Creative Writing Advice: English Language Paper 1. AQA. GCSE

1. Language Paper 1:
Section B: Question 5
TWWL:
To improve the quality of our creative writing
so that
we gain better marks in the exam.

2. Section B: Writing (Question 5)
• You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on
this section.
• Write in full sentences.
• You are reminded of the need to plan your
answer.
• You should leave enough time to check your
work at the end.

3. A magazine has asked for
contributions for their creative
writing page.
Either:
• Write a description of a
stormy sea as suggested by
this picture:
Or:
• Write a story that begins with
the sentence: ‘This was going
to be a terrible day, one of
those days when it’s best to
stay in bed because
everything is going to turn out
bad.’
(24 marks for content and
organisation
16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]
Example 1:

4. You are going to enter a creative writing competition.
Your entry will be judged by a panel of people of your own age.
Either:
• Write a description suggested by this picture:
Or:
• Write the opening part of a story about a place that is severely affected by the
weather.
(24 marks for content and organisation 16 marks for technical accuracy) [40 marks]
Example 2:

5. Your school or college is asking students to contribute some creative writing for its
website.
Either:
• Write a description suggested by this picture:
Or:
• Describe an occasion when you felt unsure or challenged. Focus on the
thoughts and feelings you had at that time.
(24 marks for content and organisation 16 marks for technical accuracy) [40 marks]
Example 3:

6. What does it mean?!
AO5: Does it make sense, grab the reader, and entertain the
audience? Is it structured well, with paragraphs?
AO6: Do you use interesting words, a range of sentence types,
and spell and punctuate well?

7. What does good creative writing look like?
• At least:
– Use the senses (sight, smell, sound, touch, taste).
– Use a variety of interesting vocabulary/wow words (interesting
adjectives (describe nouns), verbs (actions), and adverbs
(describe verbs/actions).)
– Write with accurate spelling and punctuation.
– Write in well-organised paragraphs.
• Even better:
– Use a variety of sentence openers, including nouns, verbs and
adverbs.
– Use a variety of sentence types, lengths and styles.
– Describe small details.
• Push yourself:
– Use similes, metaphors and personification.
– Use a variety of interesting punctuation. ! ? : ; - () …

8. A magazine is running a creative writing competition on the theme of the
environment.
Either:
• Write a description suggested by this picture:
Or:
• Write the opening part of a story about a place where the environment is
affected by pollution.
(24 marks for content and organisation 16 marks for technical accuracy) [40 marks]
Your
question
today!

9. What NOT to do!
From marking work, and judging it based on the mark
scheme, here’s what NOT to do:
• DON’T use dialogue – this descends into ‘he said, she
said’, and the description goes out of the window!
• DON’T make it too complicated – one key character,
one setting, one key event, one time frame.
• DON’T forget your paragraphs.
• DON’T write a boring opening – you’ve lost your
reader’s interest already!
• DON’T lose track of time – leave room to write a good
ending!

10. Good things to do!
• Stick to the same tense (past is easiest!)
• Stick to the same person (first/third) (but you
can change the voice!)
• Use the senses
• Focus on the small details
• Be accurate (spelling, punctuation, grammar)
• Use your personal experience!

11. Remember!
The examiner will not reward you for writing 6 pages
of poor quality work – they are looking for skills, style
and structure, not length/the most words.

12. Task 1: Analysis
A soft fall rain slips down through the trees and the
smell of ocean is so strong that it can almost be licked off the
air. Trucks rumble along Rogers Street and men in t-shirts
stained with fishblood shout to each other from the decks of
boats. Beneath them the ocean swells up against the black
pilings and sucks back down to the barnacles.
Beer cans and old pieces of styrofoam rise and fall and
pools of spilled diesel fuel undulate like huge iridescent
jellyfish. The boats rock and creak against their ropes and
seagulls complain and hunker down and complain some more.

13. Task 2: Improve these sentences!
e.g. The statue stood, feeling sad.
1. The boat began to drift.
– E.g. Double adjective start: Awkward and clumsy, the boat
began to drift down the river.
– E.g. Not only but also: Not only did the boat begin to drift, but
also it had sprung a small leak, and was beginning to take on
water.
– E.g. Adverb beginning: Realistically, it was impossible to
entirely fight the current of the river, and the boat began to
drift towards the centre of the watery expanse.
2. Suddenly, I saw something move.
3. All I could hear was the river.
4. The rubbish floated on the water.
5. Then the boat hit something.
6. I moved the oars slowly.

14. Task 3: Pick your task: 1 minute!
A magazine is running a creative writing
competition on the theme of the environment.
Either:
• Write a description suggested by this picture:
Or:
• Write the opening part of a story about a
place where the environment is affected by
pollution.
Unless you can think immediately of your
own place, stick to the picture!

15. Thought worms:
• Where are you in the picture?
– In the boat? On the bank? On another boat? In the water?
• Where is the river?
• Where are you going? Why?
• What can you see?
• What can you hear?
• What can you touch?
• (You probably don’t want to taste anything… but if
you’re in the water, you might have swallowed some!)

16. Write the opening part of a story about a place
where the environment is affected by pollution.
Fury, anger, dismay: the teachers watched helplessly
as the growing carpet of litter swelled by the second. The
more the teachers told off the students for dropping
wrappers, the more the students wanted to drop wrappers,
and the more wrappers there were, decorating the tarmac.
Contemplating their situation, the frazzled staff gazed
helplessly at their watches, willing the bell to ring and release
them from the torture. Overjoyed and elated, the seagulls
began to descend, seizing opportunities for breakfast among
the discarded pizza crusts and dropped sandwiches.
Unfortunately, as they fed, they also shed; karma found its
victim in a Year 11 student, as a well-aimed seagull dropping
splattered across his school blazer, fifty shades of grey, purple
and white, like a Jackson Pollock painting.

17. Aspirational Word Bank
Flotsam and jetsam, floated, steered, oars,
nudged, flocked, gathered, dangled, gently,
manoeuvred, hesitantly, polluted, murky,
hideous, careless, jostled, greedy, malicious,
steadfastly, pessimistically, mass, multi-coloured,
plethora, ugliness, uselessness, dinghy.

18. Sentence Starters:
Use the grid!

19. Exam Timing: 45 minutes
1. Pick your task: 1 minute! 45 – 1 = 44
2. Plan your writing: 4 minutes 45 – 5 = 40
3. Write an opening: 5 minutes 45 – 10 = 35
4. Write your piece: 25 minutes 45 – 35 = 10
5. Write an ending: 5 minutes 45 – 40 = 5
6. Check for accuracy: 5 minutes 45 – 45 = 0

20. Peer Assess:
What is good? What do they need to improve?
• At least:
– Use the senses (sight, smell, sound, touch, taste).
– Use a variety of interesting vocabulary/wow words (interesting
adjectives (describe nouns), verbs (actions), and adverbs
(describe verbs/actions).)
– Write with accurate spelling and punctuation.
– Write in well-organised paragraphs.
• Even better:
– Use a variety of sentence openers, including nouns, verbs and
adverbs.
– Use a variety of sentence types, lengths and styles.
– Describe small details.
• Push yourself:
– Use similes, metaphors and personification.
– Use a variety of interesting punctuation. ! ? : ; - () …