How to plan your 11+/GCSE English Creative Writing
Do you ever feel like your story meanders too much? Perhaps some parts feel far too long while others end abruptly. Maybe your characters seem to change personality halfway through, or your setting feels a little thin.
These are incredibly common challenges — and the good news is that they’re surprisingly easy to fix. Very often, the solution is simply better planning.
Planning doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Even five minutes of thoughtful structure before you begin can transform your writing, helping you create a tighter, clearer and more compelling story.
Below are some of our tutors’ favourite tips to help young writers bring their ideas to life.
Understanding your characters and setting
Strong stories begin long before the first sentence is written. The more you know about your characters and setting, the more believable and engaging your writing will become.
For short pieces such as the 11+ or GCSE creative writing tasks, try to keep your cast small, ideally one main character and one opposing force. Then, spend a moment imagining them clearly:
What do they look like?
How old are they?
What kind of personality do they have?
What experiences have shaped them?
What do they want, and what might stand in their way?
The same applies to your setting. Because exam stories are short, choose one location and bring it to life using all five senses. Go beyond sight: describe the sounds, textures, smells, or even tastes that help the reader feel fully immersed in the moment.
The more vivid your mental picture, the more lifelike your story will feel on the page.
Understanding the story structure
Throughout most of the creative writing you do at school, you will be expected to follow the Freytag’s Pyramid story structure. The intensity and action in your story should be at a low level during your beginning, then rise to a peak at your climax before tapering off again during the resolution.
The beginning of your story should be largely free from action and drama; this is where you introduce your characters and setting, describing them vividly and in depth. You should also tell us any other pieces of information that will be relevant to the story later on.
The middle section is when the action begins to build during the middle of your story. Perhaps the main conflict is revealed, and your characters begin to make their moves against their opponent.
The high point is when your story reaches its most intense moment. There might be an argument, a discovery, a moment of danger, or a major emotional shift.
The resolution is where all loose ends are tied up. How did the events of the story’s climax affect the characters, and how have they changed as a result? The reader should gain a general understanding of how the main character will live their life differently from here on out.
With just a few minutes of thoughtful planning, your writing will feel more confident, more purposeful, and far more enjoyable to create.
At Beatrix Woodhead & Associates, we love helping students develop these skills, not just to excel in exams, but to discover the joy of expressing themselves with clarity and imagination.