The Mysterious Library
Use this narrative writing prompt to get your students writing during English. Do the books such you in? Are there magical creatures in this library? What magic can be found in this mysterious library? Whatever angle your students choose to take, encourage them to set a scene with strong adjectives and intelligent adverbs. Have them characterise and describe the setting in the first paragraph as their story begins to take shape. Then, encourage them to use figurative language and descriptive sentences in the following paragraphs to continue developing the story. You’ll be amazed at what they can write with some guidance and discussion!
Story Starter
This title might be a misnomer because there is no way to attribute the abilities of all to one. In all their glory, Libraries are one of the most captivating places on earth.
It is not because they serve as archives or book collections but because they have the inherent capacity to change lives instantly. Their ability to surpass time limitations and remain relevant even in a world adapted to screens and clouds is one of their mysteries. One might even consider them magical, mainly because they can take anyone through history and the future from varying points of view and in changing moments.
Narrative Writing Example
This narrative writing example takes a bit of a different angle. It looks at the wonders of the library in a non-fiction sort of way. It’s not your typical adventure based story that you might find, but it still offers some strong vocabulary that your students can ‘magpie’. Have them use their inferencing skills to understand some of the challenging words, and then get them to use it in their own writing.
Writing Tip
Use personification in your writing! Personification is, in my opinion, the best form of figurative language to use in story writing. Giving human characteristics to non-living things can really bring your story to life, and allows the reader to form vivid images in their mind. “The clouds in the sky groaned above as danger lurked ahead…” or “The daunting trees stared at me as I made my way through the gloomy forest…” are a couple of examples of personification. Build a bank of them and add them to your writing!
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