Develop epic storytellers and rapidly improve your students’ narrative writing.

How to use these writing prompts

These writing prompts follow the Seven Steps methodology of breaking down writing into Seven simple Steps and are a great way to get students’ creative juices flowing.

Use them daily or weekly to build students’ confidence in their narrative writing and as a fun way to practise one Step at a time.

By focusing on specific skills of writing, students rapidly practise and develop each skill, ultimately building on each one to write powerful whole texts.

Pick a Step

Step 1: Plan for Success
Magic House

Who lives in the magic house?

Brainstorm a list of characters and the special powers of the magic house.

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Step 1: Plan for Success
A visit to the past

A visit to the past

Plan a short story about a visit to the past and plot it on the Narrative Story Graph.

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Step 1: Plan for Success
Cupcakes

I made cupcakes for my enemy.

Plan a story or film about what happened next. Plot your best ideas on the Narrative Story Graph.

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Step 2: Sizzling Starts
Birthday Disaster

This was the moment just before your birthday party turned into a total disaster …

Write a Sizzling Start for this story.

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Step 2: Sizzling Starts
Dream Camping Trip

My dream camping trip – how it all began.

Write a Sizzling Start for this story.

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Step 2: Sizzling Starts
Magic Powers

The day I woke up with magic powers … and how it nearly killed me.

Write a Sizzling Start for this story.

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Step 2: Sizzling Starts
Monster Teacher

It’s the first day of the school year, and I suspect my teacher is a monster!

Write a Sizzling Start for this story.

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Step 2: Sizzling Starts
Rising Falling

So then this happened …

Write a Sizzling Start for this story.
Start at a moment of action!

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Step 3: Tightening Tension
Fireworks Alive

You’re watching the New Year’s Eve fireworks. One of the fireworks starts to change and come alive …

What does it turn into?

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Step 3: Tightening Tension
Curious Creature

Create a comic strip or manga about a curious creature.

Build up the tension to reach a high point before the ending.

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Step 4: Dynamic Dialogue
Flying Apple

Write the dialogue between the two girls.

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Step 4: Dynamic Dialogue
Librarian Dog

The new librarian is a dog, and you’re the only one who thinks this is strange!

Write the dialogue between you, your friends and the librarian.

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Step 4: Dynamic Dialogue
Storm At Sea

There was a huge storm last night in the bay.

Choose an animal and write what they would say about the storm.

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Step 5
Astonishing Bicycle

Use lots of detail to paint a word picture showing what is so astonishing about
the bicycle!

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Step 5: Show, Don’t Tell
Night City

It’s night time in the bustling city!

Paint a word picture describing the sounds, smells, tastes, feelings and sights of the big city.

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Step 6: Ban the Boring
Downpour in the City

Downpour in the busy city

Brainstorm lots of ways to describe it, then choose just a few moments for a haiku poem that conveys the mood.

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City scene of people walking through a rainy city, reflected in a puddle on an overcast day.
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Step 7: Exciting Endings
Free Falling

What happens now?

Look at the picture and write three different endings to the story. Choose your favourite one and share it.

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Step 7: Exciting Endings
The Big Race

You’ve been training all year.
The big race is tomorrow!

What happens? Write an Exciting Ending to your year of hard work.

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Print or save our set of free Narrative Writing Prompts for easy access for you and your students.

narrative writing prompts