creative writing starter year 6

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Journal Buddies Jill | October 29, 2023 May 17, 2022 | Creative Writing

Wow! 98 Story Prompts & Creative Story Starters for Kids

Need Story Prompts & Starters?  There are lots of great story prompt ideas here for you and your writers. You see, with these fun and fabulous lists of creative writing story starters — 3 lists in all — your kids will enjoy 85 boosts of creativity. PLUS, you’ll find 13 fabulous finish the story ideas .

That means there’s a total of 98 story prompts for students right here at your fingertips.

So get to it and help ignite your students’ imaginations and creative writing interests. Above all, enjoy!

Here’s what you’ll find in this post:

Yeppers. There are 3 wonderful lists of story starters and story-writing prompts and ideas for your writers. All FREE and all fun.

Lots of Wonderful Story Writing Prompts to Ignite the Imagination

Each idea gives students a starting point from which they can take any number of directions. They’ll think about what they would do if they found $1000 on the ground or what would happen if one of their best friends was elected President.

For extra fun, encourage your kids to share their stories with one another after writing. They’ll be amazed to see how many different ideas they came up with from the same short story starter.

Promote imagination and adventure with these new journal prompts and creative writing story starters. Regardless of whether they write silly, scary, or serious stories, students will love the chance to write something unique.

Ok… Here are those wonderful creative writing story prompts for your young writers!

List #1 — 55 Story Prompts, Creative Writing Prompts, and Story Starters for Kids

• You become a character in your favorite video game, and…
• Your grandma comes to town and brings an unexpected surprise…
• You are an astronaut who finds something strange on the moon…
• Your parents tell you that you’re moving across the country.
• An alien comes to Earth, and…
• At the beach, you find a special seashell…
• At summer camp, the boys and girls wage a prank war against one another.
• Every time a dog barks, something unusual happens…
• You learn that you are heir to a throne…
• At the library, you find a photo in a book.
• The last seconds on the clock are ticking, and the ball is in your hands. What happens next?
• You get stuck in an elevator with…
• In the backyard, your dog finds a mysterious necklace…
• Your best friend is elected President.
• At the mall, you walk by a mannequin that looks just like you. Something odd is happening…
• You find an old photo of your grandmother, and see that she was a famous actress…
• You receive a letter in the mail saying that you’ve won $10,000. What do you do?
• Your favorite athlete shows up at one of your games—but as a player on the other team!
• Your bicycle runs away from home. How do you find it?
• You discover a magic button that will…
• You suspect the school library might be haunted…
• You come home to find your cat eating a bowl of ice cream. What happens next?
• You win a contest on the radio for…
• Three kids get locked in the mall. What do they decide to do?
• You travel to the prairie and see…
• You switch places for a day with your favorite celebrity.
• You’re a race car driver with an embarrassing secret.
• Your favorite singer agrees to perform an exclusive show in your basement.
• You come home from school to find a box on your porch. What’s inside?
• At your birthday party, you receive a very special present…
• Your luggage gets lost at the airport and you accidentally open the wrong bag.
• Your class gets snowed in at school. What do you do?
• You show up at school, but you can’t remember where of your classes are or who anyone is.
• You switch places for a day with your dad.
• In the back of your closet, you find a basketball jersey…
• You find out that your teacher used to be…

• You find $1000 on the ground, and…
• Your family wins the lottery.
• You discover your parents are spies…
• You become the youngest person ever to set a world record for…
• You and your best friend end up on the set of your favorite TV show. What happens?
• You take a ride on a tornado, and…
• You run into some trouble while camping…
• There is a magic swing at the park that will take you to…
• The power goes out, and you’re home alone…
• One day, there is a very strange weather report that says…
• Everywhere you go, you keep hearing a song that no one else can hear…
• You find a map leading to buried treasure, but it’s buried under the principal’s house!
• You hear an ad on the radio for a magic product that will…
• You stumble upon a cure for __________. What do you do with it?
• On Christmas Eve, you hear a strange noise on the roof…
• You’re in the school play and worried about forgetting your lines.
• You get home from the zoo and find a baby monkey in your trunk! What do you do?
• You win a cooking contest for your famous __________ recipe.

I hope you enjoyed these superb story starters for students.

Just in case our list of writing prompts above was enough… here are some more ideas for kids.

BONUS List #2 — 13 Finish The Story Writing Prompts

These finish the story writing prompts and ideas should help writers easily create a good story of their very own. Enjoy!

• I went to outer space with three dinosaurs and couldn’t believe it when our spaceship…
• I went to see a movie with my best friend when suddenly…
• My family’s summer vacation was going great until my family member did this…
• A detective and K-9 partner were given the task of …
• Visit a new planet or lots of new planets
• Fix climate issues here on earth
• Use my superpower to…
• Or none of the above, I would…
• The last time I spoke to them…

• My favorite childhood memory was when…
• I used to say to my friends that when the cookie crumbles, just eat one of the other cookies. I learned this when I…
• If I could have any gift in the whole wide world, I would choose to receive a…
• My very favorite place in all the world is…
• I went on a road trip and couldn’t believe the magical things I saw. It was like Science Fiction (but real!). This is what happened…
• My mom heard a knock and opened the front door. To her astonishment, she saw a giraffe and…

Whew! What a great list of finish-the-story writing prompts. Now, let’s get to those story starters for kids.

Oh yeah. Here are Those Creative Story Starters for Kids, As Promised!

Creative writing offers so many benefits for kids. It helps them tap into their imagination and expand their creativity, which teaches them to think outside the box. It’s also fun, boosts their confidence, and gives them a wonderful outlet for self-expression.

Whether your students have written one story or 50 stories, the practice of regular writing can have a positive impact on their creativity. Relax and enjoy this fun listing of imaginative story starter ideas for kids!

NEW! List #3 – 30 Story Starters for Student Writers

• The lights suddenly went out and everything in the room was black. Then, I heard a noise I  couldn ’t identify coming from the window…
• I was digging around in the attic and found a pair of magic glasses. It was incredible what I could see with them in my house…
• Paddling along in a canoe, we made it to the center of the lake. Suddenly, the boat got a leak and…
• I was tired of living with my name. I decided it was time to change my name to something I really liked…
• I found a magic seed and when I planted it…
• After hearing some strange sounds under my bed, I peeked underneath and there I found a dragon. He seemed pretty friendly…
• The mailman came by and delivered a box so big we  couldn ’t get it through the door. We opened the huge box outside and…
• All of a sudden, right in front of Sarah’s eyes, her family completely disappeared…
• Ella looked down at her watch. Her mouth dropped open. Her watch was now turning backward…
• Johnny found a box in his backyard buried in the dirt. It was full of secrets that had been kept hidden for centuries. He tried to decide if he should open the box…
• Ryan went out to the kitchen for a snack, and when he opened the refrigerator, he found something that he never expected to see…
• Jennie’s mom was driving her to school when suddenly the car started lifting right off the ground and into the air…
• Marc and Mitch made a big decision, and by the end of the day, they would come to regret that decision more than anything in their life…
• Thunder started to roll and lightning flashed. One minute it was raining and then suddenly there were bright, colorful drops of paint falling from the clouds instead of rain…

• My mom had to run to the store and I was supposed to look after my little sister. I really wished I would have now…
• Lisa looked in the mirror after washing her face. She screamed. Something had definitely gone terribly wrong…
• It was the most important decision of my life…and I made the wrong one…
• Ryan loved riding his dirt bike through the trails in the woods. But today the woods looked different. The trees looked angry and there were no birds singing…
• Lenny loved to go around squashing spiders. But this was the day that the spiders would finally have their revenge…
• One dark, stormy night, the monsters didn’t stay under my bed. They came out to play…
• Dear Diary. There’s a good chance that this will be the last time I get to write in you. You see…
• My dream had always been to go to the Olympics, and finally, the day came when I got my wish. I was at the Olympics to compete in…
• “Home run,” yelled Alex as everyone watched the ball fly beyond the fence. For a moment there was silence, followed by the tinkling sound of glass breaking in the distance…
• Michael went out to help his dad milk the cows on their family farm. He always talked to the cows while he milked them, but today one of the cows talked back…
• Jenny and Lisa were having a grand time camping in a tent in the backyard. They were laughing and telling spooky stories and having fun until they suddenly heard a strange noise…
• Jeff loved eating ice cream. When he saw a poster advertising the chance to win an ice cream cone every week from the local ice cream shop, he knew he had to enter. The only thing he needed to do was come up with a new ice cream flavor.
• Suddenly the television turned on by itself. I looked over and saw a message that I could never forget…
• The door upstairs that led to the attic had always been locked, but today Henry had found the key and was ready to explore…
• My pet robot usually listened to my commands. But today, it seemed like it had a mind of its own…

Sometimes kids have a tough time knowing how to start their stories. If this is the case for your students, then, by all means, please use the fun story starters above to help spark their imaginations.

I hope you enjoyed these Story Starters for Kids .

Ok, see this…

367 More Story Writing Ideas

Yippee… we offer you loads more fun writing prompts on a variety of topics for all grades. Here are some of our favorites. Take a look!

• 32 Fun Story Starters to Inspire Middle School Kids
• 25 Terrific Fantasy Story Ideas
• 49 Story Starters Ideas for Elementary Kids
• 34 Creative Story Ideas for Middle Schoolers
• 162 Creative Writing Topics or Students
• 30 Short Story Writing Ideas for Kids
• 10 Great Choose your Own Adventure Story Ideas
• 25 Story Openers and How to Start a Story

With the chance to write their own stories about their favorite pet, an enchanted forest, or what they would do if they found a frog with magical powers, our fun writing prompts, story starters, and lesson plans will inspire all students from pre-K to high school.

A Few Final Thoughts…

Daily writing offers many benefits to students, but the ability to explore new worlds is undoubtedly one of the most important.

So put these creative writing story starters on double duty and use them as journal prompts for kids as well! Whether they’re writing creatively or considering a topic of personal reflection, journaling improves critical thinking skills and encourages imagination.

When students write on a regular basis, they gain more confidence in their schoolwork and in their own ideas.

Indeed… Journaling is a powerful way to empower your students both inside and outside of the classroom.

Until next time, write on…

If you enjoyed these Creative Writing Story Starters, please share them on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest. I appreciate it!

Sincerely, Jill journalbuddies.com creator and curator

PS – Here is an awesome story starter generator resource .

Tap to See Prompts Power Up Your Pen: 157 Writing Prompt a Day Ideas 162 Creative Writing Topics and Ideas (Updated!) 10 Great Journal List Prompts (110 Ideas in All!) ------------Start of Om Added --------- @media (min-width: 320px) and (max-width: 767px) { .inside-right-sidebar { display: none !important; } } Search Now Offering You 18,000+ Prompts!

Tap to See Prompts Power Up Your Pen: 157 Writing Prompt a Day Ideas 162 Creative Writing Topics and Ideas (Updated!) 10 Great Journal List Prompts (110 Ideas in All!) Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7-8 Grade 9-12 All Ages ------------End of Om Added --------- Tags classroom , creative-writing-resources , creativity , daily writing , empower , journal , journal prompts , Journaling resources , school , schoolwork , stories , story starter , story starters , students , topic , writing , writing creatively empower , writing prompts div#postbottom { margin-top: 12px; } Search Now Offering You 18,000+ Prompts!

Free Printable Creative Writing Worksheets for 6th Year

Creative Writing: Discover a world of imagination with our free printable Reading & Writing worksheets for Year 6 students. Enhance your students' skills and creativity with Quizizz's diverse resources.

Explore Creative Writing Worksheets by Grades

• kindergarten

Explore Other Subject Worksheets for year 6

• Social studies
• Social emotional
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• Reading & Writing

Explore printable Creative Writing worksheets for 6th Year

Creative Writing worksheets for Year 6 are an excellent resource for teachers looking to engage their students in the world of reading and writing. These worksheets provide a variety of activities and exercises designed to help students develop their skills in fiction writing, as well as other forms of creative expression. By incorporating these worksheets into their lesson plans, teachers can provide a structured and supportive environment for students to explore their creativity and improve their writing abilities. With a focus on reading and writing, these Year 6 worksheets offer a comprehensive approach to developing students' literacy skills, ultimately preparing them for more advanced writing tasks in the future.

Quizizz is a fantastic platform that complements Creative Writing worksheets for Year 6, offering teachers a variety of interactive and engaging activities to further enhance their students' learning experience. This platform provides a wide range of quizzes and games that can be tailored to specific topics, such as reading and writing or fiction writing, allowing teachers to reinforce key concepts and assess their students' progress. In addition to its extensive quiz library, Quizizz also offers a variety of other resources, including flashcards and interactive presentations, making it an invaluable tool for teachers seeking to create a dynamic and immersive learning environment for their Year 6 students. By incorporating Quizizz into their lesson plans, teachers can ensure that their students are not only developing their creative writing skills but also having fun in the process.

Activity: Perform a poem

Read the poem, talk about what it means, and perform it to an audience.

5. Find story inspiration

You can find fun story ideas anywhere! Why not raid your kitchen cupboards or hunt through the attic to find lost treasures? Anything from an old hat to a telescope will do the trick. What could the object be used for? Who might be looking for it? What secrets could it hold? Suggest different genres such as mystery or science fiction and discuss how the item might be used in this kind of story.

Real-world facts can also be a great source of inspiration. For example, did you know a jumping flea can accelerate faster than a space rocket taking off into orbit? What crazy story can your child make out of this fact? Newspapers and news websites can be great for finding these sorts of ideas.

For more storytelling ideas, download our free Story idea generator  or our Character profile activity sheet .

Activity: Story idea generator

Activity: Character profile

6. Draw your ideas first

If your child isn’t sure where to start with a story or even a piece of non-fiction, it can sometimes be helpful to sketch out their ideas first. For instance, can they draw a picture of a dastardly villain or a brave hero? How about a scary woodland or an enchanted castle?

Your child might also find it useful to draw maps or diagrams. What are all the different areas of their fantasy landscape called? How is the baddie’s base organised?

Some children might enjoy taking this idea a step further and drawing their own comics. This is great practice – it stretches your child’s creativity, gets them thinking about plot, character, and dialogue, and is a big confidence boost once they’ve finished and have an amazing story to look back on.

What your child will learn

In Year 6 (age 10–11), your child will be aiming to build upon the goals and expectations they were first set in Year 5. They will be expected to:

• Identifying the audience for and purpose of the writing
• Noting and developing initial ideas, drawing on reading and research where necessary.
• Selecting appropriate grammar and vocabulary, understanding how such choices can change and enhance meaning
• In narratives, describing settings, characters and atmosphere and integrating dialogue to convey character and advance the action
• Using a wide range of devices to build cohesion within and across paragraphs
• Using further organisational and presentational devices to structure text and to guide the reader (for example, headings, bullet points , and underlining).
• Assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing
• Proposing changes to vocabulary, grammar and punctuation to enhance effects and clarify meaning
• Ensuring the consistent and correct use of tense throughout a piece of writing
• Ensuring correct subject and verb agreement when using singular and plural , distinguishing between the language of speech and writing and choosing the appropriate register.
• Proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors.

Handwriting, spelling, grammar, and punctuation are all important aspects of writing too. You can find out more about them on our dedicated pages:

Handwriting in Year 6 (age 10-11)

Find out more about handwriting in Year 6 at Primary School.

Find out more

Spelling in Year 6 (age 10-11)

Find out more about spelling in Year 6 at Primary School.

Grammar and punctuation in Year 6 (age 10-11)

Find out more about grammar and punctuation in Year 6 at Primary School.

• Age 5–6 (Year 1)
• Age 6–7 (Year 2)
• Age 7–8 (Year 3)
• Age 8–9 (Year 4)
• Age 9–10 (Year 5)
• Age 10–11 (Year 6)
• Year 1 (age 5–6)
• Year 2 (age 6–7)
• Year 3 (age 7–8)
• Year 4 (age 8–9)
• Year 5 (age 9–10)
• Year 6 (age 10–11)
• Grammar glossary
• Grammar books

Grade 6 Writing Prompts

25 exciting sixth grade writing prompts.

These Grade 6 writing prompts are the perfect way for your child to consolidate knowledge gathered on different styles of writing! Here are the categories covered in this page:

Character, Setting, Object

Metaphor story starters, story titles, general prompts.

• A wizard, A school, and a golden key
• A scientist, a house on wheels, and a time machine
• An explorer, a dark jungle, and a magical hat
• A storm chaser, a small town, and a flying car
• A sports star, a stadium, and magic shoes
• His eyes were ice and…
• There was a weight on her shoulder. She couldn’t…
• The room was a hot furnace. She had never felt…
• Hold on to your dreams because…
• Life is a rollercoaster, you have to…
• The Magical Eletiger
• Volcano Disaster
• The Cloud Explorer
• Mystery In The Night Zoo
• The New Student
• Discuss deforestation and the impact it has on the environment.
• Who is the most important historical figure and why do you think so?
• Are video games a positive or negative influence on people?
• Which morals do you think society should believe are most valuable?
• Which piece of technology do you think should not have been invented?
• What is your favorite website or app and why?
• Write a report about your favorite scientific fact.
• What book should everyone read and why?
• What would make the world a better place?
• What goals would you like to achieve in the next ten years?

How Night Zookeeper can help

Night Zookeeper makes writing fantastically fun for children aged six to twelve.

Our language arts program for kids has been created improve children's skills while keeping them engaged, focused and entertained! Nightzookeeper.com will transform your child's attitude towards writing with thousands of creative writing prompts, skills challenges, and interactive lessons available now!

Sign up today and get a 7-day FREE trial!

More writing prompts & activities

• Grade 6 Picture Writing Prompts
• Grade 6 Writing Activities
• Creative Writing Prompts for Kids
• Elementary Writing Prompts
• Elementary Writing Activities

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• Elementary Writing Curriculum
• Language Arts Resources

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• Over 1,000 different learning games and activities

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• 9 Of The Best Storyboard Templates And Creative Story Writing Resources

Story writing – Best storyboard templates & creative writing ideas

Whether it’s writing short stories, creating comic strips or filmmaking, every tale needs the right structure to be told well…

Having a beginning, middle and end may be a staple of story writing, but alone it’s not enough.

There are many ways to tell a story and write great fiction. One thing is constant though, a good story needs good structure. These resources and activities will help your pupils develop the skills required to add that foundation to their creative writing.

We also have lots of advice and resources for:

• The story mountain technique
• Building suspense in writing

Blank storyboard templates

Story writing resources, tried and tested story writing prompts and starters, even more story writing resources, story writing competitions, basic storyboard templates.

Here’s a simple, straightforward, printable storyboard template . It doesn’t matter how extravagant a creative writing lesson you have planned, at some point you’re going to need these.

There are seven layouts in total here, three portrait and four landscape, with differing numbers of panels and space for students to write.

Writing templates pack

This KS1 and KS2 writing template pack from literacy resources website Plazoom contains a range of templates to support children with their story idea. It’s ideal for helping pupils to organise their thoughts.

The templates included are:

• Comic strip pages
• Report research
• Report plan

Story mountain template

If you’re looking for teaching resources that will help children with their story planning, this handy story mountain template is just the ticket.

WAGOLL packs from real authors

Peer inside the mind of award-winning children’s authors and help pupils understand how to create engaging characters, captivating atmospheres and suspenseful situations. Our free WAGOLL resource packs contain an exclusive extract, working wall template, teaching notes, and worksheets. Authors include:

• Cressida Cowell
• Liz Flanagan
• Hannah Gold
• & lots more

Author in your Classroom

Do you ever wish that you could just hand over your English lesson to one of the UK’s most successful children’s authors and let them take the reins?

You’re in luck!  Author In Your Classroom  is a brilliant free podcast series recorded especially for schools. Every episode comes with free teacher notes, PowerPoints, display materials and more.

• Write a new take on a classic with Sir Michael Morpurgo
• Place familiar characters in new settings with Dame Jacqueline Wilson
• Imagine a cast of characters with Lauren Child
• Create magical creatures with Cressida Cowell
• Plan a plot with Robin Stevens
• Create a supervillain with Liz Pichon

Creative writing worksheets

Want to fit more creative writing into your school timetable but not sure where to start? These free fun writing prompts take just ten minutes and are perfect for slotting into small gaps in your day.

They’ll get children’s creative juices flowing and hopefully improve their writing skills too. 

200 inspiring writing prompts

Inspire short bursts of creativity with  200 original and inspiring writing prompts  from teacher and published author Hayley Scott. They’re perfect for daily ten- or twenty-minute writing sessions or home learning.

Story writing lesson plan

Immerse pupils in a spot of imaginary world-building and watch their fiction writing flourish with this free KS2 lesson plan .

It’s designed to immerse your pupils in the art of world-building, generating an instant and unique starting point for their own pieces of writing.

Writing posters set

Decorate your classroom with good story starters and ideas for getting going with creative writing with this interactive poster set from literacy resources website Plazoom.

There are seven posters in total, each showcasing different creative writing starters you can use to begin a story: Questions, action, dialogue, background information, introducing a character, describing the setting.

Write mini sagas

Show children short stories consisting of exactly 50 words. Find these online ( fiftywordstories.com ) or write your own.

Ask pupils to help you write a 50-word version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. To begin with, don’t count the words but display the story on the board, before asking children to help you reduce the word count by taking out unnecessary details.

Read and reread the story and ask if anything significant is missing. Encourage children to plan their own mini sagas by making notes of key events, and then ask them to draft, edit and revise until they are happy they have produced a good 50-word version.

Oral storytelling prompts

Choose a story which you can tell confidently without reading, such as The Three Little Pigs. Display some brief notes so the children can see how you use these to guide your storytelling.

Afterwards, ask pupils to use the notes to tell each other the story. Encourage them to discuss each other’s versions and suggest what might be changed. Next, work in pairs to make brief notes about another well-known story. Then practise telling it, first to each other and then to other pairs.

Wish come true

Ask children to consider what they would wish for if they were presented with the opportunity. Focus on wishes for experiences that don’t involve a permanent change, such as meeting a famous person or playing in an important match.

Ask the children to research some of the people and things that will appear in their wishes.

For example, if they wished to meet a celebrity, they could find out about the person so they could describe the experience in detail. Pupils can now write a complete narrative which describes their initial response, the actual experience and how it made them feel.

Short sentences

Read this section of Little Red Riding Hood: ‘She heard the noise again; footsteps behind her in the darkness of the forest. She hurried and her feet made little impression on the soft, leaf-littered ground. There was rustling to her left so she ran as fast as her little legs would carry her.’

Contrast it with this version: ‘There it was again… footsteps. She hurried. Her feet made little impression on the soft, leaf-littered ground. There was rustling to her left. She ran.’

The short sentences force the reader to read at pace and feel the character’s panic. Take a scene from a book that is written in long, descriptive sentences and rewrite it with shorter ones. Compare.

“The short sentences force the reader to read at pace and feel the character’s panic”

Fan fiction

Fan fiction is a great opportunity for novice writers because it arms them with fully formed characters and worlds. Read a novel or watch a film then ask pupils to discuss the characters’ traits.

How would these characters act if they were introduced to a new person? There are a number of writing outcomes that can be achieved: a new character intervening in an existing episode; dialogue between the new character and an existing one; retelling a scene through the eyes of a new character.

Story endings

Look at this story ending from Jessica’s Other World by David Waugh: ‘“What is it Mr Addison used to say all the time?” asked Jessica, but she answered her own question: “It’s make your mind up time!”’

Questions immediately arise. Who is Mr Addison? Who is Jessica? What does she have to make up her mind about? What kind of endings do pupils prefer? Do they like everything to be rounded off neatly or do they prefer to be left wondering?

Ask pupils to find story ending examples. Make notes on what might have happened in the story to lead up to the final line. Compare these notes with the real stories.

These ideas have been adapted from  100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Writing  by Adam Bushnell ( @authoradam ), Rob Smith ( @redgierob ) and David Waugh (£14.99, Bloomsbury).

Lots of story ideas come from asking yourself the question, “What if?” Try one of these or come up with your own “What if?”:

• What if an alien took over the prime minister’s body?
• What if a girl found a dragon at the bottom of her garden?
• What if you could read minds?
• What if there were no such thing as death?

This is a really simple formula for creating a story. Just pick two pre-existing characters and imagine what would happen if they met. They could be real people, fictional characters or archetypes.

“Pick two pre-existing characters and imagine what would happen if they met”

Think about the contrasting personalities of the two characters. Would they clash? Get on like a house on fire? Go on adventures together? Become mortal enemies? What are the characters’ weaknesses? Strengths? And how would those weaknesses and strengths feed off one another?

Ruin their lives

As a class make up a main character together, and decide on that character’s goal in life (and in the story that you’re going to write together). Then form teams.

Flipping a coin to decide who goes first, the first team says what the character is going to do first to set about achieving their goal in life. Then it’s the next team’s turn. They invent a problem or obstacle to put in the character’s way – this could be a hostile character, or an event.

Now the first team has to decide how to solve that problem. Then the second team tries once more to scupper the character’s plans… and so on.

“The second team tries once more to scupper the character’s plans”

It’s a great way to think about problems and solutions in stories, and can generate quite a lot of enjoyable rivalry.

Take a story from the news – whether it’s a local news story about something apparently petty and small, or a really big event that’s splashed across the media all over the world.

Then pick one person from that story and write about them. It doesn’t have to be the main figure in the real-life drama – it could just be a witness. It could even be the journalist who is reporting the story.

Think about how the events make them feel. What might they do next? Think about what’s not reported – are there any secrets hidden behind the story?

By using a real event, you have the beginnings of a plot already, but feel free to deviate from real events as wildly as you want. There’s a real comfort from having something solid to work with.

Pick a genre

As with a real-life event, having genre conventions to work with means you’re not starting from a completely blank slate. Here are a few genres you could try:

• Space opera – like a soap opera, but in space; characters leading dramatic personal lives with lots of conflict and emotion, against a backdrop of interstellar travel and/or war.
• Horror – lock a bunch of characters in a haunted house or other scary place and create increasingly dangerous situations for them. Kill a few off, focusing on the ones who do silly things like go alone to check out the mysterious noise. Add monsters/ghosts/vampires and any other favourite things that go bump in the night.
• Fantasy – mix elves and wizards with beautiful landscapes, magical objects and some kind of quest, plus a few mysterious helpers along the way and an even more shadowy villain who’s trying to thwart the heroes at every turn.
• Detective – start with a crime. Bring in a detective character (not forgetting to give them various personality flaws and other eccentricities) and take them through the process of solving the crime, with various red herrings and confusing clues along the way.
• Fairytale – princes, castles, spells, wishes, evil fairies and happy-ever-afters.

These ideas are from Louie Stowell, an author for e-book publisher Fiction Express.

Cut to the chase

All the greatest children’s books start with a brilliant first sentence to hook the reader in. Show children some of the best opening lines and discuss what makes them intriguing, then ask the class to write one sentence to grab a reader’s attention. It’s a simple exercise that can get every story off to a great start.

“All the greatest children’s books start with a brilliant first sentence to hook the reader in”

Drawing a map is fantastic for those who find working out plots challenging. First, brainstorm a list of features that could go on a map and make a hero’s journey difficult.

Next, give them a twist, like a tornado that can shrink you to the size of a pea or a swamp that curses you if your foot touches water.

Now ask everyone to think of a quest. It could be saving a magical creature or finding the antidote to a poisonous potion.

Finally, ask the class to draw their maps, working out the route their character will take, the three difficulties they’ll face and how they’ll overcome them to succeed in their quest.

Name generator

Make a character name generator by cutting up lots of different words and putting them in a bag. Ask pupils to pick out two words each and use them to come up with a name.

Next, pose a few questions to children, designed to help them make their characters less wooden, such as ‘What are they good and bad at?’ and ‘What are they scared of?’

“Make a character name generator by cutting up lots of different words and putting them in a bag”

A character facing their fears in a story creates brilliant drama. Ask children to hot seat their character. This is a technique used by some writers so they can get to know their characters better.

Ask one pupil to sit up front with their character in mind while the rest of the class asks questions about them. Memorable characters often emerge from this exercise.

Worst case scenario

It’s our job as authors to make life difficult for our characters. The more we can throw at them, the more readers will root for them. A trick used by writers to keep a story gripping is to ask these two questions:

• What is the very worst that could happen to my character in this situation?
• How do I get them out of it?

It’s a simple way to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Choose a scenario with your class, such as a boy being locked out of his house.

Together, brainstorm what the worst case scenario for him would be as he attempts to get inside his home, then resolve it for the character. For example:

• He gets stuck trying to climb the fence into his back garden
• He manages to free himself but is chased by the neighbour’s dog
• He escapes by climbing a tree, except the branch snaps

Keep on asking the two questions until there are enough ideas for a complete story, then work together to figure out the perfect ending.

These ideas are from Juliette Forrest, author of The Night My Dream Came Alive . Follow her on Twitter at  @jools_forrest .

Adventures of a seafaring iguana

This video introduces us to a man on a boat who crosses paths with an unlikely friend – an iguana treading water, four miles out from shore.

This touching video provides a great prompt for a creative writing exercise. Task students with writing a short story on how the iguana found his way out to sea. Share all the different versions afterwards.

• Perhaps the iguana stowed away with some pirates?
• Maybe he was washed away in a flood?
• He might even have just fancied a swim. Who knows?

Step aside, Bond…

This clip is an excellent way to spark your students’ imagination. A short animation and voiceover tells pupils they have been accepted into a super secret spy agency operating under the cover of birdwatchers. The writing challenge stems from thinking up details of how this spy organisation operates.

There are plenty of suggestions to help your students get started too, such as:

• What kind of gadgets do they use?
• Do they have a secret base? If so, what does it look like?
• Any evil villains? What’s their master plan?

The oldest message in a bottle

This intriguing video documents the discovery of the world’s oldest message in a bottle by Perth resident Tonya Illman, who stumbled across the missive whilst litter picking in 2018.

The 131-year-old note was written by a captain of a German sailing ship, and was thrown from the vessel whilst on a voyage from Cardiff to Indonesia.

After watching the video, it’s likely your students will be curious about what happened to the ship and crew – a thought that would make an exciting writing activity.

What do you think happened to the Captain and his boat?

• Did they get to Indonesia safely?
• Or perhaps they were stranded on a desert island?
• Worse still, could they have been attacked by a giant octopus?!

Wonderful wingsuiting

This pulse-pounding clip follows wingsuit pilot Sam Laming as he becomes the first person to perform a close proximity wingsuit flight down Mount Snowdon in Wales.

Sam spent five years training for this extreme stunt, which should open up plenty of creative writing opportunities for your class, the task being to place themselves in Sam’s position and describe how they would fare with the momentous endeavour. Below are some ideas to help get them started:

• What’s the weather like? Though it might start off safe and sunny, what would happen if a storm approached?
• How far can you see? Can you spot towns or villages or are you surrounded by hills and fields?
• Is there any wildlife – rabbits hopping below you, or birds flying in formation?

You can watch the video here.

An island story

In this video, join Mr T on a boat on the ocean. As you look across, you see a mysterious island – and perhaps even treasure. It’s now your pupils’ job to answer one simple question: what happens next?

• Are you going to land on the island and steal the treasure?
• Is there something on the island, keeping the treasure protected?
• Is there someone on the island who needs rescuing?
• Will there be a message in a bottle on the sand?

Browse lots more creative writing prompts .

Story beginnings

The opening of a story is hugely important. It has to engage the reader, of course, but also needs to establish tone, setting, character, plot or any combination of these and more. But it’s also where children stare at a blank page and get stuck.

This quick list of different types of opening includes ones to avoid that teachers see time and time again, and alternatives that children may not have considered. There’s also a sheet of story endings .

Shaun the Sheep – Starting your story

This resource explore the work that goes into making a film (including interviews with the film’s story-boarders), and invites primary students to consider what goes into creating a good, memorable story for the screen.

Success criteria for adventure stories

This success criteria menu supports children in writing an exciting climax to an adventure story (or short story).

It includes a sample story ending, based in the Stone Age, as an example for children, with a sentence type activity to help them write their own version.

Alex Rider – How to write a story

The National Literacy Trust created this resource to help develop writing for purpose, using a story starter from one of the world’s most famous authors, Anthony Horowitz.

This story writer resource kit has been designed to be as flexible as possible. So whether you are having a one day creative writing workshop to enable your pupils to enter the competition and produce their own winning story, or if you are looking to develop a whole unit of work around narrative with the competition as your final outcome, there is support and inspiration to help.

Story writing competitions encourage creativity and imagination. They provide an opportunity for students to refine their writing skills and sometimes come with a great prize! Check out current writing competitions that your pupils can enter.

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Story Starters Teaching Resources for Year 6

• Teaching Resource 77
• Templates 44
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• Classroom Posters 6
• Dice Games 4
• Word Walls 2
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• Graphic Organiser 1
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• Preschool / Kindergarten 7
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Seven Sensational Story Starters PowerPoint

Inspire creative and catching narrative story starters with this story starters set of teaching slides.

5 Narrative Writing Stimulus Sheets

Writing stimulus sheets with a narrative focus.

Narrative Sentence Starter Cards

Thirty sentence starter cards for narratives.

Roll to Create a Silly Book Title – Differentiated Writing Activity

Print a differentiated literacy activity using dice and a chart to create a silly book title and storybook.

Story Ideas Sentence Starter Pack

Use this story ideas kit to help your students choose a topic to write about.

Blank Comic Strip Templates

Print blank comic book templates created by teachers to help students write their own comics.

Narrative Writing Poster

A poster to encourage your students to think about narrative writing.

Roll-a-Scary Story Starter - Halloween Writing Prompt

Inspire some spooktacular Halloween writing with a roll-to-create Halloween Writing Prompt creator.

Topic Sentence Starter Cards

A pack of 32 narrative, persuasive and report writing sentence starter cards.

Narrative Setting Circularama Templates

A set of circular diorama templates that combine to create three scenes.

Roll to Create a Christmas Story - Writing Prompt

Roll the die to generate a fun Christmas writing activity with a roll-to-create Christmas worksheet.

Mysterious Story Setting Background Posters

A set of 3 mysterious story setting posters for students to use in a variety of ways.

Plan Your Own Adventure - Writing Template

Students use a template to help them plan stories with alternative pathways for their friends to read.

Halloween Narrative Writing Prompts — Finish the Story Writing Activity

Use this printable 'Finish the Story' writing prompt and craft to develop narrative writing skills this Halloween season.

Pirate Themed Mini Story Book Template

Students can use this template to create their own pirate themed mini story book.

Christmas Writing - December Writing Prompts

Inspire your students to write creatively with a set of 30 Christmas writing prompts for kids.

Easter Writing Prompts Worksheet

Explore imaginative writing in your classroom with these 3 fun story writing prompts for Easter.

Curious Creatures Character Spinner

A curious creature character spinner to use during imaginative writing.

Novel Study - Alternate Story Ending Worksheet

A worksheet which encourages students to write an alternate ending to a shared class story.

Story Building Dice Activity

A set of 3 dice to use when to generating ideas for creative writing.

Choose Your Own Destiny - Writing Template

Students use a template to help them write stories with alternative pathways for their friends to read.

• Story Starters for Foundation Year
• Story Starters for Year 1
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Year 6 Writing Aids

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Other

Last updated

22 February 2018

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100 creative 6th Grade Writing Prompts

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100 Creative 6 th Grade Writing Prompts

Sixth grade is the right time to introduce students to activities that promote self-expression and improves their overall writing skills. In this post, we have come up with a list of 100 writing prompts — from storytelling and expository to research and creative writing prompts — to help students tap into their creativity and hone their writing skills.

In this post, we have for you:

• Storytelling writing prompts
• Research writing prompts
• Reflective writing prompts
• Narrative writing prompts
• Expository writing prompts
• Procedural writing prompts
• Creative writing prompts

So, let’s put this show on the road.

Storytelling writing prompts for 6 th grade

• When we found that the grandpa’s closet opens up to a deep forest, we decided to…
• As I was walking around the local park, a dog came up to me and said, “You have got to listen to my story.” And then he began speaking…
• The most surprising thing we have found in our school was…
• As I was cleaning the attic in my grandparent’s house, I found the genie’s lamp. I decided to…
• My brother and I were in the first fight ever. It all began when…
• Our dream family vacation to… got canceled my younger brother woke up with…
• As the world’s first 12-year scientist, I need to share my invention…
• My first road trip with my dad didn’t go as per the plan. First…
• When Lucy opened her lunch box, she couldn’t help exclaiming “Ugh” because the food looked as gross as…
• I got the biggest surprise of my life when my dog…
• I had never laid eyes on a dragon until that morning when our school took us to the nearby jungle as part of a trekking tour.
• I woke up one morning only to find I have been turned into a big bug. While I was still coming to terms with this, my mother shouted, “Hurry up or you’ll be late for the school.” So I did what I had to do, which was…

Research writing prompts for 6 th grade

• How much time do students spend on the internet?
• How much screen time students have per day?
• Does social media makes peer pressure worse?
• How long can human beings survive without water?
• How long can human beings survive without food?
• How long can fish survive out of water?
• Research your dream career? Mention all the things you must do to achieve it.
• Research the childhood of your favorite writer?
• When, why, and how was your country founded?
• How long camels can go without drinking water? Can they survive long? If yes, how do they manage that?
• How smoking affects your lungs?
• Which has been the most important discovery in the last 50 years?
• What steps can we take to minimize global warming?
• What are civil rights? Who fought for them?
• How do penguins survive in extreme cold?
• Are polar bears good swimmers? If yes, how are they able to swim efficiently in spite of their weight?
• How much food does an elephant needs in a day?
• How shark uses senses to hunt?

Reflective writing prompts for 6 th grade

• Write about a time when you were not able to keep a promise. What had happened? How did you feel?
• What’s the best thing about being in the 6 th grade?
• What’s the worst thing about being in the 6 th grade?
• What has been your biggest learning in the last six months?
• What are the qualities that a good friend must have?
• Write about three qualities you admire in your dad?
• Which sport you like the best and why?
• List your favorite extracurricular activities. What have you learned from them?
• Track the weather for five days? Which was the most comfortable day?
• How students can reduce their screen time?
• Is reading a more satisfying activity than watching television?
• What are the negative effects of social media?

Narrative writing prompts for 6 th Grade

• Do you think you can go three months without the internet?
• Write a letter to your emotional self?
• Is it important for kids to have responsibilities and chores at home?
• What advice would you give to someone who is being bullied at the school?
• Which animal in your opinion represents your personality the most and why?
• Do you like making new friends? Why or why not?
• If you could change one thing about your school, what would it be?
• Write a poem or essay about your parents?
• Describe your favorite family vacation?
• Think about the best day in your life so far. What made the day so memorable?
• Think about the worst day in your life so far. What made the day so miserable?
• Which is your favorite book? How has it impacted you?
• Which your favorite movie? Why do you like it so much?
• Think about your future self. Write about a day in your life, five years from today.
• Tell a family story from the perspective of your mom.
• Who is the fittest person you know? Would you like to become as fit as this person? Why or why not?
• Write about how it feels to spend a night at home alone?
• What are three great things about your school?
• Describe your life if you lived during the Middle Ages?
• What is the biggest problem the world is facing today? How would you solve it?
• How did computers affect our lives?
• Imagine you were asked to pick a new holiday. Describe what you’ll be celebrating and how.
• Could you live without a cell phone for a year? How would you communicate with your friends?
• How hearing and listening are two different things?
• If you could go back in time, which year would you choose?
• You meet a wise man who knows answers to all questions, but you can ask him only one question. What would you ask?
• Who is the oldest person you know?
• Think about a time you were not able to keep a New Year’s resolution? What had happened? Why did you fail?

Expository prompts for 6 th grade

• Describe your favorite short story in your own words.
• Find an interesting story in the newspaper or a local magazine and write it in your own words.
• Write an essay explaining the similarities and differences between you and your sibling or your best friend.
• In what ways Barrack Obama and Abraham Lincoln are similar? In what ways they are different?
• Is life as a sixth grader today different than it was when your parents were studying in the sixth grade? If yes, how it is different.
• Compare and contrast your two close friends.
• How has been your school year so far? What are the main highlights? 
• What was the cause of the recent argument you had with your mom or dad? How did it go?
• Compare and contrast two of your most favorite books?
• How is empathy different from sympathy? Explain the concept of empathy?
• How important is to have a hobby? Explain the benefits of having a hobby.
• Explain a problem in your school? How would you solve it?
• How has cell phone changed our lives?
• Is there really something as cell phone addiction? If yes, what it is?
• Gaming addiction is on the rise among kids? How do you think we can tackle this problem effectively?

Procedural writing prompts for 6 th Grade

• Your friend wants to learn how to play your favorite board game. Explain the steps to him or her.
• Explain a grandparent how to use Facebook.
• Explain a reader how to play your favorite computer game.
• Write step-by-step instructions to tie shoelaces.
• Explain a reader how to play your favorite card game.
• Write step-by-step instructions to create a post on Instagram.
• Explain how to complete all the levels of a video game.
• Describe how you get home from school.

Creative writing prompts for 6 th Grade

• If you could spend a week in any holiday destination in the world, where would you go?
• If you had the power to communicate with pets, what conversations would you have?
• Write a poem that describes your family.
• If you could meet one media personality, who would you choose and why?
• If you could change one thing about your country, what would you choose and why?
• You wake up one morning to find that you can fly. What adventures will you have?
•  You wake up one morning to find that you have grown taller and your clothes and shoes don’t fit you anymore. What would you do?

We hope these writing prompts will help get your pen or pencil moving. Some of these writing prompts need research, some are intellectually challenging, and some others are fun and creative. If you would like more writing prompts, have a look at this post , which offers tons of additional writing prompts you can use to unleash your writing talent. Good luck!

• Get other writing prompts for kids here :
• 3rd-grade writing prompts
• 4th-grade writing prompts
• 5th-grade writing prompts
• Middle School Writing Prompts

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FACT SHEET: President   Biden Announces New Actions to Keep Families   Together

Since his first day in office, President Biden has called on Congress to secure our border and address our broken immigration system. As Congressional Republicans have continued to put partisan politics ahead of national security – twice voting against the toughest and fairest set of reforms in decades – the President and his Administration have taken actions to secure the border, including:

• Implementing executive actions to bar migrants who cross our Southern border unlawfully from receiving asylum when encounters are high;
• Deploying record numbers of law enforcement personnel, infrastructure, and technology to the Southern border;
• Seizing record amounts of fentanyl at our ports of entry;
• Revoking the visas of CEOs and government officials outside the U.S. who profit from migrants coming to the U.S. unlawfully; and
• Expanding efforts to dismantle human smuggling networks and prosecuting individuals who violate immigration laws.

President Biden believes that securing the border is essential. He also believes in expanding lawful pathways and keeping families together, and that immigrants who have been in the United States for decades, paying taxes and contributing to their communities, are part of the social fabric of our country. The Day One immigration reform plan that the President sent to Congress reflects both the need for a secure border and protections for the long-term undocumented. While Congress has failed to act on these reforms, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to strengthen our lawful immigration system. In addition to vigorously defending the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood arrivals) policy, the Administration has extended Affordable Care Act coverage to DACA recipients and streamlined, expanded, and instituted new reunification programs so that families can stay together while they complete the immigration process.  Still, there is more that we can do to bring peace of mind and stability to Americans living in mixed-status families as well as young people educated in this country, including Dreamers. That is why today, President Biden announced new actions for people who have been here many years to keep American families together and allow more young people to contribute to our economy.   Keeping American Families Together

• Today, President Biden is announcing that the Department of Homeland Security will take action to ensure that U.S. citizens with noncitizen spouses and children can keep their families together.
• This new process will help certain noncitizen spouses and children apply for lawful permanent residence – status that they are already eligible for – without leaving the country.
• These actions will promote family unity and strengthen our economy, providing a significant benefit to the country and helping U.S. citizens and their noncitizen family members stay together.
• In order to be eligible, noncitizens must – as of June 17, 2024 – have resided in the United States for 10 or more years and be legally married to a U.S. citizen, while satisfying all applicable legal requirements. On average, those who are eligible for this process have resided in the U.S. for 23 years.
• Those who are approved after DHS’s case-by-case assessment of their application will be afforded a three-year period to apply for permanent residency. They will be allowed to remain with their families in the United States and be eligible for work authorization for up to three years. This will apply to all married couples who are eligible.  
• This action will protect approximately half a million spouses of U.S. citizens, and approximately 50,000 noncitizen children under the age of 21 whose parent is married to a U.S. citizen.

Easing the Visa Process for U.S. College Graduates, Including Dreamers

• President Obama and then-Vice President Biden established the DACA policy to allow young people who were brought here as children to come out of the shadows and contribute to our country in significant ways. Twelve years later, DACA recipients who started as high school and college students are now building successful careers and establishing families of their own.
• Today’s announcement will allow individuals, including DACA recipients and other Dreamers, who have earned a degree at an accredited U.S. institution of higher education in the United States, and who have received an offer of employment from a U.S. employer in a field related to their degree, to more quickly receive work visas.
• Recognizing that it is in our national interest to ensure that individuals who are educated in the U.S. are able to use their skills and education to benefit our country, the Administration is taking action to facilitate the employment visa process for those who have graduated from college and have a high-skilled job offer, including DACA recipients and other Dreamers. 

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