Narrative writing prompts

This free Narrative Writing Prompts collection follows the Seven Steps approach of breaking down writing into simple Steps.

Scroll down the page to see our top tips for using them in your classroom.

Picture writing prompts for narrative writing. One for each of the Seven Steps.

Don’t ask students to write a whole text. Students write at the sentence and paragraph level initially and slowly build up to a whole text as their skills improve. Writing then becomes fun and achievable, and student confidence builds fast.
Think first, write second. Brainstorm ideas as a class or in small groups before students write. Collaboration makes it easy and sparks students’ creativity and enthusiasm. Remind students not to be judgy during brainstorming. Sometimes the wildest ideas lead to the best outcomes!
Verbal is vital. Great writing classrooms are noisy; they buzz with shared ideas, laughter and learning. Students who can verbalise their ideas will find it much easier when it comes to writing them down.
The more you practise the easier it gets. Provide lots of opportunities to write. Take the first 20 minutes of a lesson or straight after lunch to get students doing a quick write in response to a prompt.
Celebrate students’ writing wherever possible. Create a Wow Wall, share writing at assembly or on the class blog, hand out certificates and create daily sharing moments. Don’t save this for whole texts – celebrate a start that sizzles or a nail-biting tension scene.