IGCSE English Language
Writing to Imagine, Explore and
Entertain
Lesson Objectives
◼To show
understanding of
effective creative
writing techniques.
What makes a good story?
CONFLICTS
Is this a good story?
Midnight. Racing to the house, I saw it.
Black and foreboding. No one to turn to as
they were all gone. What should I do?
Run? Scream? No, it was no good. They
wouldn’t understand. I was alone and
powerless. No one could save me from …
the dog!
What does this story do effectively?
How can you assess your writing?
◼ A* and A Writing
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You confidently use different types of sentences.
Your punctuation is correct, and you experiment
with using the following: ; … : ? - ! .
You write in paragraphs.
Your writing is detailed.
You use big, ambitious words when you write.
Your spelling is almost always correct.
You use lots of techniques to engage the reader.
Writing checklist
◼ Beginning
◼ Middle
◼ End
What do you need in the
beginning?
◼ Strong lead: zoom in
◼ Conflict + Tension
◼ Who
◼ Where
◼ When
What do you need in the middle?
◼ Develop the
conflict with
details and actions
What do you need in the end?
◼ Climax
▪ from the Greek word κλῖμαξ, meaning "staircase" and
"ladder"
▪ turning point
▪ point of highest tension and drama
◼ Resolution
▪ also known as the denouement, is the conclusion of
the story’s plot
▪ where any unanswered questions are answered
▪ denouement comes from the French word
dénouement meaning “to untie.”
Beginning: 1-3 paragraphs
No one likes going to the dentist. If anyone
claims that he or she does, they are are lying.
However, I am an extreme example; I would
literally do anything to avoid an appointment. I
proved it last Friday. My mum called the dentist
near Stadelhofen in Zurich for me to undergo an
annual checkup. That sounds strange, I know,
because I’m already 18-year-old teenage boy, but
nevertheless I still cannot make an appointment
myself because of my terrible dental phobia.
Dentist offices are torture chambers!
Beginning: 1-3 paragraphs
Anyways, afterwards she informed me that the appointment
would take place on Friday the 13th. “Okay”, I replied
hesitantly. Then I thought about it. I screamed, “No! Did you
say Friday the 13th?! Are you crazy? I will definitely not go to
the dentist on such a fatal day!” My mother looked at me with
absolutely no sympathy, smirked, flashed her own perfectly
white teeth and said: “You are going to this appointment, no
matter how superstitious you are. The discussion is over.” I felt
betrayed, terrified and angry. In fact, I was seething inside with
an intense rage, feeling like a caged tiger in a zoo pen. I also
knew that I was powerless. I just had to face my worst fear: the
dentist.
Beginning: 1-3 paragraphs
Snap! On came the white surgical
gloves. I was already imagining the
appointment. A frightening man with a
sickly, grey face stood above me. He was
surrounded by tiny sharp instruments
looking like miniature medieval torture
devices. He was laughing at me behind his
disturbing surgical mask. Rizzzzzzzz! A drill.
I had to get out of this, no matter what.
Middle: 1-3 paragraphs
My appointment came closer and closer, but I still had no
clue how I could escape. I even googled “How to avoid the
dentist?” and “How can you use makeup to make yourself
look sick as a dog”, but I couldn’t find any useful advice or a
loophole. “Am I really the only person alive who fears
losing some of my tongue if the dentist slips up with a
sharp thingamajig?” I asked myself. Even my friends
laughed at me, calling me a name I can’t repeat here. But the
worst thing happening was that I was running out of time. It
was already Thursday morning. Doom was coming closer
with a deafening roar. I did the only sane thing to do … I
ate ice cream for breakfast.
Middle: 1-3 paragraphs
When I arrived home after school on Thursday, I
went straight to my room. My mum yelled at me
from the kitchen, “What do you want for supper?” I
didn’t care. I said, “Nothing sweet. I don’t want to
give the dentist an excuse to dynamite my teeth!”
My thoughts were fixed on the appointment the next
day. I can’t even describe how I felt. It was a mixture
of panic, anxiety and foreboding and believe me,
it’s nothing that goes away. Even distracting myself
by fiddling around on Facebook my iPhone didn’t
work. It was a long night ...
End: 1-3 paragraphs
The next morning I woke up very sweaty. I was gulping
for air. I suddenly remembered, too, that it was the
appointment day as well as Friday the 13th. I quickly dressed
and left the house. The only good thing about my dentist is
that his office is nearby, which means a short walk. I needed
this time to get my head clear. “You’re not going to die …
you’re not going to die,” I whispered over and over. I tried to
convince myself that everything would be fine and nothing
was going to happen. A moment later, I arrived at the
dentist’s office and entered. I just hate the weird smell in
every doctor’s office, but at the dentist’s it is way worse.
End: 1-3 paragraphs
Unfortunately, but perhaps also luckily, the dentist’s
assistant immediately called my name. I sat on the special
dentist’s chair and tried to relax. The door opened, and my
skin turned white. Surprisingly, it wasn’t my usual dentist,
but a young and very attractive woman with an absolutely
marvellous smile. I couldn’t stop staring at her and totally
forgot about my fears. I opened my mouth as she told me to
do. The time passed quickly, much faster than I wanted it to.
When she finished cleaning my teeth, she stuck a big sticker
on my shirt: “For bravery and courage at the dentist’s.” I’ve
never felt more proud. I was fearless. I said goodbye, left the
room and snapped a quick “selfie” in front the dentist’s office
outside. My teeth never looked better or brighter.
Planning your writing
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Start by writing down
WHO is in your story?
WHAT your story is going to be about?
WHERE your story is going to take place?
WHEN (the time of day) your story is going to
take place?
HOW is the action going to end?
WHY does the action start?