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10+ GCSE creative writing ideas, prompts and plot lines

Getting a good GCSE creative writing plot going can be difficult, here are some ideas to help you out.

Ahead of your exams, here are a selection of GCSE creative writing ideas and prompts to hopefully provide some inspiration.

The Lost Timepiece

Prompt: In an old, dusty attic, a teenager discovers a mysterious pocket watch that doesn’t seem to tell the correct time.

Potential Story Directions:

• The watch could transport the teenager to different moments in history whenever it's wound.
• The watch might belong to a long-lost relative, leading to a family mystery.
• The watch could be counting down to a significant event, and the protagonist must figure out what is about to happen.

The Secret Garden Door

Prompt: Behind the overgrown ivy in the school's garden, a student finds a door that wasn't there before.

• The door could lead to a magical world, offering an escape from everyday life but with challenges of its own.
• It might be a portal to the past, showing the school's history and secrets.
• The door could be a metaphorical passage to self-discovery, revealing hidden aspects of the character’s personality.

The Last Message

Prompt: A character receives a mysterious message in a bottle on the beach, written in a cryptic language.

• Deciphering the message could lead to an adventure, perhaps a treasure hunt or a rescue mission.
• The message might be from a distant land or time, offering insights into an ancient or futuristic world.
• It could be a personal message from someone significant in the character’s past, triggering a journey of emotional growth.

Midnight at the Museum

Prompt: A night guard at a museum notices that the exhibits come to life after midnight.

• The guard could interact with historical figures, learning about history firsthand.
• There might be a plot to steal an exhibit, and the living exhibits help to thwart it.
• The phenomenon could be linked to a supernatural event or an ancient curse that needs resolving.

The Forgotten Melody

Prompt: A pianist discovers an old, unplayed piano in a neglected music room that plays a melody no one seems to recognize.

• The melody could be a key to unlocking forgotten memories or a hidden past.
• It might be a magical melody, having various effects on listeners.

Each of these prompts offers a starting point for creative exploration, allowing students to develop their storytelling skills in imaginative and engaging ways.

Galactic Storm

Prompt: Astronauts on a mission to a distant planet encounter a bizarre, otherworldly storm.

• The storm could have strange, mind-altering effects on the crew.
• It might be a living entity, communicating in an unprecedented way.
• The crew must navigate through the storm to discover a hidden aspect of the universe.

Unearthed Powers

Prompt: A teenager suddenly discovers they have a supernatural ability.

• The power could be a family secret, leading to a journey of self-discovery.
• It might cause conflict with friends and society, forcing the protagonist to make difficult choices.
• The ability could attract unwanted attention, leading to a thrilling adventure.

Reflections of Reality

Prompt: A story that mirrors a significant real-life experience involving friendship or a pet.

• The story could explore the depth of human-animal bonds or the complexities of friendship.
• It might involve a heartwarming journey or a challenging ordeal.
• The protagonist learns valuable life lessons through these relationships.

Chronicle of Times

Prompt: A character discovers a way to travel through time.

• Traveling to the future, they encounter a radically different world.
• In the past, they might inadvertently alter history.
• The story could explore the moral and emotional implications of time travel.

Apocalyptic Event

Prompt: A natural disaster of unprecedented scale threatens humanity.

• The story could focus on survival, resilience, and human spirit.
• It might involve a journey to avert the disaster.
• The narrative could explore the societal changes that occur in the face of such a disaster.

The Unsolved Case

Prompt: A detective starts investigating a complex and mysterious murder.

• The investigation uncovers deep secrets and conspiracies.
• The detective's personal life might intertwine with the case.
• The story could have a surprising twist, challenging the reader's expectations.

Retold Fable

Prompt: Modernize a classic fable or story, such as the Boy Who Cried Wolf, in a contemporary setting.

• The story could be set in a modern city, exploring current social issues.
• It might be told from a different perspective, offering a fresh take on the moral of the story.
• The narrative could blend the original fable with current events, creating a powerful commentary.

Forbidden Love

Prompt: Two characters from vastly different worlds fall in love, against all odds.

• Their love could challenge societal norms and expectations.
• The story might explore the sacrifices they make for each other.
• It could be a journey of self-discovery and acceptance in the face of adversity.

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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How to Pass The Creative Writing Section of Your English GCSE

The creative writing component of the English Language GCSE can leave most students petrified. Having not practiced writing creatively since a much younger age, the dive into creative writing, especially when students are hounded to write academically, can be a challenge.

Often the English Language creative writing component will be phrased as so:

'Write a story about a time you felt overwhelmed' or 'Write a story inspired by the picture below'.

All of the above instructions are relatively vague. For students who are used to being told what to do, and for the English Literature component, asked to explore only a very specific area of the text – the idea of writing free reign is enough of an overwhelming story.

However, students shouldn’t be scared. English is nothing but the study of stories – and while you may feel left in the proverbial dark, actually stories are weaved into your every day life. From posts on social media, to newspaper articles and the texts you study for English Literature. So, there’s nothing daunting. You can weave a narrative just as succinctly and easily.

Here are some tips to consider:

Read anything and everything.

Well, start with novels. When you turn 16, there’s no novel too detailed for you to explore and while I’m not saying you should start off reading War and Peace, you should be reading literature that excites and interests you. Whether it’s The Hunger Games, 1984 or Pride and Prejudice - all of these texts are filled with exciting stories for you to think about. Ask yourself: how does the author create suspense? What about the character is intriguing to you? For example, in The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen sacrifices herself for her sister – while she acts bravely, the author still indicates that she is frightened and overwhelmed. There is an internal conflict here that makes the character fascinating.

Be varied in your vocabulary

Words like “nice” and “said” are a bun with no burger, relish or cheese… bland! So, take a look at the example below so you can see for yourself why:

“Good to see you,” she said.

“Likewise,” John said.

Now take a look at the same examples with the “said” removed and some more detail added.

Lucy finished walking her bike up the hill. Drenched and exhausted, she extended a sweaty arm. “Good to see you,” she panted.

“Likewise,” replied John, who shook her outstretched hand lightly and then proceeded to wipe the remains on his tweed trousers.

See the difference?

The five senses rule

When writing creatively, especially when you are being asked to write in the first person, you can describe the immediate area drawing on your five senses; taste, touch, sight, sound and smell.

If in the English GCSE exam, you were presented with a picture of a crowded market place and asked to write a story revolving it, you could open with the following (bonus points if you can spot any literary techniques):

The food market was a buzzing hive; its occupants busying themselves with the buying and selling of sweet smelling delicacies sourced from Toulouse to Timbaktu. I caught a whiff of Jasmine on the wind and was delighted to find a pastel painting of Turkish Delight, coated with a light dusting.

“You like?” cried the seller, ignoring the three other customers in the queue and trying to entice me in. I waved an apologetic hand and squeezed my way deeper into the market.

I was trying to remember to the words for ‘excuse me’, but had forgotten the teachings of the busboy at the hotel. The noise built into crescendos at every stand, with gossip, commands and bartering taking place in a rich dialect I couldn’t comprehend. Each and every direction I turned, I was jagged with an elbow or forced to fake-interest in a stall in which I had none. I was becoming overwhelmed, so I stole into a small crevice on the side of the market to seek respite.

Obviously, you will need to write more than this. But try to make your language as rich and engaging as possible.

Make sure to reread your work

Your creative writing component will be judged on spelling, grammar and punctuation, so make sure that you read your work once you’re done to iron out any potential mistakes.

If you want a little bit more help, Tutor House offers world-class English GCSE tutors. To find out more, or to book your tutor today, call 0203 9500 320

Alex is the founder and director of Tutor House and has a degree in Psychology. He has worked in the educational industry for 14 years; teaching Psychology for 8 years at a school in London. He now runs Tutor House, after setting it up in 2012. Alex still tutors every week, he writes for the Huffington Post and has appeared on the BBC and ITV to discuss educational topics. Alex is an educational consultant and UCAS expert, he’s worked with hundreds of students over the years. He’s obsessed with squash, but is distinctly average.

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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)

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Paper 1 Question 5: Creative Writing Model Answer ( AQA GCSE English Language )

Revision note.

Paper 1 Question 5: Creative Writing Model Answer

In Paper 1 Question 5 you will be presented with a choice of two writing tasks and a stimulus image. One task will ask you to write descriptively, most likely based on the image, and the other question will ask you to write a story, based on a statement or title. 

The task requires you to write for a specific purpose and in a specific form. It is important you write in the correct format and use the conventions of this form, as the mark scheme mentions adapting your tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences. 

This means: 

• The tone (sound of the narrator’s ‘voice’) is appropriate and convincing 
• The register (vocabulary and phrasing) is suitable for the purpose
• The style of the writing (sentence structure and overall structure) is dynamic and engaging

Below you will find a detailed creative writing model in response to an example of Paper 1 Question 5, under the following sub-headings (click to go straight to that sub-heading):

Writing a GCSE English Language story

Structuring your story, ao5: content and organisation, ao6: technical accuracy, question 5 level 4 model story, why would this story achieve top marks.

Remember, Paper 1 Question 5 is worth 40 marks, broken down into two Assessment Objectives:

When planning your response, it is a good idea to keep the tone, style and register in mind, as well as the conventions of the form. Here, we will consider how you can produce an effective story with these devices in mind:

Story writing should develop a sense of character as well as mood. This means you should consider how your narrator or characters would behave and sound.  

In order to craft a tone which builds characterisation and mood, consider: 

• The perspective from which your story will be told: 
• First-person characterisation can include monologues which express the narrator’s thoughts and feelings 
• Third-person characterisation will generally include a description of the character’s appearance and movements
• Choose verbs and adverbs carefully to ‘show’ the character’s reactions
• If you use a third-person omniscient narrator , you can advise the reader of the character’s thoughts and feelings
• Consider how you can use sentence lengths and types in monologue and dialogue, as well as description of setting:
• Short sentences reflect tension and unease, e.g. ‘No sound could be heard’
• Longer sentences and listing can create a sense of being overwhelmed, or of abundance, e.g. ‘The table was laden with apples, grapes, oranges, loaves of bread, chunks of cheese and an array of colourful vegetables’
• Rhetorical questions can suggest confusion, e.g. ‘Would I ever get it right?’

Style and register

The style of your story writing is closely related to the language you use. For example, in a creative writing response, the best answers show evidence of careful word choice and linguistic techniques.

Creative writing helps the reader to visualise the person, place, or situation being described with word choice and linguistic techniques, as well as being taken on a journey.

The best way to do this is to: 

• Use vocabulary which is useful to the reader:
• For example, describing something as ‘great’ or ‘amazing’ is telling rather than showing 
• Use sensory language to bring the scene to life:
• For example, a deserted park at night requires a completely different description from a busy park during the daytime
• Emphasise key ideas or impressions using language techniques and imagery:
• For example, you could use a simile to create associations about size or colour
• Personification is a useful technique when describing weather or objects 
• Ensure you describe the important details:
• For example, you do not need to describe every inch of a person or scene bit by bit, but instead focus on key, interesting features that develops the story or the sense of character

Creative story writing develops an idea to a conclusion. This means your story should have cohesion by planning an ending with a resolution (you should plan whether your story will end happily or not). In the exam, it is best not to plan a complex story which takes place over a long period of time, employs multiple characters and has more than one setting or plot twist.  

In order to adhere to the conventions of story writing, it is best to: 

• Plan your writing in an order which takes your character (and reader) on a clear journey:
• The best way to do this is to plan one main event
• Consider employing structural techniques such as a flashback:
• This can give background information to the reader and provide context
• Ensure you use past-tense verbs for this
• Develop your characters:
• Consider essential narrative characterisations, such as villain, victim, hero etc.
• Decide on how your characters fit this description 
• When describing people, focus on relevant details only:
• You could focus on their body language or movements
• If using dialogue, how your characters speak can reveal more about them than what they say, e.g. “shrieked”, “mumbled”, “whispered”
• It is effective to repeat ideas related to colour
• You can repeat ideas for emphasis, for example, black and grey or green and blue

Below is an example of the type of creative writing you may be asked to write in Question 5. This is taken from Language Paper 1 June 2019:

This task asks you to write a story with the title ‘Abandoned’. This means you are required to construct a story based around this idea. The mark scheme rewards original ideas, but the most successful answers are those which develop an idea effectively and engage the reader in a compelling story. 

Crafting a story plot which conveys a complex and original idea does not need to include multiple characters or take place over a long period of time. Consider the short story as a ‘scene’ in a film. It is not necessary to know everything about your characters, but better to immerse the reader with vivid ‘showing’ techniques, such as sensory imagery, movements and dialogue.

As this is a longer writing question, you can spend about 5 minutes planning your answer. 

Once you are sure of the form you will write in and you have considered how best to convey the mood and character development to your reader, you can begin to think about how you will order your ideas. 

Creative writing responses should be structured in five or six paragraphs. We have suggested basing your narrative structure on Freytag’s Pyramid:

Remember, each paragraph does not have to be the same length. In fact, better answers vary the lengths of their paragraphs for effect. What is important is to develop separate ideas or points in each paragraph, and avoid repeating the same descriptions throughout your response.

Keep using sensory language throughout, but adjust the focus and perspective as your paragraphs develop. Make sure you include description of movement and description of sound to effectively craft a mood.

Below is an example of a full-mark Level 4 model story:

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Author: Sam Evans

Sam is a graduate in English Language and Literature, specialising in journalism and the history and varieties of English. Before teaching, Sam had a career in tourism in South Africa and Europe. After training to become a teacher, Sam taught English Language and Literature and Communication and Culture in three outstanding secondary schools across England. Her teaching experience began in nursery schools, where she achieved a qualification in Early Years Foundation education. Sam went on to train in the SEN department of a secondary school, working closely with visually impaired students. From there, she went on to manage KS3 and GCSE English language and literature, as well as leading the Sixth Form curriculum. During this time, Sam trained as an examiner in AQA and iGCSE and has marked GCSE English examinations across a range of specifications. She went on to tutor Business English, English as a Second Language and international GCSE English to students around the world, as well as tutoring A level, GCSE and KS3 students for educational provisions in England. Sam freelances as a ghostwriter on novels, business articles and reports, academic resources and non-fiction books.

• Apr 30, 2019

Creative Writing | GCSE English Revision Tips | General Advice

Updated: Aug 5, 2021

How to revise for Creative Writing in GCSE English Language.

With the GCSE language paper coming up, the creative writing element is one that can easily be overlooked. Perhaps you wonder whether you can really learn how to do well in this part of the section or if it is simply down to talent. However, the key to excellent creative writing exam answers is imagination – using your creativity to come up with things to write.

A struggle that students I teach often find with creative questions is that the prompts are typically broad, and image prompts can be sparse with little detail. Sometimes they might spark inspiration, but sometimes you might be looking at them in despair, wondering what on earth you could write about.

Now, one huge advantage of these open-ended questions is that they allow you to have the prerogative to take the answer where you want it to go; there is no way for them to catch you out for not knowing any information. The broad question or image should not be restrictive: for instance, in a description you do not have to stick exactly to describing what you see; using poetic licence to imagine what might be there is strongly encouraged.

General Hints and Tips for Creative Writing at GCSE

A general piece of advice that I give to my students is to plan the structure of your answer. When you hear “creative writing”, you may not think that a plan would be necessary. However, in the mark schemes of all exam boards, the phrase “well controlled paragraphs”, and “well-structured answer” almost always features in the top band. Of course, you do not need to plan out all your similes and metaphors, but setting yourself out a basic structure of what to say in each paragraph will help it to read more clearly.

A key way to make it clear to the examiner that you know what you are doing is through consistency . Ensure that you have the same tone throughout your creative piece, and that your narrative style and tense remains the same. This way, you can show to the examiner that your narrative choices have been deliberate, and based on the purpose and audience of the brief you have been given.

Each GCSE syllabus has a different way of assessing for the creative writing element. Find your exam board below for some tips on how to tackle the specific exam questions you will be presented with.

How to write a description or a short story - AQA exam board

For the AQA creative writing section in particular, you will be asked to write either a description based on an image, or a short story. For the image description, as well as having a good standard of language, your marks will lie within your ability to use a wide range of language techniques: think metaphors, similes, sensory language, imagery, alliteration etc.

A description of this kind requires you to be very imaginative. If you are stuck on where to begin, look at the image and think about what mood you could extract from it. Does it look spooky? Does it look dangerous? Once you have identified this, try to reflect this mood in the tone of your description.

Some advice that was offered in the November 2017 examiners' report was to ensure that your writing is not too formulaic. For instance, try not to write “I can see… I can smell…” just to ensure you are filling in sensory language: this applies to both the short story and the description. This is perhaps the hardest element of the AQA creative language question: fulfilling all the criteria while making it flow and work as a creative piece.

My advice would be to read over your work after you have finished and try to imagine you are just reading this for fun, outside of the exam context. If it works as a piece of creative writing rather than just as an exam answer, you should be on the right track.

How to answer prompt-based questions - Edexcel exam board

The imaginative writing section of Edexcel requires you to take on a broad prompt, such as the 2017 question “write about a secret” with the aid of an image provided.

For this question, the mark scheme is fairly open as to the approaches you can take. It allows writing in the form of a description, an anecdote, a speech, or a narrative. The image is also only there to provide inspiration – you are not required to reference it directly in your answer if you do not wish to.

A good revision strategy for this question would be to pick a couple of forms that you want to focus on, and practice them before the exam. Then you could pick the form most suited to the question you chose in the exam, and you will be an expert in writing for this form: something that will immediately boost your marks.

A large part of fitting in with the mark scheme is “using appropriate techniques for creative writing”. This may include using a wide vocabulary, imagery, alliteration, similes and metaphors in order to describe and explain.

How to write for purpose – OCR exam board

For the OCR specification, the focus is on writing for purpose and audience . This is a large part of what you are being tested on, so you must always ensure that you identify these two things before you start writing.

In 2017, the options were to write a blog post describing how you successfully overcame a challenging situation, and to write a letter to an employer applying for a job you have always wanted. These two tasks clearly have significantly different purposes and audiences. A blog post would be for the general population, and the tone will need to be readable and informal, whereas the letter to the employer will need to be formal and tailored to the individual reader.

The mark scheme for these questions require you to cover the following areas: tone, style, register, and organisation. The first three in this list will need you to adapt for the purpose and audience. While going over past paper questions, if you’re unsure on how you should write, look up examples of that form online. For instance, looking for a letter to an employer online should give you some good examples, as would looking up examples of newsletter entries or blog posts.

My best piece of advice for OCR’s questions is to practise. Ask a parent or friend to come up with some different forms and audiences for you to write in, and practise adapting your tone, style and register for the different audiences.

OCR have also provided some helpful resources for creative writing (GCSE English Language 9-1 syllabus) .

Blog Post Crafted by Genevieve

Genevieve is currently working towards her bachelors in English Literature at the University of Warwick .

Born in Coventry, she now tutors English SATs and GCSE in her free time, as well as working for the university as an outreach ambassador in local schools.

She also enjoys playing piano and flute, and often performs as a backing singer at local gigs.

Whenever she has a moment to spare, you might find her driving to the beach or catching up on her reading!

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Beyond GCSE Revision

Gcse-grade revision from beyond, powered by twinkl, gcse creative writing tips.

GCSE creative writing is our favourite aspect of KS4 English here at Beyond. While it may be our favourite, we understand that it can be daunting for some students. To ensure everyone feels comfortable when expressing themselves, we’ve collated three top GCSE creative writing tips that are sure to coax out your inner author!

Show Not Tell

Your creative writing will be more engaging and sophisticated if you ‘show, not tell’.

But how do you do this?

• Vivid verbs – action or ‘doing’ words.
• Adventurous adverbs – words usually ending in ‘ly’ that tell us how the action has been done.
• Ambitious adjectives – describing words that add details about appearance, personality or condition.

GCSE Creative Writing Tip 1: Vivid Verbs

Describe the action using a vivid verb to make it interesting and give more information.

e.g. The crowd screamed Beyoncé’s name.

This adds extra information in a creative way. It tells us what the crowd was like and how they were feeling.

Your turn: think of as many as you can…

GCSE Creative Writing Tip 2: Adventurous Adverbs

Now, add some adventurous adverbs to add further detail and information.

e.g. Deafeningly, the crowd screamed Beyoncé’s name.

This adds extra information, building a clearer picture for the reader in just one word!

GCSE Creative Writing Tip 3: Ambitious Adjectives

Now, add some ambitious adjectives to add further detail and information.

e.g. Deafeningly, the large, boisterous crowd screamed Beyoncé’s name.

This builds upon the image, adding extra information to help the reader imagine what is happening.

Try changing these character descriptions from telling to showing:

• Jonathan had ginger hair. He was very tall. He was feeling happy because it was the end of term.
• Louise was dressed in a ball gown ready for the school prom. But she was feeling sad because her cat had died.

Beyond’s GCSE Creative Writing Resources

Now it’s time to put these GCSE creative writing tips to use! Below is a Beyond resource that you might find helpful!

GCSE Creative Writing: Vocabulary ‘Show Not Tell’ Lesson Pack

Everything else you might need can be found in our GCSE creative writing category . You can find our other GCSE English blogs here and don’t forget to  subscribe to Beyond  for access to thousands of secondary teaching resources. You can  sign up for a free account here  and take a look around  at our free resources  before you subscribe too.

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Our dedicated writing skills resources will help KS3 and GCSE students to develop a variety of writing skills, including fiction and non-fiction writing, and a range of writing techniques. Browse our resource collections below, or search for resources to suit the needs of your class. 

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‘Want pupils to score more highly in GCSE English? Focus on creative writing’

The new English language GCSE has plenty of critics. Research has even suggested that the new course could be putting pupils off reading .

But I disagree. I think that the new GCSE gives real scope for creativity and for us to make the qualification more accessible to those learners who have had a negative experience of studying English.

Last year I secured funding through Shine’s Let Teachers Shine competition to support a project I’ve been working on called Write On!, which is an approach to the GCSE resits that maximises progress by focussing mainly on written literacy and creative-writing skills.

And while I am working specifically with resit students, I think that the same approaches could benefit other students who struggle with English.

So, why does teaching creative writing help students to do better in GCSE English? In a nutshell, because it means focusing your teaching where the marks are.

‘Creative writing is where the marks are’

Critics of the new English language GCSE often cite the 19th-century content as a barrier for less-able students or those with very weak literacy. I don’t agree with that premise for a number of pedagogical reasons, but we don’t even need to get into those, because the 19th-century component counts for such a small percentage of the available marks .

For example, on the Edexcel specification, the 19th-century literature accounts for just 15 per cent of the GCSE - and that 15 per cent isn’t awarded for knowledge of nineteenth-century literature, but for application of skills that could be practised in the classroom just as effectively on any modern text.

The creative tasks, on the other hand, account for 50 per cent of the marks. This means that half of the marks in the GCSE are awarded for two tasks that are, simply put, to write a story and to write a letter or speech. Looking at the raw numbers, if a student scores 5 out of 40 in the story task and 5 out of 40 in the other writing task, they will achieve a grade 1 in their GCSE.

But what does an approach based around these creative elements look like in practice?

I focus lessons on the basic skills of literacy and creative writing: developing imagination, building confidence - and gently supporting the improvement of sentencing, paragraphing and punctuation. Skills essential for all students, regardless of how functional or poetic their real-life literacy needs will be.

Examples from fiction

Then, to make the non-fiction writing element more engaging, I prefer to model it through creative fiction examples. I show students two- or three-minute rousing speeches from films such as Independence Day , Braveheart , and Legally Blonde . These are crammed full of interesting creative features and are a length that’s a much more realistic model for students to scavenge and scaffold from than Demosthenes’ Third Philippic , or whatever the hell educational publishers are putting in their joyless anthologies these days.

Similarly, you would be hard-pressed to find a more engaging example of creative letter writing than the stylish young adult novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower .

Even the reading section clearly serves writing skills. The basic format is: here are some example texts, take a look at how they use language and structure, evaluate how successful they are, now have a go at something similar yourself. In truth, it is more coherent and rigorous than the outgoing creative writing A level, which didn’t survive reform.

For me, this is why there is no need for an alternative qualification and no argument that the GCSE is anything but a gift to those of us teaching students who are belatedly beginning to enjoy English and to make progress in it.

Andrew Otty leads 16-19 English in a South West college. He tweets @Education720

Shine’s Let Teachers Shine competition offers up to £15,000 to teachers who have brilliant ideas to help disadvantaged children succeed in English, maths or science. Let Teachers Shine 2018 is now open for applications. 

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