. Can’t get untangled from the sleeping bag. I knock over the chair besides me. Glass shatters. A stink of paraffin.

Here, there is a tense and dischordant mood. Paver is not just using punctuation to create that mood. Her vocabulary and her sentences also help create that effect. All things come together.

I have no idea if Paver made a very conscious decision with her punctuation. It can become very instinctive to good writers, because they don’t even think about the effect. Yet before she wrote, she knew no doubt that she was building up to the final crescendo. The three tools that she has in her toolkit – punctuation, sentences and vocabulary – all create both the mood and the pace.

Before you commit your next sentence to paper having just written the last, it’s useful to think about whether you need to go fast or slow, at the very least.

#2 Start simple

If there’s one skill that makes a huge difference, it’s knowing where and how to use full stops and commas. As you can see from the passage above, these are really the most frequent of the punctuation you will use. A good writer can arguably get by with nothing other than full stops, commas and the occasional apostrophe. In his book The Road , Cormac McCarthy uses little other than full stops and apostrophes as you can see in the opening here:

When he woke in the woods in the dark and the cold of the night he’d reach out to touch the child sleeping beside him. Nights dark beyond darkness and the days more gray each one than what had gone before. Like the onset of some cold glaucoma dimming away the world. His hand rose and fell softly with each precious breath. He pushed away the plastic tarpaulin and raised himself in the stinking robes and blankets and looked toward the east for any light but there was none.

It’s worthwhile focusing on the components of a sentence and understanding where and when to use a sentence fragment, and for what purpose. You can’t divorce punctuation from sentences and structures. Both Paver and McCarthy use very little other than full stops, and both use fragments, but they feel right.

I know that must seem like a strange thing to say about sentences, that they ‘feel’ right, but the real truth is that there are no hard and fast rules about where fragments are to be used and where they are not.

#3 Add speech

We’ve considered the use of dialogue in narrative in another post. The good thing about dialogue is that speech punctuation and the punctuation of reporting clauses is either/or. That’s to say it’s either right or it’s not. There are few moments of punctuation like that. For instance, in copying out both Paver’s and McCarthy’s examples, there were places I would have put a comma. In fact, I put commas in and had to delete them – it was instinctive and habitual. That’s not to say I’m right and they’re wrong, but that there are few hard and fast rules about commas.

Speech punctuation is either right or wrong. On the whole. It gives the examiner or the reader a chance to see that you can master stuff where there are rules. In fact, whether someone knows how to punctuate speech is a real barometer for me about their skills.

We already know that speech serves many narrative purposes, so it’s something that can easily go in to your essay.

You may notice before that I said that speech punctuation is either right or wrong on the whole. McCarthy’s book is a very good example of how we can punctuate speech differently. Did you know, for instance, in French, that they use angled quote marks and dashes to introduce speech? « » takes the place of “”, and a dash is often used to introduce a speaker too.

– Stay where you are! Do nothing! Don’t make a move.

That can work in English too, and you’ll find writers using a dash to mark new speech – and no speech marks at all! How frightful is that?!

German speech marks look like this: „…“, as do a whole host of other languages.

Even in English, there are times when rules are broken, particularly by certain writers for effect. Consider McCarthy’s speech here:

The boy turned in the blankets. Then he opened his eyes. Hi, Papa, he said.

I’m right here.

Does that mean McCarthy would fail his GCSE English Language? Well, the speech is clear and it’s also spartan for effect, so… I’d argue that it’s highly effective. Would I experiment in the exam? Perhaps not. There are times to play it safe just so that the examiner realises you are capable of following the rules. It’s not always obvious that students are breaking rules especially when there are many others who simply don’t know the rules yet.

#4 Get your apostrophes and hyphens right

With most stories, once you’ve got your full stops and commas right, you may find that you don’t actually need a much wider range of punctuation. One thing that even McCarthy needs, however, is an apostrophe in he’d . Like speech marks, both the omissive and the possessive apostrophe are either right or they’re wrong, so it’s worth brushing up on them. The real tell-tale for me is whether a student knows that its means ‘belonging to it’ and it’s means ‘it is’ or ‘it has’. Students who know this rule don’t make that mistake. I was 24 years old and I’d got through GCSEs, A level English Literature and a degree in English Literature before my uncle pulled me up on this error. I know plenty of people whose intelligence and writing I esteem and who haven’t quite got the it’s/its thing right yet…

Hyphens are the other one that are almost either/or. There is some changing shifts as cultures change and words like ward-robe morph into wardrobe and people forget there was ever a hyphen there. Even McCarthy in his punctuation-bare novel uses a hyphen from time to time, half-inch even when he runs others together like oilbottles and trashdrum which you’d probably think of as two separate and distinct words that don’t even need a hyphen. So, again, not hard-and-fast rules, but more-or-less rules. Even if I don’t find speech in a story – perfectly normal in a one-character story, by the way – then full stops, commas, apostrophes and hyphens tend to be the normal, reliable features of narratives.

#5 Let your punctuation tell a story in itself from time to time

Punctuation has meaning. Dashes speak to haste and disruption, chaos and interruption. Colons tell us that explanation will follow; semi-colons tell us that the idea is connected inextricably to ideas in the sentence just before. Ellipsis allow things to drift…

A well-chosen dash, colon, semi-colon or use of ellipsis can be very evocative, telling a tale in itself.

Think about that first sentence from Dark Matter by Michelle Paver:

In the instant of waking I know that I am perceiving what cannot be – and yet it is . That dash does a lot of story-telling. It shows that disconnect, that jarring hiatus between the narrator realising that what they are seeing is not possible, and yet it exists anyway. Dashes interrupt and suspend the sentence momentarily. Think about how it would inform someone reading the sentence aloud:

In the instant of waking I know that I am perceiving what cannot be [pause for dramatic effect] and yet it is

It tells that story of the writer’s internal state of mind, having to reconcile the possible and the impossible and struggling to do so.

Semi-colons are not just for lists. Please, please don’t put a shopping list into your story just to show you can use colons and semi-colons. All it shows is that you have no idea what’s appropriate and what’s not.

Here’s a beautiful example from Joseph Conrad:

Darkness oozed out from between the trees, through the tangled maze of the creepers from behind the great fantastic and unstirring leaves; the darkness mysterious and invincible; the darkess scented and poisonous of impenetrable forests.

Here, the semi-colons are used to build this sentence where the ideas connect one to the next and where they are layered upon one another. The semi-colons allow the ideas to connect, so they are not disrupted in the same way that a full stop or a dash would do. At the same time, they give more structure and shape to the sentence, pegging down those clauses rather than letting them float about like commas would do.

When it comes to your punctuation, then, you need to do more than simply showing competence and that you can use punctuation in the right place. Better candidates are beginning to play around with sentences, to shape them and to use punctuation to marshall the words within them. In other words, the best candidates are using punctuation purposefully rather than just planting it thoughtlessly.

In the next post we’ll build on what we have here and we’ll look at how writers use punctuation for effect.

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Story Plan Generator

Write a story about:.

• This story plan generator can currently generate 74.9 * 10 15 unique plans. Now that’s a lot of stories!
• Buy Grade 9 GCSE English model answers now from only £5.99.
• Extra guidance on how to use this generator is available below.

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This book is ideal for helping students improve their creative story writing for the GCSE English Language exams. Each chapter contains an exam task and a planning checklist designed to help students do regular timed writing practice.

There are also twelve complete model stories to help students understand what a good exam story looks like. Each model story demonstrates the powerful vocabulary choices, the insightful characterisation and the technical accuracy the examiners are looking for.

The book is rounded off with in-depth exam board information and suggestions for further reading.

Click Plan Your Story!  and see a story plan appear before your eyes. Click Copy Plan to copy the plan to your clipboard for pasting into other documents. You can change individual parts of the plan by simply clicking on the section you want to change – a new random element will be chosen. Or, you can reset the whole plan by clicking  Reset to clear the plan and start again. Feel free to keep planning stories. You won’t run out!

This tool is designed for students preparing for the GCSE English Language exams. Specifically, it exists to help students with the planning process for stories which are a part of every GCSE English Language course and account for around 25% of marks available (depending on the exam board). The aim of the plan is to provide a model for good story planning whilst also speeding up the planning process, getting students’ imaginations whirring and suggesting new, intriguing and challenging ideas for stories.

Of course. Click View Options to see a blank plan. Fill in as many of the blank options as you want and then select Complete Your Plan! to finish the job.

Most students find it easier to write stories where characters are the same age. For that reason, although the age range is chosen at random, it will be the same for both characters. If you have a great idea for a story with characters of different ages, use the View Options button to enter the ages yourself before selecting Complete Your Plan! to get the randomiser to work its magic for you.

The generator chooses names at random from a list of 698 names. These are names that have appeared at least once in the top 100 baby names registered in England and Wales since 1904. The data is available from the Office for National Statistics . Of course, if you prefer, give your characters names of your choosing by selecting View Options   before selecting ‘Complete Your Plan’ to get the randomiser to work its magic for you.

The personality pairings are adapted from a number of theories of personality ( The Four Temperaments , Myers-Briggs , The Big Five , HEXACO ) and offer a range of possible personalities for your characters. I recommend giving contrasting personalities to your two characters as that will likely lead to drama and complex characterisation.

It’s true that some of the plan combinations will be unusual (but not impossible). This is because of the random nature of this plan generator. For example, you could get ‘Season: Winter’ and ‘Weather: Heatwave’ which would be an unusual situation for winter. Or, you could get ‘Character’s Age: 80s’ and ‘Theme/genre: Science Fiction’.

If this happens to you, there are a couple of possibilities. You can simply re-run the generator to get a different plan. Better still, you could challenge yourself to write the story. In fact, it might encourage you to write a truly new story. After all, why aren’t there more science fiction stories where the protagonists are in their 80s?

My exam guide offers a range of excellent, Grade 9, model exam answers. You could also consider buying a recent anthology of short stories .

Follow @gcseenglishuk on social media and have a look at my model answers .

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Short Story - Creative Writing

I peered into the light with difficulty. I was lying in a pool of blood, feeling the liquid seeping through my underwear. Opening my eyes was hard enough, but moving them, that was another story. But where was I? I panned across what looked to be a barren island, only to discover, dune after dune of sand. The ocean seemed to stare me in the face and looking at it gave me a headache. I noticed the waves breaking closer to the shore. In a hurry, I turned around and limped across the beach, in search of higher ground, with a trail of blood following me. I became drowsy as I stood upon the sandy island, only coming across the occasional palm tree. Dehydration had taken its toll, as I collapsed to the ground with my arms and legs aching. I discovered hints of blood trickling down my arms. The cuts were not deep, but the bleeding persisted.

After taking a moment to recuperate, I heard familiar voices behind me. There they were, taking cover under a leaf shelter. The taller man turned around, hearing the rattle I was making behind the bushes and without warning...I shot out, with my hands above my head. Oh my god! Could it be? It was Terrance! I ran up to him and hugged him as hard as I could, sending him to the ground, with an unexpected thud! After being taken to their make-shift hut, I was introduced to Terrance’s friend, Timothy.

He later explained to me that he and Timothy had scoured the island for any food or water. And in doing so, they had stumbled upon the abandoned helicopter. It was only around 100 yards from the hut and it seemed in pretty bad condition. It had taken a few hits to the body work and one of the wings was missing. Before nightfall, we all did our best to recover as many items from the chopper as possible. Darkness fell as we retreated to the hut.

This is a preview of the whole essay

That night I just could not sleep, repeatedly seeing a helicopter crashing in my dreams. It all started on a stormy night; flying over the ocean. The weather was terrible, and a lightning strike was inevitable. Suddenly the turbulence picked up, and the helicopter began shuddering. Bang! The tail was gone. The helicopter spun violently and we plummeted to the ground...I woke up in a cold sweat, only to discover Terrance and Timothy gazing dubiously at me.  

Another day dawned. Terrance had prepared breakfast, making use of last night’s scavenging. Disbelief grew inside me as resources ran low. However, going for a walk didn’t seem to cure anything with my arms and legs perilously aching again. As I panned across the area, a trail of empty chip packets caught me eyes, ones that I had salvaged! There he was, hiding in the distance, Timothy! The little bastard was munching away; he didn’t even notice me, gorging himself with food. I walked back in disgust, and confronted Terrance, informing him of the issue.

The days went on, and we were only left with two bottles of milk and a single Jar of Horlicks.  With no food and only water in abundance, I began to worry. Timothy was also beginning to behave strangely. I observed him closely, to discover he had chewed his fingernails away. There were also a numerous amount of distinctive blood stains on the sleeves of his, white jacket. Then it hit me, patches of skin missing on the arms...blood stains on the jacket...bite marks on the arms. It all connects! I walked off, in search of Terrance, and after discussing the matter, he too became concerned.

Time passed and another ghastly day went by. Five days had gone. Terrance and I were fine; it was only Timothy we were worried about. The sky was gloomier that day and we had not seen sunlight for days. The sky became much darker, and it was becoming harder to see. Timothy had marched off, and I began pacing from one side of the hut to the other...

Crunch. I heard the leaf litter around the bushes moving. The reflection from what looked to be a machete, dazzled my eyes. We huddled together, me and Terrance. I took another peek, and saw two white eyes ogling me. I could hear the blood rushing through my ears. The shadow scuttled behind the bushes. I began to hear a whistling noise. It’s just the wind, I told myself. It leapt out. Wielding the machete, it let out some ferocious swipes. One whisked past my ear, hearing the blade slicing through the air. My heart thumped, beating harder every second. Terrance tripped, taking me down in his crushing grip. It was all over. We couldn’t move. I closed my eyes...

I heard the machete dig into the ground, feeling a brightly coloured light burning against my eyelids. There he was, standing in front of us. Timothy, with the sun shining right into him. Petrified, Terrance bolted. I was left stranded in the sand, and immediately took hold of the machete. I saw Timothy fall to the ground with his hands clamped to his eyes. Light hadn’t been seen in days!

With Timothy back on his feet again, we followed the sun’s path across the island. We began to see life as we travelled across the island, first the occasional butterfly and then a flock of birds in full flight. Our spirits lifted as we saw the wildlife but then the sand became loose. The final dune was dreadful, as each footstep was engulfed by the dune. And then in the distance we heard it, a helicopter? Could it be? The noise became louder, as we progressed. We started climbing faster, hoping for the best and there it was, the icing on the cake, “UN Search & Rescue”. As the fluorescent helicopter hovered above the shore-line, two men leapt out, wrapped us in warm blankets and escorted us to safety.

Document Details

• Word Count 1011
• Page Count 3
• Subject English

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AQA GCSE English Language Paper 1, Section B: Narrative Writing A*/L9 Answer (Lake Narcissus)

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

14 May 2024

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This is an example response to a GCSE Narrative Writing - A* L9 Full Mark Example. Written by an AQA examiner.

Warning: It does contain references to depression and mental health issues, as part of the story. I’ve added the plan to the description below so you can check whether it’s right for you and/or your students.

This digital + printable pdf + PowerPoint resource includes the following:

THE QUESTION ‘Write a story, set in a mountainous area, as suggested by the picture in the document’ THE PLAN 1- character views the mountain lake landscape 2 - feels sad and depressed, thinks about jumping in the lake 3 - a girl appears, starts running towards the water 4 - she jumps in, he is worried that she’ll drown and jumps in after her 5 - he saves her, they sit on the shore of the lake together THE ANSWER WRITING TASK

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AQA GCSE English Language Paper 1 - A MEGA BUNDLE (Digital + printable PDF + PowerPoints)

A mega bundle of 19 AQA GCSE English Language Paper 1 resources, made by an AQA examiner and teacher. Suitable for teachers and students, available at a discount of 30%! If you're looking for the [LANGUAGE PAPER 2](http://https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12530173) bundle, click here. This bundle covers everything you need to teach or learn the AQA Language Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing to a high level. Contains both **example answers of varying levels** by students, and **full mark example answers** by an examiner. Try a resource for free to see whether this bundle is right for you: [AQA English Language Paper 1: Descriptive Writing Full Mark Answer A*/L9 Grade - Hot Air Balloon](http://https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12791828) This bundle contains **digital + printable pdf + PowerPoint resources** that cover the following: OVERVIEW / BREAKDOWN OF THE PAPER 1 SECTION A RESOURCES: Section A: Breakdown Section A: Q1 + Q2 Example Student Answers + Feedback Section A: Q3 Breakdown + Example Answers (L5-L9) Section A: Q4 Study Guide + High-Grade Essays Section A: Full Mark Answers SECTION B RESOURCES: Section B: Breakdown Section B: Creative Writing Practise Questions Section B: How to Plan Question 5 Section B: Descriptive Writing B/L6 Answer (Storm) Section B: Descriptive Writing A/ L7 Answer (Island) Section B: Descriptive Writing A*/L9 Answer (Hot Air Balloon) Section B: Narrative Writing Full Mark Answer (Pyramids) Section B: Descriptive Writing A*/L9 Answer (Old Man) Section B: Narrative Writing A*/L9 Answer (Lake Narcissus) BONUS MATERIAL: Mock Paper 1: The Old Curiosity Shop Argumentative Essay Example Answers + Feedback Grade Boundaries Explained for Students How To Improve Reading + Recommended Short Stories Enjoy! If you need further help, please take a look at our English Language and Literature [VIEW OUR SHOP HERE](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/ntabani)

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GCSE English Literature / Drama: Creating Comedy and Tension

BBC Teach > Secondary Resources > GCSE English Literature / GCSE Drama > The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Video summary

Moments of comedy and tension are explored in the National Theatre’s production of 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time', adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens from the novel by Mark Haddon.

It shows how placing Christopher on the stage whilst his mother reads aloud her letters about how hard she found life with him build tension into the scene.

In contrast to this, we see moments of comedy in the play.

Simon Stephens explains that many of the comic moments came directly from Mark Haddon’s writing.

We see the cast creating these comic moments on stage, such as the interaction between Mrs Alexander and Christopher.

Because Christopher sees things in a different way, the play is quirky and fun as well as being tense and emotional.

This short film is from the BBC series, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: From Page to Stage, made in collaboration with the National Theatre.

It explores how Mark Haddon’s much-loved novel became a multi-award-winning theatre production.

Interviews with the playwright, director and cast and footage from both rehearsal and performance reveal the process of bringing the story alive on stage.

Teacher Notes

This short film could be useful in looking at particular moments of tension when studying the novel as a set text.

Students could be encouraged to explore Haddon's use of humour and how it is translated to the reader.

Students could gain inspiration on how to perform moments of comedy and tension, and in particular, the scenes with Judy's monologues.

Students could also use this to examine how the actors worked together to create moments of comedy and tension if analysing the play as a piece of live theatre.

This short film is suitable for teaching GCSE English literature and drama in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and National 5 in Scotland.

More from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: From Page to Stage

Creating Atmosphere

Through interviews with the director and designers, we learn how projection, lighting and sound come together to create atmosphere in the production.

Design Elements

A look at how the highly stylised set of the play was designed, featuring interviews with the director and designers.

Ensemble Acting

The cast and creative team give us an insight into the use of ensemble acting, where a small group of actors play a large number of different parts.

Adapting a Novel for Theatre

Playwright Simon Stephens explains the strategies he used in adapting the story of Mark Haddon’s novel into a script for his production at the National Theatre.

What is Physical Theatre?

Scott Graham from theatre company, Frantic Assembly, explains what physical theatre is, and how it was used to create the original National Theatre production.

Christopher and his Dad

An exploration of the relationship between Christopher Boone and his Dad, Ed Boone, using footage from the original National Theatre production of 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'.

Christopher and his Mum

A look at the relationship between Christopher Boone and his Mum, Judy, through interviews with the actors and footage from the National Theatre production.

Christopher and Siobhan

A look at the relationship between the characters of Christopher Boone and his teacher, Siobhan, played by Niamh Cusack in the National Theatre production.

Playwright Simon Stephens explains the themes of the novel and play; family, love, honesty and truthfulness.

Who is Christopher Boone?

An exploration of the character Christopher Boone, from the actor and director who originated the role in the National Theatre production of 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'.