Narrative Writing Prompt - The Magic Book
A free narrative writing prompt to use during English to inspire your students to write! This writing prompt could lead children to write in almost any direction. Does the main character get sucked into a book, or do the words of the book speak to him and call his name. Does the levitating book contain magical spells or mysterious powers that your main character must use to save themselves. Whatever the case, make sure your students use strong adjectives when setting the scene and describing the character. They could use vocabulary such as fascinating, mysterious, courageous, mindless, mindful, cautious and timid to characterise. Students could then use their five senses to set a vivid scene that will entice readers to read on. Use this free writing prompt during the week to develop ideas and then get students to put everything together at the end of the week. You’ll be amazed at what they write!
Story Starter
We knew we shouldn’t have come here, but the thirst for adventure in our small albeit boring town was overwhelming. As we stood in front of the grass clothed building, we were excited and scared. Throws of conflicting emotions that were to serve as inbuilt protective mechanisms came to play. Nonetheless, we washed it down as we found our way to the large faded wooden door of the house. Everything around us screamed ‘forbidden’. It was as though the birds and even the crickets were begging us to leave.
Narrative Writing Example
This narrative writing example will have your students on the edge of their seat as the main characters grapple with the curse they have just unleashed. The author has managed to squeeze in so much detail in such a short amount of time. The vocabulary and descriptive language used will create vivid images in the minds of your young readers. They’ll be able to ‘magpie’ sentences and words to use in their own writing. Ensure you help them understand some of the more challenging vocabulary and get them to use it in their writing.
Writing Tip
Sometimes, all we want to do is long sentences because we feel like they’re the strongest type. In fact, there is so much power in short and sharp sentences. The best writers are clear and concise. They can take their readers to places in a matter of words. The real power is in the descriptive nature of the sentence. So next time you’re writing, try some powerful short sentences next to your long ones. Use ‘Her heart stopped’ or ‘The pictures spoke to her’. ‘He ran uncontrollably’ or ‘Chaos reigned supreme’ are some other strong, powerful short sentences. See if you can make a list of them and use them in your writing.
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