Narrative Writing PromptsAs a high school English teacher and author I have spent most of my working life developing writing resources and am sharing my ideas to support any young people writing at home.
Prompt 1: Found StoryA found story is one where participants receive certain elements and they have to use them to write their own story. So participants receive a character, name and age, conflict and place, and they need to brainstorm what their story will be about.
For example:
So my character is an emo girl named Shirley who is 13. She is constantly tormented by a bully, Angela, on a bridge who pretends to push her off as she goes goes home from school. She decides that she will get revenge on the bully by wagging school and hiding out next to the bridge. When the bully, Angela, goes to walk across she will ride her bike at high speed and hit into her. So now I have the makings of the story-and need to make decisions:
Use these templates to cut out the parts of conflict and have participants randomly choose their elements and plan and write a story. Character Name and age Conflict Place Prompt 2: Six word short storyWeek 2: Six word short storyA short story can be any length. Here are some examples of six word stories to inspire participants to write their own six word story.
Six word stories Prompt 3: Found Crime StoryParticipants use elements in order to brainstorm and write a crime story, just like a narrative version of Cluedo.
For example:
Sookie is on work experience at a TV station. There she witnesses the murder of a TV presenter. The presenter is murdered with a screwdriver, a note left that this is a vendetta against her for writing an investigation story about the mob. Sookie must discover the murderer before they come after her. Character Name and Age Motive Object Prompt 4: First LinesStudents receive the first line of a story and must continue it.
First lines Prompt 5: Writing a story using your favourite objectUse this worksheet to write a short story about your favourite object
Favourite object examplar Favourite object worksheet Prompt 6: NAPLAN promptUse the attached NAPLAN prompt to write a story
The Box Prompt 7: Visual Narrative Writing PromptGo to this website and select a visual writing prompt and write a story about it.
Writing short story worksheetDescriptive Writing BookletThis booklet will take you through the process of developing a character, setting, conflict, and writing your story.
Descriptive Writing Booklet Writing a Scary StoryThis booklet will take you through the process of writing a scary story so that you incorporate suspense and spooky elements.
Scary Story Booklet Writing a short story Booklet |