creative writing ideas for 11

11+ creative writing guide with 50 example topics and prompts

by Hayley | Nov 17, 2022 | Exams , Writing | 0 comments

The 11+ exam is a school entrance exam taken in the academic year that a child in the UK turns eleven.

These exams are highly competitive, with multiple students battling for each school place awarded.

The 11 plus exam isn’t ‘one thing’, it varies in its structure and composition across the country. A creative writing task is included in nearly all of the 11 plus exams, and parents are often confused about what’s being tested.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the plot of your child’s writing task is important. It is not.

The real aim of the 11+ creative writing task is to showcase your child’s writing skills and techniques.

And that’s why preparation is so important.

This guide begins by answering all the FAQs that parents have about the 11+ creative writing task.

At the end of the article I give my best tips & strategies for preparing your child for the 11+ creative writing task , along with 50 fiction and non-fiction creative writing prompts from past papers you can use to help your child prepare.

Do all 11+ exams include a writing task?

Not every 11+ exam includes a short story component, but many do. Usually 3 to 5 different prompts are given for the child to choose between and they are not always ‘creative’ (fiction) pieces. One or more non-fiction options might be given for children who prefer writing non-fiction to fiction.

Timings and marking vary from test to test. For example, the Kent 11+ Test gives students 10 minutes for planning followed by 30 minutes for writing. The Medway 11+ Test gives 60 minutes for writing with ‘space allowed’ on the answer booklet for planning.

Tasks vary too. In the Kent Test a handful of stimuli are given, whereas 11+ students in Essex are asked to produce two individually set paragraphs. The Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CCSE) includes 2 creative writing paragraphs inside a 60-minute English exam.

Throughout the UK each 11+ exam has a different set of timings and papers based around the same themes. Before launching into any exam preparation it is essential to know the content and timing of your child’s particular writing task.

However varied and different these writing tasks might seem, there is one key element that binds them.

The mark scheme.

Although we can lean on previous examples to assess how likely a short story or a non-fiction tasks will be set, it would be naïve to rely completely on the content of past papers. Contemporary 11+ exams are designed to be ‘tutor-proof’ – meaning that the exam boards like to be unpredictable.

In my online writing club for kids , we teach a different task each week (following a spiral learning structure based on 10 set tasks). One task per week is perfected as the student moves through the programme of content, and one-to-one expert feedback ensures progression. This equips our writing club members to ‘write effectively for a range of purposes’ as stated in the English schools’ teacher assessment framework.

This approach ensures that students approaching a highly competitive entrance exam will be confident of the mark scheme (and able to meet its demands) for any task set.

Will my child have a choice of prompts to write from or do they have to respond to a single prompt, without a choice?

This varies. In the Kent Test there are usually 5 options given. The purpose is to gather a writing sample from each child in case of a headteacher appeal. A range of options should allow every child to showcase what they can do.

In Essex, two prescriptive paragraphs are set as part of an hour-long English paper that includes comprehension and vocabulary work. In Essex, there is no option to choose the subject matter.

The Medway Test just offers a single prompt for a whole hour of writing. Sometimes it is a creative piece. Recently it was a marketing leaflet.

The framework for teaching writing in English schools demands that in order to ‘exceed expectations’ or better, achieve ‘greater depth’, students need to be confident writing for a multitude of different purposes.

In what circumstances is a child’s creative writing task assessed?

In Essex (east of the UK) the two prescriptive writing tasks are found inside the English exam paper. They are integral to the exam and are assessed as part of this.

In Medway (east Kent in the South East) the writing task is marked and given a raw score. This is then adjusted for age and double counted. Thus, the paper is crucial to a pass.

In the west of the county of Kent there is a different system. The Kent Test has a writing task that is only marked in appeal cases. If a child dips below the passmark their school is allowed to put together a ‘headteacher’s appeal’. At this point – before the score is communicated to the parent (and probably under cover of darkness) the writing sample is pulled out of a drawer and assessed.

I’ve been running 11+ tutor clubs for years. Usually about 1% of my students passed at headteacher’s appeal.

Since starting the writing club, however, the number of students passing at appeal has gone up considerably. In recent years it’s been more like 5% of students passing on the strength of their writing sample.

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

In England, the government has set out a framework for marking creative writing. There are specific ‘pupil can’ statements to assess whether a student is ‘working towards the expected standard,’ ‘working at the expected standard’ or ‘working at greater depth’.

Members of the headteacher panel assessing the writing task are given a considerable number of samples to assess at one time. These expert teachers have a clear understanding of the framework for marking, but will not be considering or discussing every detail of the writing sample as you might expect.

Schools are provided with a report after the samples have been assessed. This is very brief indeed. Often it will simply say ‘lack of precise vocabulary’ or ‘confused paragraphing.’

So there is no mark scheme as such. They won’t be totting up your child’s score to see if they have reached a given target. They are on the panel because of their experience, and they have a short time to make an instant judgement.

Does handwriting matter?

Handwriting is assessed in primary schools. Thus it is an element of the assessment framework the panel uses as a basis for their decision.

If the exam is very soon, then don’t worry if your child is not producing immaculate, cursive handwriting. The focus should simply be on making it well-formed and legible. Every element of the assessment framework does not need to be met and legible writing will allow the panel to read the content with ease.

Improve presentation quickly by offering a smooth rollerball pen instead of a pencil. Focus on fixing individual letters and praising your child for any hint of effort. The two samples below are from the same boy a few months apart. Small changes have transformed the look and feel:

Sample 1: First piece of work when joining the writing club

Sample 2: This is the same boy’s improved presentation and content

How long should the short story be.

First, it is not a short story as such—it is a writing sample. Your child needs to showcase their skills but there are no extra marks for finishing (or marks deducted for a half-finished piece).

For a half hour task, you should prepare your child to produce up to 4 paragraphs of beautifully crafted work. Correct spelling and proper English grammar is just the beginning. Each paragraph should have a different purpose to showcase the breadth and depth of their ability. A longer – 60 minute – task might have 5 paragraphs but rushing is to be discouraged. Considered and interesting paragraphs are so valuable, a shorter piece would be scored more highly than a rushed and dull longer piece.

I speak from experience. A while ago now I was a marker for Key Stage 2 English SATs Papers (taken in Year 6 at 11 years old). Hundreds of scripts were deposited on my doorstep each morning by DHL. There was so much work for me to get through that I came to dread long, rambling creative pieces. Some children can write pages and pages of repetitive nothingness. Ever since then, I have looked for crafted quality and am wary of children judging their own success by the number of lines competed.

Take a look at the piece of writing below. It’s an excellent example of a well-crafted piece.

Each paragraph is short, but the writer is skilful.

He used rich and precisely chosen vocabulary, he’s broken the text into natural paragraphs, and in the second paragraph he is beginning to vary his sentence openings. There is a sense of control to the sentences – the sentence structure varies with shorter and longer examples to manage tension. It is exciting to read, with a clear awareness of his audience. Punctuation is accurate and appropriate.

11+ creative writing example story

How important is it to revise for a creative writing task.

It is important.

Every student should go into their 11+ writing task with a clear paragraph plan secured. As each paragraph has a separate purpose – to showcase a specific skill – the plan should reflect this. Built into the plan is a means of flexing it, to alter the order of the paragraphs if the task demands it. There’s no point having a Beginning – Middle – End approach, as there’s nothing useful there to guide the student to the mark scheme.

Beyond this, my own students have created 3 – 5 stories that fit the same tight plan. However, the setting, mood and action are all completely different. This way a bank of rich vocabulary has already been explored and a technique or two of their own that fits the piece beautifully. These can be drawn upon on the day to boost confidence and give a greater sense of depth and consideration to their timed sample.

Preparation, rather than revision in its classic form, is the best approach. Over time, even weeks or months before the exam itself, contrasting stories are written, improved upon, typed up and then tweaked further as better ideas come to mind. Each of these meets the demands of the mark scheme (paragraphing, varied sentence openings, rich vocabulary choices, considered imagery, punctuation to enhance meaning, development of mood etc).

To ensure your child can write confidently at and above the level expected of them, drop them into my weekly weekly online writing club for the 11+ age group . The club marking will transform their writing, and quickly.

What is the relationship between the English paper and the creative writing task?

Writing is usually marked separately from any comprehension or grammar exercises in your child’s particular 11+ exam. Each exam board (by area/school) adapts the arrangement to suit their needs. Some have a separate writing test, others build it in as an element of their English paper (usually alongside a comprehension, punctuation and spelling exercise).

Although there is no creative writing task in the ISEB Common Pre-test, those who are not offered an immediate place at their chosen English public school are often invited back to complete a writing task at a later date. Our ISEB Common Pre-test students join the writing club in the months before the exam, first to tidy up the detail and second to extend the content.

What if my child has a specific learning difficulty (dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, ASD)?

Most exam boards pride themselves on their inclusivity. They will expect you to have a formal report from a qualified professional at the point of registration for the test. This needs to be in place and the recommendations will be considered by a panel. If your child needs extra arrangements on the day they may be offered (it isn’t always the case). More importantly, if they drop below a pass on one or more papers you will have a strong case for appeal.

Children with a specific learning difficulty often struggle with low confidence in their work and low self-esteem. The preparations set out above, and a kids writing club membership will allow them to go into the exam feeling positive and empowered. If they don’t achieve a pass at first, the writing sample will add weight to their appeal.

Tips and strategies for writing a high-scoring creative writing paper

• Read widely for pleasure. Read aloud to your child if they are reluctant.
• Create a strong paragraph plan where each paragraph has a distinct purpose.
• Using the list of example questions below, discuss how each could be written in the form of your paragraph plan.
• Write 3-5 stories with contrasting settings and action – each one must follow your paragraph plan. Try to include examples of literary devices and figurative language (metaphor, simile) but avoid clichés.
• Tidy up your presentation. Write with a good rollerball pen on A4 lined paper with a printed margin. Cross out with a single horizontal line and banish doodling or scribbles.
• Join the writing club for a 20-minute Zoom task per week with no finishing off or homework. An expert English teacher will mark the work personally on video every Friday and your child’s writing will be quickly transformed.

Pressed for time? Here’s a paragraph plan to follow.

At Griffin Teaching we have an online writing club for students preparing for the 11 plus creative writing task . We’ve seen first-hand what a difference just one or two months of weekly practice can make.

That said, we know that a lot of people reading this page are up against a hard deadline with an 11+ exam date fast approaching.

If that’s you (or your child), what you need is a paragraph plan.

Here’s one tried-and-true paragraph plan that we teach in our clubs. Use this as you work your way through some of the example prompts below.

11+ creative writing paragraph plan

Paragraph 1—description.

Imagine standing in the location and describe what is above the main character, what is below their feet, what is to their left and right, and what is in the distance. Try to integrate frontend adverbials into this paragraph (frontend adverbials are words or phrases used at the beginning of a sentence to describe what follows—e.g. When the fog lifted, he saw… )

Paragraph 2—Conversation

Create two characters who have different roles (e.g. site manager and student, dog walker and lost man) and write a short dialogue between them. Use what we call the “sandwich layout,” where the first person says something and you describe what they are doing while they are saying it. Add in further descriptions (perhaps of the person’s clothing or expression) before starting a new line where the second character gives a simple answer and you provide details about what the second character is doing as they speak.

Paragraph 3—Change the mood

Write three to four sentences that change the mood of the writing sample from light to gloomy or foreboding. You could write about a change in the weather or a change in the lighting of the scene. Another approach is to mention how a character reacts to the change in mood, for example by pulling their coat collar up to their ears.

Paragraph 4—Shock your reader

A classic approach is to have your character die unexpectedly in the final sentence. Or maybe the ceiling falls?

11+ creative writing questions from real papers—fictional prompts

• The day the storm came
• The day the weather changed
• The snowstorm
• The rainy day
• A sunny day out
• A foggy (or misty) day
• A day trip to remember
• The first day
• The day everything changed
• The mountain
• The hillside
• The old house
• The balloon
• The old man
• The accident
• The unfamiliar sound
• A weekend away
• Moving house
• A family celebration
• An event you remember from when you were young
• An animal attack
• The school playground at night
• The lift pinged and the door opened. I could not believe what was inside…
• “Run!” he shouted as he thundered across the sand…
• It was getting late as I dug in my pocket for the key to the door. “Hurry up!” she shouted from inside.
• I know our back garden very well, but I was surprised how different it looked at midnight…
• The red button on the wall has a sign on it saying, ‘DO NOT TOUCH.’ My little sister leant forward and hit it hard with her hand. What happened next?
• Digging down into the soft earth, the spade hit something metal…
• Write a story which features the stopping of time.
• Write a story which features an unusual method of transport.
• The cry in the woods
• Write a story which features an escape

11+ creative writing questions from real papers—non-fiction prompts

• Write a thank you letter for a present you didn’t want.
• You are about to interview someone for a job. Write a list of questions you would like to ask the applicant.
• Write a letter to complain about the uniform at your school.
• Write a leaflet to advertise your home town.
• Write a thank you letter for a holiday you didn’t enjoy.
• Write a letter of complaint to the vet after an unfortunate incident in the waiting room.
• Write a set of instructions explaining how to make toast.
• Describe the room you are in.
• Describe a person who is important to you.
• Describe your pet or an animal you know well.

11 Plus creative writing tips and examples

Preparing for your  11 Plus creative writing  exam doesn’t have to be a worry. We help you here with 11 Plus creative writing tips and examples to prepare you for the exam. We're here to help you practice and improve your writing techniques and creative writing skills so you’re ready for your 11 Plus exams . 

Creative writing can be really fun – you can explore something you really want to and write about something that means a lot to you. Although, we know it can be a little bit worrying for some students that don’t enjoy writing as much or don’t feel confident in their writing skills. 

So, ahead of your  11 Plus exams  we want to help you prepare with these 11 Plus creative writing tips and strategies.

What Is 11 Plus Creative Writing?

The 11 Plus creative writing exam assesses a child’s ability to compose structured and engaging pieces of written work. It’s designed to evaluate a student’s fluency, imaginative capabilities, grammar, punctuation and overall ability to write creatively.

What does the 11 Plus creative writing exam include?

The 11 Plus creative writing exam is usually 25-30 minutes and could involve the continuation of a storyline that you’ll be provided with. Alternatively you might be asked to write a short piece of your own in response to a visual stimulus – this could be describing a character or writing something from their perspective, like a diary entry. 

Here are some the potential writing tasks you could be given for your 11 Plus creative writing exam: 

Descriptive task – continuing on a short story that you’ll be provided with, or describing a place or situation that your character finds themselves in. 

Persuasive task – you could be asked to write a letter or an article with the goal to persuade the reader to feel or act in a certain way after reading it by using emotive language. 

Narrative task – this would usually involve writing your own short story. 

Expository task – this could involve writing an article or set of instructions designed to inform the reader how to go about doing something properly. 

What are the 11 Plus creative writing topics?

Prior to starting your creative writing piece, you’ll need to have a topic. It’s important that the topic remains at the centre of everything you’re writing, as it will shape the direction of the story and the characters

You can think of a topic as a theme for your story. This can be really simple, as a simple theme will really help write a story in your own way. 

For your 11 plus creative writing exam, you’ll likely be presented with a topic that you then have to write about. Often these topics will have you writing about: 

Being lost or scared, capturing the feeling of being alone and writing a story about overcoming it.

Doing something exciting or achieving something impressive, the best day of your life so far. 

A holiday or an adventure

Travelling to the city or countryside and what you might experience there.

Writing a short story on each of the topics above can be a great way to familiarise yourself with creative writing.

What do examiners look for in creative writing?

Successfully passing your creative writing 11 Plus creative writing exam is a lot less daunting if you know what the examiners are looking for in your creative writing. 

Unlike other exams, it can be difficult to prepare the exact answers. It’s not like a sum in maths, where there’s only one correct answer after your working out. That doesn’t mean there aren’t specific things that examiners are looking for. Let’s take a look at those:

A well planned piece of writing

Strong creativity and good imagination

A fluent writing style

Good and correct use of punctuation 

Good use of English grammar

Complex sentences that are broken in an easy-to-read way with commas

Good spelling

Good and exciting vocabulary

Neat, easy-to-read handwriting

You can use those things as a checklist for your creative writing. When you write practice pieces, read them back and see if you can check off everything on the list of things that examiners are looking for. This will not only highlight areas needing improvement but will also act as a confidence-building tool.

11 Plus creative writing marking scheme

Your creative writing task will be worth 50% of your  English 11 plus exam  paper. So, you’ll want to make sure you’re well prepared!

Part of preparing for the creative writing task is ensuring you know how the exam will be marked. Here’s what your examiner will look at when they mark your work: 

The plot – you need to write a piece that’s got an engaging plot, but more importantly it needs to follow a strong beginning, middle and end structure. We’ll be getting more detail about that further on. Make sure you plan your story to ensure you have a well-structured and easy-to-follow plot. 

Vocabulary – Make sure you’re using a wide range of adjectives, nouns and adverbs. Rather than describing everything the same way, come up with some other engaging ways to write something. Use a good amount of complex words that you normally wouldn’t use (and make sure you understand what they mean so you use them correctly). 

Writing devices – no, your examiner isn’t looking at what pen you used to write the exam. Writing devices refer to things like metaphors, similes, tension building short sentences, alliteration and irony. Try sentences like “he was as fast as a runaway train,” for a simile example. See if you can write a few sentences that each use a different writing device to practice.

Grammar – now is a good time to start practising your grammar skills. Make sure you’re using commas correctly when you write long sentences, and that you format your character dialogue properly. There are a few common grammar mistakes that may catch you out, so keep practising. 

Spelling – While avoiding spelling mistakes is good, to get great marks on your exams you’ll want to use complicated words and spell them correctly. It might be tempting to avoid complicated words if you’re not sure how to spell them but it’s actually not a bad idea to use one or two complicated words and spell them so they’re recognisable than to use no complicated words at all.

11 Plus creative writing tips and techniques

Every great writer has one thing in common – writing techniques! Everyone can develop their creative writing skills by practising these creative writing tasks.

Getting creative 

If you want to write a story this should be your starting point! Have a good think about the topic for your story and the character you’ll be writing about. Take a minute to sit back, close your eyes and think about the world of your story. Can you see it? 

If you can visualise the world of your story, then you’ve got a good idea to work with! Get creative about the story and think about directions that it can go, and the characters you can work with. 

Planning and structure

Once you’ve got your theme in place you need to have a think about the direction of your story. Think about how your story starts, how you want it to end and then think about how you want your main character to get there. 

Remember the classic story structure of beginning, middle and end:

Use the beginning of your story to introduce your character, where they are and maybe one of two of their friends. Maybe even try to set them a goal at this point, what’s something they really, really want? 

Introduce the middle of your story with a problem or an obstacle for your main character to overcome. This is going to be the longest section of your story, so make sure you don’t spend too long with the opening! Think about how your character would overcome the problem you’ve introduced for them. 

In the end your main character overcomes the problem that you introduced for them. Think about what they would feel, the relief they’d experience and how you can sum that up in a paragraph or two. 

There are lots of different ways to write a story, but following the beginning, middle and end structure like this will really help you plan. Try to just write a few short sentences from the beginning, middle and end, then expand it out from there. 

If you need more inspiration to improve your writing skills, why not see David Walliam’s top ten writing tips ?

Creative writing examples: using the senses

Remember – writing descriptively helps your ideas to really come across in what you’re writing. The person reading your creative writing piece can’t read your mind!

A great way to really set a scene in your creative writing is to use the senses:

Sight – what can your character see? Describe how the scene around them looks, and be sure to use some good adjectives.

Sound – can your character hear anything? Even if your character can’t hear anything, that can sometimes be a great way to set a scene. Or maybe your character can hear lots of noise? Either way, make sure the reader knows that.

Smell – what does the place your character’s in smell like? You can make a disgusting, murky bog seem even filthier by describing how smelly it is to the reader. We all react strongly to smells, good or bad, so make sure you’re describing them to your reader.

Touch – what can your character feel? Are they sitting on a really soft sofa? Is the cat they’re stroking extra fluffy? Describe everything your character feels!

Taste – is your character tasting anything? Of course, if your character’s eating you need to describe it. How sweet are the sweets they’re eating? How bitter is the medicine they had to take? You could even get creative and describe a smell so bad that your character can almost taste it!

Get creative when you write about senses. You don’t have to cover every sense in order, you can mix things up in a paragraph or two, and sometimes you only need to cover two or three senses in a particular scene. Make sure you’re always telling your audience what your character is experiencing so the reader can put themselves in your character’s shoes. Utilising this technique ensures the reader engages with your creative writing piece.

Fluent writing

Practice makes perfect when it comes to fluent writing. To practice fluent writing, set yourself a creative writing task as if you were taking your 11 Plus creative writing test.

Try keeping the stories short. Just a few paragraphs so you can do a few attempts. When you’re finished, read them back to yourself out loud. See if the sentences are easy to read out loud. If they’re not, it might be good to rewrite them in a way that makes them easier to say. Try doing this out loud too, rephrase the sentence so it means the same thing but is easier to say. 

Reading out loud is not something you will be doing at the exam, so practicing your fluency at home is the key. Never be scared to do a few practice stories before your 11 Plus creative writing exam.

Proofreading Your Creative Writing

Finally, once you’ve finished writing and you’re happy with how fluent your piece sounds you’ve got to proofread it! That means checking your grammar, your punctuation and spelling. 

Make sure you’ve only used capital letters where they need to be used – the start of sentences and the names of people and places. 

Make sure you’ve used quotation marks correctly – start a new paragraph for when a character starts speaking, open with a quotation mark and then write what they said before closing with a quotation mark. Make sure you carry on writing after they’ve finished speaking with a new paragraph!

Have you checked the tenses? Make sure you’re not mixing up  past, present and future tenses !

Have you used enough punctuation? Make sure all your sentences end with full stops, but also that questions end with a question mark. Space out long sentences with a well-placed comma and make sure if a character says something loudly or is surprised that you’re using exclamation marks. 

Check your spelling! Are there any words you struggle with? Go back and check them to make sure they look right. If you’re really struggling to spell a word, maybe use a different one for your creative writing piece – lots of writers do this! If you do this a lot, then it might be worth doing some spelling practice. 

How do I prepare for creative writing? 

When it comes to 11 Plus creative writing exams it’s difficult to find something specific to revise – unlike exams in maths or English spelling, creative writing exams don’t have a right or wrong answer. So, don’t get overwhelmed by reading countless creative writing books.

The best way to prepare for a creative writing test is to practice all the key points we mentioned above. Set yourself some small creative writing tasks, practice your spelling and get some help fromyour teachers. You could also ask your parents or guardians about tuition to help you prepare for your creative writing .

We also have some creative writing book suggestions and worksheets that could help you prepare. 

11 Plus creative writing examples books

If you’re looking for some books to help you prepare for your 11 Plus creative writing exam or want to find some creative writing examples, here are some of our favourites:

11+ Essentials Creative Writing Examples Book 1 (First Past the Post)

11+ Essentials Creative Writing Examples Book 2 (First Past the Post)

Bond 11+: English Focus on Writing: 9-11 years

RSL Creative Writing, Book 1: KS2, KS3, 11 Plus & 13 Plus – Workbook For Ages 9 Upwards

11+ Creative Writing

Remember to always ask a parent or guardian before buying anything online.

11 Plus creative writing tasks and worksheets

Here are some of our own worksheets that’ll help you prepare and improve your creative writing skills: 

Creating characters

Creating dilemmas

Creating settings

My favourite author

Try an 11 plus creative writing tutor

If you’re worried about your 11 plus creative writing exam, that’s okay. There are numerous ways you can prepare without getting yourself overwhelmed. We’ve already covered how practice makes perfect when it comes to writing, so creative writing courses could be a great way for you to improve your confidence.

11 Plus tuition  will also help with your creative writing. Explore Learning’s expert tutors can help you work on your story planning and structure, grammar, writing fluency and vocabulary. 

Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed about your 11 Plus creative writing task, we’re here to help you do your best.  

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11 Plus creative writing FAQs

How to prepare for 11 plus creative writing.

Prepare by understanding the 11 Plus creative writing requirements. Engage in regular practice on various topics like adventures, challenges and feelings. Focus on grammar, punctuation, fluency, spelling and vocabulary. Always proofread and consider getting feedback.

Is there creative writing in the 11 Plus exam?

The 11 Plus exam may include a creative writing component, often lasting 25-30 minutes, where a student demonstrates their narrative and language skills.

What are the different types of creative writing 11+?

The 11 Plus creative writing includes descriptive, persuasive and narrative tasks. Studentsmay be asked to craft or add to stories, describe scenarios, write persuasive letters or informative pieces.

How do I study for a creative writing exam?

Study by practising various creative writing tasks regularly. Focus on language proficiency, structure your narratives and proofread. For tailoredsupport, consider 11 Plus tuition .

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127 Story Starters & Writing Prompts for Kids (Ages 10 – 14)

Coming up with story starters for kids can be difficult. This article provides 127 writing prompts that can get kids’ creative writing off to a great start. Download my three great creative writing lesson plans that I use as a supply teacher. They’re easy-to-use lessons that you can teach on the go.

Article Key Points

• Select from the list of 127 writing prompts below for story ideas that you like.
• Put these writing ideas in a hat and have students randomly pick out their assigned story.
• Use the 3 lesson plans provided for a ready-made creative writing lesson. Great for supply teachers!

You can get my printable story starters sheet at the end of this article

A full list of 127 story starters and writing prompts for kids

Writing prompts for adventure stories.

• A princess who needs to rescue a puppy from a river.
• A family on a road trip who got lost and ended up on a whole new adventure.
• Two friends who go on an adventure down a river on a rowboat.

A superhero who lost his superpowers in the middle of a rescue.

• A kid who wakes up one day to find out he / she was turned into a dog.
• The day in the life of an inanimate object (tree, statue, etc.).
• Three friends who can time travel forward in time. What will the world look like when they arrive?

The main character of your story has to escape a pirate ship after being captured in the night.

• Pioneers travelling the whole way across a new land in just a wagon. What challenges will they face?
• You’re a detective trying to uncover a crime: someone stole grandma’s apple pie when it was cooling on the windowsill!
• You walk past a phone booth that is ringing. You answer the phone. Who is on the other end?

You wake up one day to find out that you grew and you’re suddenly 12 feet tall! You try to go to school but you find life’s hard as a giant…

• A giant and a mouse live in a house together and are best friends. Tell a story about them preparing dinner together. What would each eat, and how would their preparations be different?
• You’re half way up Mount Everest when you drop your pack with all your climbing gear off a cliff. What are you going to do about it?
• A dorky kid suddenly develops superpowers and fights crime in the city at night.

A talking dog and his best friend race against time to defuse a bomb.

• A firefighter is in a race against time to put out a fire before it burns down a magical forest full of talking animals (who help him / her to put out the fire!). Help him put out the fire safely !
• You are walking along the beach and find a message in a bottle. The message provides the directions to something special – follow the directions!
• Write a story about a refugee. They have recently had to flee their home to go to a safer place. Explain their journey.

You wake up one day and you’re only 6 inches tall! Write the story of what happens next – will you go on an adventure? Will you go to school? What will your parents say when they see you?

• Write a story about being lost in a maze. How did it make you feel? What did you come across as you turned corners in your attempt to escape?
• You’re going camping but you’re only allowed to bring 5 belongings. What would you bring, and why?
• You’re the only survivor of a plane that has crashed in the wilderness. Describe how you will survive.

You’re a book that keeps getting passed from person to person and bookshop to bookshop. What sorts of people read your book and what crazy places do you end up going?

• You’re 5 feet tall and live in a garden. How will you make your own comfortable little home in amongst the leaves?
• You’ve found yourself trapped in a prison cell. What creative ways will you come up with to escape?
• You dig a hole in your backyard and find a treasure. What is the treasure and what will you do with it?

You have to set up a new colony on Mars. Who would you take with you and what struggles will you have setting up your new colony? Who would be king? What would be the rules?

• You have magical pockets. Every time you put your hand in your pocket, you pull something else out! Write a story of the 5 different, random things you pull out of your pockets. Will some of them be slimy and scary? Will some be alive? Will some be tasty?

Read Also: 25 Central Ideas for Stories

Writing prompts for stories about your life

• Your favorite memory with your family.
• The best vacation or adventure you ever had.
• A time you went to the dentist.

Your two favorite movies (and how they’re similar and different).

• What you think would happen at a dinner party involving any three of your favorite people (living or dead).
• Your hero and why they’re your hero.
• Write a story about your ideal day. Start with your alarm going off to wake you up, and end with you closing your eyes and falling asleep.

The happiest moment of your life. What was it that made you so happy?

• What a day in your life would be like if you had your dream job.
• You have swapped jobs with one of your parents. You have to go to work for the day and they have to go to school. What funny things will happen?
• Write a story about a dream you have had in your past. Was it a logical story, or did your dream defy the rules of the world? If you can’t remember your dream, you can make it up or fill in the gaps.

Write a story about a time you were wrong and how you felt. Were you glad you learned something new? Were you ashamed? Did you apologize?

• Write a story about your favorite place. If you don’t have a favorite place, invent one and explain why it would be your favorite place.
• Write about a skill you recently learned. Was it frustrating? After learning the skill how did you feel? How do you use the skill in your life now?
• Write a story about the things you think about just before you go to sleep at night.

Write about exactly what you’re going to do when you get home from school today.

• Write a story about all the things you’re grateful for and why you’re grateful for each one.
• Write about the moment your parents or grandparents met and how they felt at that time. If you don’t know about it, make it up!
• Write about your first day at high school or university. What will your emotions be? Will you meet anyone?

Read Also: A List of 107 Effective Classroom Teaching Strategies

Writing prompts for imaginative stories

• What you would do if you could travel back in time to hang out with one of your ancestors.
• You have a metal detector and are using it on a beach. What do you turn up? Describe it and what you would do with it.
• You invent your own tree house. Describe it – how do you get into it? How many rooms are there and what is in each room?

You could travel back in time to any time in world history. What is it and why?

• You meet a fairy who gives you any one gift – what would it be and how would you use it?
• You just bought a haunted house and are about to spend your first night in it. It’s run down and creepy. Describe your first night, starting with when you step in the door at 5 pm.
• You’re shipwrecked on a deserted island with only 5 of your belongings. Which would they be and why?

Imagine an older version of you has traveled back in time and has come to give you advice. What advice will they give you and what will your conversation be like?

• Imagine you’re a farmer. Describe the farm animals or plants you would farm and a day in your life.
• Write a story about having fear of the grass, but needing to walk through a park. How will you get across the park without touching the grass!?
• Imagine it’s the world 2100 and climate change has changed the climate where you live. Describe the new climate, the new plants that grow there, and whether it’s extremely hot or extremely cold!

Imagine an ice age has arrived and the whole world is -30 degrees! How will you live? In an igloo? What clothes would you wear? Would the cities be made of ice? Explain a day in the life.

• You have created your own personal robot. What does the robot do and how does this improve your life?
• You wake up one day and the only people left in the world are 3 of your closest friends. How will you survive?
• Your house has been converted into a spaceship and you’re flying to the mysterious planet Obertoron. What is the climate like in this new planet? What challenges do you face settling into this new planet?

You are in the middle of a lesson at school when … suddenly gravity stops working and everything starts floating into the air!

• You can breathe underwater and go on underwater adventures to a city under the sea. You’re on a mission to save the city from an evil octopus.
• You wake up in the morning and suddenly you’re 30 years old. What is a day in the life of the 30 year old version of you?
• Make up the rules of your own sport. You can get inspiration from real sports or a made up sport like Quidditch.

Write a story about the most peaceful place you could imagine. What is surrounding you that makes it so peaceful?

• Peter Pan flies in through the window to teach you to fly. Describe how it feels to fly out the window and look down on the streets below.
• You’re in a garbage dump sifting for goodies. What do you find and what do you do with it?
• You receive a mysterious item in the mail. Describe the item and why you might have received it.

You can read minds. What are the thoughts in the heads of people around you? Are you glad you can read minds, or will you end up regretting it?

• You’re born into royalty and will be the future king or queen. How are people treating you and what will be your responsibilities? Are you happy about being the future monarch, or will you end up just wishing you were a normal person.
• You’re the president, king or prime minister for the day. What will you do today to improve your society or change the world?
• Invent your own movie. What is the main character’s name and what is the movie’s plot? How will the movie end?

Imagine you’re a mermaid for a day. What sea creatures would you talk to? Where would you sleep and live under the sea?

• Imagine you are a teacher. What would you teach and why?
• Imagine you have a secret hatch under your bed that takes you into your own private cave. What will you keep in your cave that makes it the prefect secret room for you?
• Imagine you woke up one morning and there was no electricity for the next year. What would change about your life?

Write a story that involves the following 5 objects: a foot, a lake, a spaceship, a pizza, and a dinosaur.

• Imagine you’re from a tribe that has never had contact with anyone else in the world. You go for a walk and stumble upon a city. Explain how you feel and what you see.
• Everything you touch with your right hand turns to candy. Write about a day in your life and the sorts of issues you might come across during your day.
• You feel the emotions of all the people around you. Write about a day walking through a city, the people you see, and how your emotions go up and down like a roller coaster.
• Imagine your toys have come to life (like in Toy Story!) What sorts of things will they get up to while you’re at school?

Writing prompts for descriptive stories

• Write a story about the weather. Choose one type of weather (thunderstorm, sunny day, humidity, rain) and describe it. Use adverbs, adjectives and superlatives to describe how the weather makes you feel.
• Write a story about a delicious feast you made for your friends. What will be served? Describe its taste in your mouth. Don’t forget to describe the appetizers, main course and dessert!
• Pretend you are the god of your own little world and you can invent an animal. What would its features be? Think about its head, body and limbs. Don’t forget to describe its skin (fur? Scales? hair?), eyes, mouth (or is it a beak or bill?), ears, fingers, etc.

You are on the train observing other people and listening in to their conversations. Describe the people on the train and what they’re doing with their lives.

• You are Santa Claus and you’re reading children’s wish lists. Describe three different children’s wish lists. The children need to have different personalities and this needs to be reflected in their wish list.
• You’ve been given $100 to spend in the supermarket. Start the story of you walking down the aisle trying to pick out what you want. First you’ll describe 7 objects that you find, but then you can only choose 3. Explain your choice.
• Describe the taste of chocolate to someone who has never tasted it before. How will you explain it?

You’ve met someone who has never smiled before. Explain to them how to smile without using the word ‘smile’.

• Describe what it’s like to see to someone who was born blind.
• Describe what it’s like to hear to someone who was born deaf.
• You start your own club. What would the club be, and what would be the conditions for entry to the club?

You’re about to take an exam. Describe your feelings before the exam begins, then your feelings during the exam, and finally your feelings after you leave!

• You’re walking through a refugee camp. Describe what you see.
• Write a story about how you feel on the first warm, sunny day of the year.
• Describe snow to someone who has never seen or touched it.

Write a story about how it feels to be cold to someone who’s from Jamaica and has never felt the cold!

• Write a story about how it feels to be hot to someone from the North Pole who’s never felt the heat!
• You invent your own board game . What is the theme and what are the rules?
• Describe what it feels to walk through a city to someone who has never been in the city before.

Describe what it feels like to be all alone in the forest to someone who’s never been in among trees before.

• You move into a new house and have to set up your new bedroom. What would its theme be? What posters would you put on the walls?
• You’re an architect and can design your dream house. What would it look like? What rooms would there be? What cool things would you include in your new house?
• If there was one thing you could invent, what would it be? Describe it and how it is used.

A fire has started in your home. You can only save 3 of your belongings. What are they and why would you save them?

• You make a new friend. Describe the friend’s personality and why you like them so much.
• You have to plan a birthday party for yourself. What will be the party’s them? Where will it be?
• You can invent your own car. What special features will it have that will make it your ideal car?

You are going to go a full year without creating and trash. Write about the lifestyle changes you will make in order to prevent making trash. How will you get food without wrappings?

• There is a new kid who has arrived at school today. Write about what you will do to make them feel welcome.
• You have to buy Christmas gifts for all of your family members. Describe what the gifts will be and why you think they’re ideal for each family member.
• You can change your style to any style you like: what would you wear, what would your hair look like, and what sort of music would you listen to?

Describe what it’s like to feel hungry to someone who’s never felt hunger before in their life.

• You have $50 to buy food for a week. What foods will you buy and why? Will you focus on health food to keep yourself healthy, or binge on junk that tastes so yummy?
• Imagine you work for the post office. What is a day in your life? What dogs will you come across? What different sorts of letters will you deliver? Happy letters? Sad letters?
• Describe what it feels like to take a shower to someone who’s never had a shower before.

It’s opposite day and you have to lie about everything. What sorts of trouble are you going to get into from all of your lies?

• Explain how you would start a fire without a lighter or matches.
• Describe the feeling of being sticky to someone who has never felt the feeling of being sticky. You can’t use the word ‘sticky’.
• Describe the feeling of being dirty to someone who has never felt being dirty. You can’t use the word ‘dirty’.

Write a story about how it feels to be bullied, and someone who arrives and is kind to you. Describe how it feels to have a friend who is kind after you’ve been bullied.

• You have been asked to create a new game show on TV (Think: Family Feud or Wheel of Fortune). What will be the rules of your new game show?
• You are a genetic scientist and can create a new fruit. Describe the fruit: how it feels, tastes, and looks. What does the tree that it grows on look like? In what climate does it grow?
• You’re an architect and you’ve been asked to design the ideal playground. What sort of cool play equipment will you place in your playground?

3 Great Writing Prompts and Story Starter Lesson Plans

Lesson 1: mix-and-match story starter lesson.

Printable 1: Fun Story Stater and Writing Prompt Mix-and-Match Lesson (Takes you to a Google Doc)

This lesson plan download has a list of mix-and-match story starters. Cut up each story element and put them into three hats: Character, Setting and Plot (you might also want to read my article about about all 8 elements of a story ). The students are blindfolded and must take one story element out of each hat and make a story out of the three elements they get!

Lesson 2: Planning your Creative Story Plot

Printable 2: Story Planning Template (Takes you to a Google Doc)

Teach students about the important elements of a story using this story planning lesson template. Your students need to describe their main character, plot and setting before they tell their story. It’s a great scaffold to ensure your students follow the conventions of story writing.

Lesson 3: Random Creative Writing Story Prompts

Printable 3: A List of 127 Story Starters (Takes you to a Google Doc)

I love this one for an easy afternoon. Simply cut up the 127 creative writing story ideas below, place them in a hat, and have students close their eyes and pick out the story that they will have to write about.  

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/admin/ 5 Best Laminators for Teachers, Reviewed!
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/admin/ 5 Best College Care Packages for Guys & Girls
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/admin/ 7 Best Microwaves for College Student Dorms
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/admin/ 5 Best Backpacks for Teachers

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15 Creative Writing Prompts for 11-year-olds Preparing for the 11 Plus English Exam

If your child is in year 5 of primary school, then chances are they may be sitting their 11+ exams soon.

In many of the 11 Plus exams will be an English paper that includes a creative essay, in which your child will be expected to demonstrate their literacy skills creatively by using extensive language, grammar and punctuation.

In order to put their best foot forward, your child will need to prepare adequately – there is no such thing as too much practice when it comes to writing. That’s why we have created some free creative writing resources , including the following 15 creative writing prompts to help your child exercise their creativity

Don’t forget – we have lots of writing prompts books and booklets, too! See below:

15 Creative Writing Prompts

• Let’s say you could create your own animal, what would it look like? How would you describe it in terms of size, colour and height? What would it sound like? What does it eat?
• Write a story about a day in your life from the viewpoint of a mouse.
• Imagine you are 10 years older. Write about what the 21-year-old version of you would be like.
• Imagine that you were chosen as one of the first people to visit Mars. What would you take with you and what do you think the planet would be like?
• If you switched places with your parents for a day, how would you run the house? What rules would you introduce and which rules would you change?

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• 11 Plus Creative Writing – Example Topics and Tasks

11 Plus Creative Writing – Example Topics and Tasks

Schools can of course ask anything so these example tasks shouldn’t be used as stock answers.

Pupils will however find that developing a full description bank of characters, emotions, action, the natural world and the built environment etc will help them to deliver effective and creative descriptions on the day.

Using those description banks within these sample stories will help them to develop their work further and enable them to embed their thoughts so they can deliver properly on the day.

Remember if you are going to tackle any of these sample writing topics and tasks you should always plan to revisit your work a few days after you have done it. As part of the process children who often re-write their work to improve it find they make better progress.

Good resources to help with creative writing are rare. If you need help then we do recommend this creative writing preparation course . Since we started recommending it we have had very good feedback from our users, whether they have used it to prepare for an 11 Plus exam or an Independent entry test.

11 Plus creative writing example topics list

The following topics and tasks have come up in either in grammar school or independent school 11 plus writing tests:

Core themes for creative writing topics and tasks:

Many stories have core themes or emotions or feelings within them. When developing your descriptions banks these are useful areas to think about:

Animals – Typically describe your pet or your favourite animal or an animal you are frightened of. Be prepared to be use literary devices like personification or exaggeration or even simple similes to bring your description to life.

Emotions and feelings – Stories often include a requirement to describe emotion like fear, or joy or what it feels like to be lost or alone. They could easily ask you to describe enjoyment through a title like My brilliant day. Sometimes the titles may overtly lead you in a very clear direction. Lost ! and Alone! Are two previous examples that have come up.

Activities you enjoy doing – This is chance to describe the activity itself ( whatever you like from mountaineering to gardening and everything in between) plus how it makes you feel. Again your development of description banks should have helped you.

The natural world – Could be hills or mountains, rivers or streams or lightning or the rain or the feeling of sunshine or how a meadow looks or a field of wheat. Children who cover the natural world in their descriptions development work always find it useful.

The built environment – Think houses or offices blocks or cottages or castles.  Roads and bridges, churches and sheds.  Developing some thoughts about how to describe the built environment is always useful.

Story Titles:

Story titles can be long or short.  Here are some examples of story titles which have come up in both Grammar School and Independent School tests.

• The Day Trip
• The Broken Window
• The Abandoned House
• The Voice in the Darkness
• Write a story with Alone as the title, where you suddenly realise that you are on your own.  It may be a true or entirely made up, but it should include your thoughts and feelings as well as what happened.
• Write a story (true or made up) about a visit you make to some relations of your own.
• Write a letter to a cousin inviting him to stay with you. You should try and interest him in some of the varied and unusual activities he can take part in.
• Describe a situation which you have experienced which might also be called A Magical Moment, showing what your thoughts and feelings are.
• Write a clear description of an animal you know well.  Make sure you describe what it does and how it behaves as well as what it looks like.
• I prefer Winter to Spring.
• The door and what was behind it.
• The Prince of Darkness is a Gentleman.
• Ash on an old man’s sleeve.
• Write a story that begins with the words – I had been waiting for such a long time for this to happen.
• Write a description of someone you admire.  (You may choose someone you actually know, or someone you have never met.  Describe them and explain why you admire them).

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How do I use writing topics in my classroom?

Do you want to inspire your students to write great narratives, essays, and reports? Check out these grade-specific writing topics organized by mode (explanatory, creative, and so on). Or search for writing topics that relate to a theme, such as “life” or “animals” or “family.”

Jump to . . .

Explanatory writing.

• A day in the rainforest
• After-school games
• An important person I know about
• At the library
• Foods I don't like
• Friendly places
• Games I play with friends
• Games we play at recess
• Good things in my neighborhood
• How plants grow
• How to make my favorite dessert
• How to make new friends
• I like spring because . . .
• I like to make . . .
• I'd like to see . . .
• Insects, insects everywhere
• Learning to ride a bike
• My favorite food
• My favorite pet
• My favorite season
• My mom's/dad's hobby
• My new friend
• My shopping list
• Our clubhouse
• The biggest bubble-gum bubble
• The funniest zoo animal
• This person makes me laugh
• What I know about . . .
• What I know about an animal
• What I know about dinosaurs
• What I know about stars
• What I know about the ocean
• What I like about math
• What makes me laugh?
• What will I share?
• Who I will be in the future
• Who's at the zoo?
• Why I like to read
• Why I love to sing
• Words I think are funny

Persuasive Writing

• Don't litter!
• Things that would make my neighborhood better

Narrative Writing

• A day at the beach
• A special birthday
• Buying something with my own money
• Cooking dinner with Mom/Dad
• Eating lunch with my friends
• Going grocery shopping
• Going to the circus
• I rode on a . . .
• I'm happy when . . .
• Losing my teeth
• My adventure
• My trip to . . .
• Noisy times and quiet times
• Playing a game with Grandma/Grandpa
• Playing with pets
• Something funny that happened to me
• The biggest thing I ever saw
• The last time I cried
• When _ was born

Response to Literature

• A book I just read
• Some of my favorite books

Creative Writing

• A story about a holiday
• A trip on a rocket ship
• Dear George Washington
• Seeing the world through the eyes of . . .
• Sometimes I wish . . .
• What if I met a . . .
• What if I were 10 years old?
• What if I were someone else?
• What if toys could talk?
• What's under my bed?

Research Writing

• I wonder why . . .
• Something I don't understand
• A bicycle I'd like to have
• A day in the desert
• A great place to go
• A great treehouse
• A place I like to visit
• A sport I'm good at
• A trip on a monorail
• Activities for indoor fun
• Activities for outdoor fun
• Amazing facts I know
• An amazing animal
• Dancing to the music
• Having fun at school
• Helping out around the house
• Magic tricks I can do
• Making my favorite food
• My favorite baby-sitter
• My favorite board game
• My favorite teacher
• My homework place
• Our classroom pet
• Some things I like about the museum
• The best house pets
• The weirdest house pets
• Things that are hard to believe
• Things to do in the snow
• Unusual fruits and vegetables
• Water balloons!
• What I like about where I live
• What makes me special
• Who is beautiful?
• Let's help the environment by . . .
• Things I'd like to change
• A cozy spot at home
• A funny time in my family
• A great day with a friend
• A helpful person I have met
• A person who means the world to me
• A walk in the woods
• Funny things my pet has done
• My best birthday
• My favorite family story
• Putting on a play
• Swimming at the pool or lake
• When everything goes wrong
• Book characters I'd like to meet
• A dark hallway
• Donuts for dinner
• Something I wish would happen
• What if there were no electricity
• All about an amazing animal

Business Writing

• A cartoon character that I like
• A song that means a lot to me
• A special photograph
• A special, secret place
• A trip in a submarine
• An important time in history
• Building a fort
• Creatures that live in the ocean
• Creepy, crawly things
• Dirt bikes and skateboards
• Do I want to be famous?
• Doing homework
• Going to the dentist
• Gone fishing!
• How to stop hiccups
• How we divide the chores at our house
• I don't understand why . . .
• I'd like to invent a machine that . . .
• If I started my own business, I'd . . .
• Instructions for a pet sitter of my pet
• Let's help the animals by . . .
• Looking at the globe
• My favorite clothes
• My favorite form of exercise
• Pizza is . . .
• Staying at a friend's house
• The first day of school is the worst/best because . . .
• The rules we follow
• Things I see when I take a walk
• What I use a computer for
• What if I were the teacher?
• What is important to me?
• What it's like to use a wheelchair
• What my dreams feel like
• When I see nature, I . . .
• Why I like/dislike playing team sports
• Why my mom and dad are the greatest
• My school really needs . . .
• A day in the life of my pet
• A visit to a friend's school
• An excellent birthday party
• Discovering a new friend
• Getting my first pair of glasses
• Grandma's attic
• I'll never eat another . . .
• My best day
• My first school memories
• My most embarrassing moment
• Rings on her fingers
• Talk about being scared!
• When I did something amazing
• When I was upside down
• When the big storm hit
• If I wrote like the author of . . .
• A really spooky story
• Summer games
• What if we suddenly had to move?
• A game that meant a lot to my childhood
• A school field trip
• A toy I've held onto all these years
• A trip to a space station
• A typical lunch hour
• Can farmers grow enough food for everyone?
• Here's what a new student needs to know
• How I can change the way I look
• How I picture myself four years from now
• How I would define the word . . .
• I would have liked to have lived during this time.
• I'm principal for the day. Here is my schedule.
• I've done something that no one else has done
• If I could be someone else, I would be . . .
• My bedroom from top to bottom
• My favorite place
• My idea of a fun weekend
• My life as a . . .
• My participation in an activity outside of school
• One thing I want to do by the time I leave 8th grade
• Overcoming health problems
• The wildest hairstyle I have ever seen
• What a family member taught me
• What a house of the future might look like
• What I broke or lost that belongs to someone else
• A big hazard on the road
• A big problem in education is . . .
• A cool store
• A dedicated teacher or coach
• Dear Senator
• Discover nature
• Finally, a good assembly
• How could TV be better?
• Let's save _ in our schools
• My best class ever
• My favorite neighbor
• My favorite singer(s)
• Rights that kids in my grade should have
• The worst food I ever ate
• This really bugs me
• What's good about hard work?
• Why I deserve a larger allowance
• Why parents should be honest with their kids
• Why school fund-raisers are important
• Why weekends need to be longer
• A memorable bus ride
• A narrow escape from trouble
• A time that was just not fair
• A visit to a relative's house
• If I lived back in history
• If only I would have listened!
• My first concert
• My first friend
• Summer in a cabin by a lake
• The most fun I've had recently
• We couldn't stop laughing!
• We got caught!
• When I was lost
• A great book made into a great movie
• My favorite character from a book
• What if a book came to life?
• What this story means to me
• How _ came to be.
• Life among the cloud people
• Long ago and far away
• Meeting myself in the future
• Traveling west in a wagon train
• When the dinosaurs returned
• A job I'd really like to have
• All about an amazing place
• The most fascinating things I learned
• The tallest, the deepest, the longest, the biggest
• When I conducted an experiment
• When science took a big leap forward

Personal Writing

• The book that got me hooked on reading
• A day I will always remember
• A friend who moved away
• A great scientific breakthrough
• A person who changed history
• A personal habit I'd like to change
• A project I am working on
• A typical evening at home
• A visit with the doctor or dentist
• An invention that transformed the world
• Causes of a huge change in the world
• Coping with brothers and sisters
• Hanging out
• How a vehicle works
• How do people cope with constant pain?
• How I express myself artistically
• How it would feel to walk in space
• I admit it: I enjoy professional wrestling.
• I take some things too seriously
• If I were a superhero, I'd be . . .
• Is pollution a necessary evil?
• Is this love?
• Morning madness
• My craziest experience in a restaurant or shopping mall
• My dream car
• My first crush
• My first encounter with a bully
• My muscles were so sore after . . .
• My Web site
• Self-esteem
• Something this school really needs is . . .
• Sometimes, adults seem . . .
• The environment: problem and solution
• The hardest thing I have ever done
• The idea hit me like a tornado.
• The next wave of social media
• The toys I'll never give up
• Tools I will need in my intended profession
• We all make mistakes
• What animals can teach people
• What different colors mean to me
• What do Americans do well?
• What do I do to break routine?
• What do I worry about?
• What if school sports were dropped?
• What invention would I like to see in my lifetime?
• What it's like where I work
• Who knows me best?
• Why are crime dramas so popular?
• Why are some people so cruel?
• "Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal."
• A change that would improve school life
• Foods I love, foods I hate
• I couldn't believe that Mom/Dad volunteered me for that job
• It's a rule, so it's right . . . right?
• Let's hear it for my favorite senior citizen
• Let's push alternate forms of energy
• Putting my foot in my mouth
• The government should . . .
• What most drives me crazy is . . .
• Why appearance is not so important
• Why I deserve the job
• _ is like a boomerang
• A funny thing happened when . . .
• A meaningful gift I've given or received
• A time when I got in trouble
• An unforgettable dream
• Looking at pictures of family and friends
• My brother or sister made me so mad
• My worst vacation
• What I regret most
• When I faced my fears
• When I learned something difficult
• When I traveled to . . .
• A remarkable artist
• An all-new album from an important artist
• An amazing work of art
• Meet the characters of . . .
• The music that moves me most
• The theme of my favorite story is . . .
• Alone on a desert island

The complete guide to preparing for the 11 Plus

• What is the Eleven Plus?
• A parent’s guide to coping with the 11 plus
• On the day of the test
• Results Day
• 11 Plus General Tips
• CEM 11 Plus
• Standardised Scores
• Planning an 11+ Campaign
• Preparation in Year 3 & Year 4
• Preparation in Year 5
• Emergency! Preparation for Late Starters
• 11 Plus Practice Materials
• Free 11 Plus Practice Papers
• What’s new in 11 Plus?
• Verbal Reasoning
• Non-Verbal Reasoning
• Mathematics
• Practice Online
• When to Start Tutoring
• Finding a Tutor
• Choosing the Right Type of Tutoring
• Selecting the Right Tutor
• Problems with a Tutor
• Eleven Plus Exams Tuition Centre
• General Points
• Non Qualification
• Oversubscribed School
• Ombudsman and ESFA
• Miscellaneous
• Abbreviations

The lowdown on the requirements of different schools and areas

• Choosing a School
• Admission Policies and Rules
• Glossary of Admission Terms
• Open Day & School Visit Questions
• CAF - The School Application Form
• Equal Preference System
• School League Tables
• Independent Schools
• Partially Selective Schools
• Grammar Schools
• Grammar to Academy Status
• Birmingham & Walsall
• Buckinghamshire
• Hertfordshire
• Lancashire & Cumbria
• Lincolnshire
• Wolverhampton & Wrekin

Everything you need to succeed at the 11 Plus More about our Services

11+ Essay Writing

Independent School Essay Writing  Next Page.

With thanks to various 11+ Forum members, particularly Freya, for their helpful posts on this topic.

Children often feel that the essay element of the 11+ is a monumental task, and parents preparing them for it often feel the same way! We hope that the advice on this page will help your and your child to break the task down into manageable pieces, and also provide you with some useful shortcuts.

On this section you will also find advice on essay writing from an 11+ veteran who took several Independent School exams. The advice given is particularly helpful for longer essays and for more challenging topics and tests.

The essay test may be as little as 20 minutes or as long as 50 minutes, and may be factual or fiction. There is usually a choice of titles, but it is important to check the type of topics that have come up in the tests for each school in the past. There are some examples below of essay titles that have come up in past 11+ tests around the country to get you started.

Examiners in different areas may have different priorities. In some areas they will mainly be interested in the content of the work, rather than demanding good spelling or punctuation. In other areas accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling may be required as well. All examiners will be looking for one key thing: the “beginning, middle and end” that most children find so difficult to achieve in essays.

If your child does not excel at fiction writing and you know for certain that they will have a choice of factual or fiction topics, you could focus on developing their ability to write a persuasive factual essay rather than battling uphill with creative writing.

Learning good planning technique is essential to success in an 11+ essay. The elements that need to be planned are:

• Who are the characters? Can you describe them?
• Where is the story set?
• What is the plot – what will happen in the story?
• How will the story begin?
• What will happen in the middle?
• How will it end?

With very limited time for planning an essay in the 11+ a child must learn to make rough notes on all of these points within a very tight timescale. In some areas the children are given 5 minutes specifically to plan their essay, but in other areas that time is included in the time allotted for the whole task, and speed is critical.

Building up a “bank” of characters and settings that your child can fall back is well worth doing. Typical characters might be: a criminal; an old lady; a spooky person; a scary man, a nice friend, etc. Settings might include: A rocky seashore; a dark wood; an old, empty house, etc.

To develop the “beginning, middle and end” balance, you can work out how much your child is likely to write in the allotted time and then start to rule 3 sections on their page, one short one, a longer one and a third short one. They then have to complete the “beginning” within the space allowed in the first section, fit the middle into the longer section and the ending must take up the whole of the last section

Even after extensive practice a child may still find that they are running out of time. It is well worth preparing some “emergency endings”, and never,  ever  falling back on the stock phrase: “And then I woke up and realised it was all a dream”. It is an ending that makes the hearts of teachers and examiners sink to their boots!

Plenty of adjectives and adverbs will make for interesting writing, and you can help your child to make “stock lists” of appropriate words for different settings. For example, if the story is a “spooky” story, help them to think of dark, scary adjectives and adverbs.

As time goes on it is also worth helping a child come up with “stock phrases” that can fit into almost any essay, such as:

• Linking mood to weather: Tears like the rain/waterfalls; Eyes bruised like dark clouds; Heart beating as raindrops thundered; Eyes twinkling like dew on fresh grass.
• Descriptions of surroundings: Sweet, cloying scent; Patchwork of autumn leaves – vibrant reds, ochres, etc; Shafts of sunshine dappling; Trees whispering to each other; Angry water seething and boiling.
• Descriptions of being frightened: Being chased, hiding and anticipating being found.

Essay Topics

For creative writing, the topics set for 11+ essays tend to have the same common themes, and it is worth having a “stock” story that can be used in each of these settings:

• Being lost, scared or alone
• Doing something exciting or achieving something (’the best day of my life was . . . ’)
• Taking a holiday
• Having an adventure
• Being in a city or in the countryside

These are topics that have come up on past 11+ papers around the country, with a few additional titles contributed by our 11+ Forum members:

• A surprising spy
• Break time at school
• Write a story about a lost key
• Is life too hectic to enjoy fully?
• My favourite memories
• A farewell party
• An attempted robbery
• It was a while before I realised my cat could talk
• Moving Houses
• I don’t know what that noise was …..
• The new pupils
• The Burglary
• My Brilliant Idea
• Visiting Relatives
• The Balloon
• The school rules
• A place that inspires you
• Your favourite day out
• Are Jamie Oliver’s new school dinners a good idea.
• What makes a good friend?
• Describe the scene and the activities at a bus station.
• What are your reactions to discipline? How far is it necessary both at home and at school?
• How does the life of your generation differ from that of your grandparents?
• Discuss the good and bad effects of competition in modern life

• The Importance of Reading
• 11 plus Vocabulary

Related Pages

• Comprehension Exercises
• Essay Writing
• Importance of Reading
• Reading List
• Useful Resources for English
• Free Eleven Plus Papers

11+ Essentials – English Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar Book 1 (First Past the Post®)

Knowledge of spelling, punctuation and grammar is at the heart of 11 plus and Common Entrance exams, such as those set by Granada Learning (GL). The questions in this book have been designed to replicate the last three sections of the current GL 11 plus English test.

11+ Essentials – Creative Writing Examples Book 2 (First Past the Post®)

Creative Writing: Examples presents 11+ students with a variety of high-quality, creative writing pieces, written by their peers in preparation for their exam. This book is designed to address the key elements of the 11+ creative writing exam, using real creative pieces as examples.

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100 Writing Prompts for Kids: Ideas and Story Starters to Get Pens Moving Faster Than Ever

Stuck for writing prompts that will inspire your students to fill their pages?

We’ve got you covered. Here are 100 writing prompts that will get heads down and pens moving faster than ever.

• Write about a special bond you have with an animal.
• Describe your dream bedroom. What would be in it and why?
• You’re trapped on a desert island with only the things in your schoolbag. What do you do?
• Your pet is in charge of you for a day. What will they make you do?
• Write about a place that is important to you.
• When I discovered there was treasure buried in the backyard I…
• A friend from another country is going to swap schools with you. Write a letter telling them what to expect.
• The moment I woke up, I knew something wasn’t right…
• Write a letter to your teacher telling them why your favourite/favorite book should be studied in class.
• You get to be your favourite/favorite animal for a day. What do you do?
• Write a story where all your favourite/favorite characters from books and movies meet up. What do they get up to?
• Write an alternative ending for your favourite/favorite book or movie.
• Describe a day in your life if you were famous.
• Write a story where the main character faces their biggest fear.
• I looked out the window and couldn’t believe what I saw…
• You’ve got a magic pen. What can it do and how will you use it?
• Write a story that includes the sentence, “I should have seen this coming.”
• You discover a trapdoor in your house. What lies beneath?
• Describe a mistake you made and what you learned from it.
• Write a speech that tells the whole school why you should be a student leader.
• Write a letter to a younger sibling telling them everything they need to know about being in Grade 4.
• You can choose one new subject or sport to be taught at school. What do you choose and why?
• Homework should be banned. Explain why you agree or disagree with this statement.
• If you could travel through time, would you go to the past or the future? Explain why.
• Write about a famous person and why you admire them.
• Write about the best gift you’ve ever received. What made it so amazing?
• The dinosaurs are back, and they’re in your street. What happens next?
• If I could visit another planet I would go to…
• You dig the world’s deepest hole. What lies at the bottom?
• You’re the teacher for the day. What will you do in your lesson?
• If I could keep any animal as a pet I would choose… because…
• Your house has a secret and mysterious history. Write a story about what happened before you lived there.
• If I had a superpower it would be…
• The most interesting thing I’ve learned this year is…
• You get to change the school uniform. What would you make everyone wear and why?
• You get transported into the last video game you played. Where are you?
• If you could invent anything, what would it be?
• If I could only eat one food from now on it would be… because…
• You’re a detective working on a big, important case. What is it and how do you solve it?
• If I could have any job in the world it would be…
• Write a story where the main character is hiding a big secret.
• An alien arrives at your house. What happens next?
• You climb to the top of the tallest tree in your neighbourhood/neighborhood. What can you see that you couldn’t see from down below?
• Write a story where a boring, everyday experience gets turned into a big adventure.
• Describe what you look for in a friend.
• Who lives in the clouds and what do they do up there?
• What is your favourite/favorite holiday and why?
• It started out as just an ordinary day, but then…
• Write about a family member who has an interesting story to tell.
• You’re organizing the ultimate birthday for a friend. What have you planned for them?
• You can breathe underwater and swim like a fish. What will you do with your new power?
• Write a story about a lost city.
• What has someone taught you that you will never forget?
• You get sucked into the pages of your favourite/favorite book. What happens when you join the story?
• This year my goal is to…
• Write a thank you letter to a person who has helped you in some way.
• What is your favourite/favorite season and why?
• You work at the zoo and the elephants have broken loose! What will you do?
• “You’ve got the wrong person – it wasn’t me!” Continue this story…
• Write about a time when you felt a strong emotion (e.g. happy, sad, angry, scared). What made you feel this way?
• Write a story where a character discovers something surprising.
• If I could change one thing in the world it would be…
• Describe the oldest person you know.
• Imagine your life on a farm. What would be on it and what would you do?
• Write a story about a journey at sea.
• What is your favourite/favorite room in your house and why?
• You have $1000 to spend. What will you buy?
• You’ve grown wings and now you can fly. Where will you go?
• What is a food you find really disgusting? Explain why it’s so bad.
• Write about a journey to the top of a huge mountain.
• You’re the mayor of a new town, and now you want people to move there. How will you convince them to join you?
• Would you rather live in a cold, snowy place, or a hot and sunny place? Why?
• What would be in your dream playground?
• You’re starting a band. What instruments will you need and what sort of music will you play?
• Write about the best ride you’ve ever been on.
• One thing I am really good at is…
• What is your earliest memory? Describe it in as much detail as you can remember.
• Write about the most fun holiday you’ve been on.
• You’re a wildlife photographer trying to get a photo of a rare animal. What animal is it and how will you find it?
• Write a story where one character must keep an important secret. Will it be discovered?
• “Don’t look down,” I told myself. But then I…
• Write a story where two people meet in an unusual way and become fast friends.
• Write a “quarantine story” set in a single house.
• Write a recommendation of a book or movie for a friend. Why do you think they would enjoy it?
• A mystery chest washes up on the shore after a storm. Write a story about what happens when it’s discovered.
• Turn one of your strangest dreams into a story.
• Write a “how to play” guide for your favourite/favorite sport.
• Write about the most delicious OR the most disgusting meal you can think of. Make sure your reader can imagine what it tastes like!
• Every year a new person is sent to the moon, and now it’s your turn. What happens when you step out of the rocket?
• If you had a superpower, what would it be and why?
• Write a story where a holiday goes horribly wrong.
• I was terrified. Butterflies filled my stomach. But I took a deep breath and finally stepped out onto the stage…
• You’re handed a letter with your name on it. When you open it up you can’t believe your eyes…
• Write a story where someone discovers something surprising about their neighbor.
• You get to create a new holiday that will be celebrated every year. What is it called and what will people do to celebrate on this day?
• Write a story that takes place in a forest.
• There’s an old house at the end of the street hidden behind tall, dark trees. No one has been brave enough to enter, until now…
• Write a story about a snow day.
• You’re the host of a new game show. Write about what happens in the first episode.
• Write a story where someone discovers something they aren’t supposed to know.

Looking for more writing prompts for your class?

Reading Eggs is brimming with thousands of reading and writing activities. Story Factory in Reading Eggs for example, allows students to create their very own story books with illustrations. Once they have written a story, you can print it out to create a real book that is uniquely theirs.

Try Reading Eggs for free today

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100 Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School

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Looking for some inspiration for your next short story? Look no further! We’ve compiled a list of 100 creative writing prompts for middle school to help you get started. Chose your favorite story idea from the list of creative writing prompts below and get started right now.

Why Story Starters and Writing Prompts Work

Writing is a complex skill. Not only do the hands of middle school students still cramp up when they write for more than a nanosecond, but they have to synthesize many new writing skills at once.

Young writers must generate creative writing ideas, assess their ideas to choose the best one, determine a compelling beginning, middle, and end, outline their story, write several drafts, and edit their own work. These are all necessary skills that must be developed, yes, but if we can isolate them, focusing on one or two at a time, we make it easier for middle school children to conquer each skill.

With writing prompts, they have lots of fun writing ideas to choose from. This takes away the stress of having to come up with their own high-concept idea. (And while these prompts only help with writing-induced stress, we recommend these tips for how to relieve stress in general. Being stressed doesn’t go well with creative writing.)

When they have a starting point to work from, writing gets a lot easier. Instead of spending a long time feeling frustrated about a lack of ideas, students can jump right in and write their first sentence. Even reluctant writers tend to get more excited about writing when presented with irresistible story-writing prompts.

In short, the best thing about using these fun writing prompts is that middle schoolers are more likely to fall in love with writing when they have a great time doing it.

Who Should Use These Story Writing Prompts

While these have been prepared with middle school and high school students in mind, many of them are also applicable to adult writers. Most of the prompts below will be too advanced or complex for most elementary school students, though some older kids from the lower grades, especially those with a real passion for writing, might find a few that peak their interest.

To make things a little simpler for you, we’ve also included a free printable version of these prompts that you can grab by entering your information below.

Sign Up for Your FREE Printable Story Starters and Writing Prompts

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Writing Prompts for Stories That Start Out Just Like Any Other Day

• I tiptoed into the bathroom. If anyone caught me doing this, I’d be in big trouble. I grabbed my mother’s lipstick and brought it back to my bedroom where my brother slept…
• I peeked through the curtains. There was a limo parked outside with two bodyguards. I heard a knock at the door…
• I went over to say hello to the cute little baby under the umbrella, but when I reached her, I saw that…
• The bell rang, and I sprinted toward my locker. I had to get out of there before…
• I opened the front door to find the UPS man standing on the front stoop, his arm around a cylindrical package that was almost as tall as him. Oh no. Not again, I thought…
• Irene gripped her mom’s hand harder as they walked through the doors of the imposing gray building. Her mom had promised her they’d never have to come here again, but…
• The lights dimmed and the curtains opened. I felt like I was going to throw up. Why had I ever thought this was a good idea?…
• As soon as I boarded the train, I began my letter to my sister.  I did it. I sold everything and am on my way to…
• A kid’s birthday party seemed like an innocent enough place to blend in and relax for a moment. It’s been a while since I stopped moving. But when the balloon popped…
• I sat down at my desk and sifted through the mail that had been placed in front of my computer. All junk, of course. I was about to dump it all in the recycling bin when I saw my favorite magazine at the bottom of the pile. Tossing the rest aside, I snatched it up, but something unexpected fell out from between the pages…
• We were canoeing across the inlet when we noticed some unusual movement alongside the boat. A whale was surfacing next to us. Another one followed closely behind. Suddenly, our boat was being lifted out of the water and…
• The Instagram account I created for my hamster just went viral and he’s getting calls with job offers from around the world, only …
• At first, we thought the box contained the water guns we ordered online, so we tore it open eagerly, ready to load them up. Instead, what we saw inside completely changed everything.
• I got off the boat furious and trembling. I was never getting back on there again, not with him at least. There was no way I was going to let him…
• The pancakes were perfect—round and golden, soft but a little crispy near the edges. I slathered them in maple syrup and fruit. But then mom went to the fridge and took out the whipped cream, giving me an apologetic look as she did so. It was a treat, a very special one, and she only ever brought it out if…
• We sat around the campfire in eerie silence, nobody wanting to bring up our predicament. Everything was going to have to come out anyway, we might as well get it over with. I was just about to clear my throat when I noticed Sam and Layla standing apart from the group, whispering. What were they plotting now?
• I’d always wanted to be brave like my brother Simon. He wasn’t afraid of anything. I remember once, when he was younger, he…
• We walked through the garden one last time, knowing we’d never return to this house again. I waved goodbye to each flower bed, to the apple tree that I’d climbed innumerable times as a child. I wanted to scream. Why were they making me…
• My dad used to tell me these crazy stories when I was a kid. His life seemed so bizarre to me, but his sense of humor was mysterious, like I could never tell when fact blended into fiction. I still don’t know which ones to believe, like that one about…
• Shivering, I tried to open the door of my car, but it was frozen shut. I looked up and scanned the parking lot to make sure nobody had seen me. Why did it have to be this freezing, today of all days? What if they…

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Writing Prompts for Stories That Start with Dialogue

• “Drink it, quick!” I looked at the bottle. The contents were unlike any I’d ever seen. I closed my eyes and drank it in one gulp…
• “Five more minutes,” my dad grunted, as I tried to pull him out of bed. “Dad, they’re here–we have to go!”
• “Shh…” I said frantically, as Robin’s wheelchair squeaked again. “Don’t you know how much trouble we’ll be in if they find us…”
• “Put me down!” I yelled as I was hoisted into the air by a giant…
• “Stop it!” I cried as my little sister snatched my phone from the desk and tried to eat it. I couldn’t run the risk of anyone seeing the words I’d etched into the back of it, the ones that would save my life if anyone ever…
• “Have you ever driven one of these before?” I asked James, trying not to let him see how nervous I was. “Is it safe?”
• “Are you coming or not?” he demanded as he took a few steps further into the…
• “Is there anyone in there?” I wondered aloud, staring up at the gothic castle. “The letter said they’d meet us…”
• “We finally did it!” I exclaimed to my lab partner. “We’ve invented a cream that actually makes people more beautiful. We are going to be so rich!”
• You have just five dollars to your name, and you decide to spend it on lunch at your favorite fast food joint. Just as you’re about to pay, a boy not much older than you leans in and whispers to you, “Hold onto your money. I’ll show you how to turn that five dollars into five grand.”
• You’re standing in line at a coffee shop when you spot a shiny coin on the ground. You bend down to pick it up, but a big black boot stomps down on it just before your fingers grasp it. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a deep voice warns.
• “I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news,” she began, her arms crossed nervously over her chest. “You didn’t get in.” When I raised my eyebrows at her, she added, “And there’s more…”
• He patted my hand reassuringly and said, “It’s okay, you can trust me,” in that voice of his that I’d learned meant I really couldn’t. “All you have to do is…”
• “It’s for you!” she called, after answering the phone. When I went to take it from her, she covered the mouthpiece and whispered menacingly, “This better not be about what I think it’s about, got it?”
• “I should have listened to you,” Greg acknowledged, as he lay curled up on the grass, his clothes caked in mud. “You were right about…”
• “How could you?” I asked in disbelief. “After everything we’ve been through, I thought you were the one person I could trust. I can’t believe you…”
• I kicked at the dust with my shoe. Her question had caught me off guard. I wasn’t prepared to answer it, not yet. I tried to stall. “Remember that time when…”
• “Okay, okay, I’m here,” I said, rolling my eyes for effect. “What was this important news that you had to drag me away from pizza night for?”
• “It’s okay, you can come out, you don’t have to be afraid. Here, take my hand.” The hand that reached out toward me was like any I’d ever seen before.
• “Let go!” I screamed at the man holding me in a headlock. I tried to kick his shins, but he just grunted and held tight.  Think quick , I told myself.  Time is running out. If only…

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Writing Prompts with an Element of Suspense

• Estella ran down the trail, her dog, Gerard, several feet ahead of her. A gust of wind ripped through the forest and a loud crack on her left caught her attention. She watched the tree fall, then turned back to the trail, but Gerard was gone…
• The light started to flicker, first blue, then white. I looked around for a way out, but I was trapped. I guess I’d have to resort to the backup plan…
• The footprints in the snow were fresh. They veered off the path and into the woods. I had to make a choice. It was now or never.
• I tiptoed down the stairs of the prison. I had to break her out of here before…
• It was really hot that day, so I went to my favorite lake. I was about to jump into the cool water when a big splash in the middle of the lake sent ripples over the water. Something was in there. Something…
• My sister and I entered the fairgrounds suspiciously. The note we’d found had said that the mystery person would be here at five, and it was half-past four. We weren’t taking any chances. We had to find him before…
• Ellen squeezed down the narrow aisle of the plane looking for row M. She stuffed her backpack under the seat in front of her with her feet and buckled up. As the plane lifted off the ground, the pilot welcome them aboard their flight to Iceland. Wait, what? This wasn’t the flight to…?
• I walked out of the interview, still holding my breath. This was my dream job and I was afraid that the smallest of breaths would cause me to wake up. I exited the building and a little girl approached me. “The job’s yours,” she said, somewhat prophetically. “All you have to do is…”
• Last night, I was taking a nap on the couch when the phone rang. When I answered it, the voice on the other end said, “Will you accept a collect call from Brazil?” I started to panic, was this the call John has warned me about? I answered it with trepidation…
• It was my seventeenth birthday, and I’d been planning the party for months. Everything was perfect: the decorations were over the top, the food catered by my favorite restaurant, and every cool kid in school was there. The only problem? I was stuck in…
• The shelves in the used bookstore climbed higher than I could see, I’d never seen so many books before in my life. I climbed the rolling ladder to get a better look. Just then, a woman approached and held out a thick, red leather-bound tome. “This is one you seek,” she called out to me. “Look no further. This one will…
• I was sitting at a bus stop when a little girl came up to me and gave me a small box. It started trembling in my hands but when I looked up to ask her what it was, she’d disappeared.
• I tiptoed into the haunted house, looking both ways to see what was in it. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw…
• I was about to enter my house when I saw a little dog running down the street toward the busy intersection. There was nobody with him. Without thinking, I took off after him and…
• A loud crash sent me thundering down the stairs to the kitchen. Wolf, my rottweiler was greedily licking lasagna off the tiled floor. Not unusual in and of itself, but what caught my eye was the shiny silver thing glinting underneath the tomato sauce. Was that what I thought it was?…
•  It was well past dark and I was the last person in the library. It was eerily quiet, except for a faint tapping sound coming from the next aisle. I moved cautiously toward the end of the row and peeked my head around the corner…
• I was running out of time. They’d said they’d give me until sundown, and that was only a few hours away. I had to…
• That’s odd , I thought to myself as I reached the next landing and glanced up at the next set of stairs. I don’t remember there being another set of stairs here before. Is this what the old man was talking about when he said…
• The computer beeped again. It was now pinging six times per minute. Whoever was sending these messages was getting impatient, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to find out why.
• I woke up yesterday in a tree, without even a sweater to keep me dry. The weird thing is…

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Writing Prompts that Ask “What If?”

• What if every character you wrote automatically came to life and a foreign government was after you to make spies for them?
• What if a family member you’d never met left you a parcel of land in Norway, but when you got there you realized it was an enchanted forest?
• What if your parents came home from work tonight and told you they were sending you to boarding school?
• What if you were eating breakfast alone at your kitchen table when a newscaster interrupted your favorite TV show to break the story of a missing person, and the missing person was you?
• What if you could live in Ikea for a month?
• What if a cruise ship full of celebrities got stuck at sea for two weeks?
• What if you were in a museum and discovered a stack of letters describing the location of a buried treasure in your hometown?
• What if you were cast as the lead in an opera but you’d faked your way into the role and didn’t actually know how to sing?
• What if a child saw her parents stealing, but chose to keep it a secret so that she wouldn’t be separated from them?
• What if someone offered you the gift of being the best painter in the world, but in return, you could never stop painting?
• What if your pet was elected mayor of your city?
• What if you were an Uber driver in a world where people travel by hot air balloon instead of by car?
• What if you found a time machine, traveled back in time to ancient Egypt, and discovered that their world was even more modernized than ours and included more advanced technology but that they’d destroyed all evidence of these advances in an effort to protect future generations from making the same devastating decisions that they had?
• What if a screenwriter approached you about making a movie about your life, but every time she interviewed you, she completely ignored every answer you gave and made up her own?
• What if you could type 1000 words per minute and could write a new novel every hour?
• What if you woke up tomorrow morning speaking five new languages that you’d never heard before, only to discover that you’d been recruited by international spies and they’d filled your brain with secrets and information while you were sleeping?
• What if you could never leave high school, but instead had to keep coming back year after year to try and get perfect grades before you were allowed to move on?
• What if your parents were taking you on a dream vacation to Europe, but they got kidnapped at an airport and you had to navigate new countries on your own while trying to save them?
• What if you invented a new tool that could clean your whole house in fifteen minutes and you became a millionaire overnight?
• What if you were reading a list of writing prompts, and you realized that every sentence that came out of your mouth was, in fact, a writing prompt and that you were compelled to write a story for each one?

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Story Starters that will Bend Readers’ Minds

• The answer is 49. I looked around the room. There was nobody else there except Quincey. Could it be?
• It’s all over the news. Random events are taking place. What if someone discovers that it’s my dreams coming true, literally? What will they do to me? I have to find…
• On Saturday morning I went out to the backyard in my slippers and robe to feed my pet rabbits. When I reached their hutch, I gasped. A large hole had been torn in the wire door and the hutch was empty. Fearing the worst, I scanned the yard for signs of their whereabouts, when suddenly I was tapped on the shoulder. I spun around to find a black bear standing in his hind legs. “If you ever want to see your bunnies again,” he said, …
• Never trust your dreams, they will get you in trouble every time. At least, if they’re anything like mine. Maybe trouble has a way of finding me, but still, you need to be safe. Just last week, I had a dream about…
• I’d been tracking him all day, and I almost had him, but I had to wait until he was under a tree before I could pounce. I stood up and scanned the clearing. That’s when I realized that I’d been duped. I wasn’t the stalker, after all. He was the bait, and I was the target.
• A baby sits alone in the plane’s first-class section, bright red headphones perched on his head. He stares at me a moment as I pass, then snaps his fingers at the flight attendant to get her attention. Was this another one of…
• You’re forty years old and are happily married to your spouse of 15 years. You’re offered an opportunity to go back to your childhood and correct a horrible mistake you made, and you accept it. You fix the mistake and continue moving through the stages of your life as you did before. Only, the day you were supposed to meet your spouse for the first time, they never showed up.
• You’re walking down a deserted street downtown when you pass a building with a mural painted on its wall. As you take it in, the faces on the mural suddenly start talking to you, warning you of crimes that are about to occur in the city. You’re unable to shut out their voices or ignore them.
• You’re in the car when the person on the radio starts talking about something you did yesterday. Only, you didn’t actually do it, you only thought about it. And it wasn’t yesterday, it was five minutes ago.
• You discover a book in your parent’s bedroom that describes everything you’ve ever said and done. But the book is a hundred years old, and you’re just twelve. Or so you thought.
• She stepped off the plane looking different from how I remembered her, which was strange as it had only been a few months. But she was taller somehow, her eyes were darker, her features sharper. What had they done to her at that retreat?
• Sometimes I wish I could just get into a waterproof bubble and float away, forever, away from all of this. Leave it all behind and start over. I never actually thought it would be possible, until…
•  The house started to shake, and at first, I thought it was an earthquake. We’d trained for those at school. I ran to the nearest door frame and pushed my hands and feet into it as hard as I could. But this wasn’t a normal earthquake. None of the other houses outside were shaking, for one thing. And it went on much too long. As the shaking got more and more intense, a hole opened in the middle of the house, and from it rose…
• I can talk to animals. It’s just something I’ve always been able to do. I didn’t even know it was weird until some kids at school saw me shooting the breeze with a murder of crows at recess one day. Now I have to keep it a secret. If anyone else finds out…
• You’re walking home with your friends from school one day when your best friend vanishes down a manhole. You jump in without thinking and discover that in the sewer lives an entire species of…
• Leonard sat down on the park bench to tie his shoelace. An old man walked up with his dog and asked Leonard if he’d watch the dog for five minutes. The man never returned, and Leonard…
• I walked through the market timidly, unsure of what I was looking for, but somehow feeling sure that I would find it here. A flash of light flickered almost imperceptibly to my right, and instinctively I turned toward the stall that I’d just passed, but it was gone. In its place…
• Yesterday, my mother was turned into a rock. Yes, a rock. The kind that’s small enough to put in my pocket and carry around. In fact, that’s where she is right now. I have one week to figure out who did this and find them if I ever want to see her face again.
•  I knew robotics were dangerous. I’ve been warning them for years. Even when I was seven, I could see the harm they were capable of causing. But nobody listened to me. Until now. Now that an evil robot is threatening to destroy the world, suddenly they come running back to me for help. Good thing I’m thirteen now. Maybe they’ll actually listen this time.
• It never occurred to me that it would actually work. Who would have thought that the teleporter at the Star Trek Museum was functional? You’d think they would have put up a sign warning kids about that, or something. Anyway, that’s how Jamie and I ended up in this barren land. Now we need to figure out how to get back.

Hopefully, these creative writing prompts for middle school have given you tons of new inspiration for your next class project. Whether you’re writing short stories, flash fiction, or novels, working from a sentence starter or writing prompt is a fun way to spark ideas.

Tuesday 27th of June 2023

I love these! I've recently started a creative writing journal and have been struggling to find inspiration. I learned about story starters earlier this week and have been hunting down prompts ever since. This list is perfect, thank you!

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