Creative Writing Focus Set 5
Creative Writing Focus Set 5 focuses on two of the highest-impact parts of a story, the opening, which must hook a reader within the first sentence or two, and the ending, which must resolve the central problem in a satisfying way rather than trailing off or relying on a cliche such as waking up from a dream.
Method
- Open with something specific and intriguing rather than a general scene-setter: a striking action, a strange detail, a piece of dialogue mid-conversation, or a question the character urgently needs answered.
- Avoid starting with a character waking up, checking the weather, or a long description of the setting before anything happens, since these are common, low-impact openings that examiners see repeatedly.
- Consider opening "in medias res", partway into the action, so the reader is dropped straight into a moment of tension or interest and questions are raised that the story will go on to answer.
- Plan your ending before you start writing the middle, so the story builds towards a clear resolution of the central problem rather than running out of ideas or time.
- Avoid the cliche ending of the whole story turning out to be a dream, since it undoes everything that happened and disappoints a reader who was invested in the events.
- Consider a circular ending that echoes a detail, image or line from the opening, which can make a short story feel deliberately shaped and complete rather than simply stopping.
Worked example
A pupil's planned story is about a girl who discovers she can suddenly understand what animals are saying. Write an opening line that starts in medias res, and explain your choice.
- Reject a generic opening such as "One sunny morning, Ellie woke up and got ready for school", since it delays the interesting event and gives no immediate hook.
- Identify the most dramatic or intriguing moment in the story: the exact instant Ellie first understands an animal.
- Draft an opening that drops the reader straight into that moment: "The cat's voice cut through Ellie's thoughts before she even realised it wasn't her own."
- Check the opening raises a question the reader wants answered, why can she suddenly hear the cat, without explaining everything immediately.
- Final answer: "The cat's voice cut through Ellie's thoughts before she even realised it wasn't her own." This opens in medias res, at the moment of discovery, creating an immediate hook and unanswered question.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Q1Explain why an opening line describing a character waking up and getting ready for the day is generally considered a weak choice for an 11+ story.Show answer
Answer: Because it is a very common, low-impact opening that delays the interesting part of the story and does not hook the reader immediately.
Q2What does "in medias res" mean when applied to a story's opening?Show answer
Answer: Starting the story partway into the action, in the middle of an event, rather than at the very beginning of the sequence of events.
Q3Explain why finishing a story with the character waking up to find it had all been a dream is usually a weak ending.Show answer
Answer: Because it undoes everything that happened in the story, making the events feel meaningless, and can disappoint a reader who was invested in what they thought were real events.
Q4What is a "circular ending", and why can it make a short story feel more complete?Show answer
Answer: An ending that echoes or returns to a detail, image or line from the story's opening, which can make the story feel deliberately shaped, connected and complete rather than simply stopping.
Q5Write one opening line for a story about a boy who finds a locked door in his new house, using a piece of dialogue mid-conversation as your hook.Show answer
Answer: Any valid opening using dialogue mid-conversation, for example "'Don't go near that door,' his grandmother said, without looking up from her tea."
Q6Explain why planning an ending before writing the middle of a story can help avoid a weak or rushed conclusion.Show answer
Answer: Because it ensures the story is building deliberately towards a clear resolution of its central problem throughout, rather than the writer running out of time or ideas and ending abruptly or unsatisfyingly.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
A pupil is planning a story titled "The Empty Classroom". Write an opening line that hooks the reader immediately, avoiding a character simply waking up or a long description of the setting, and explain two specific choices you made in writing it. (5 marks)
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Explain why an ending that resolves the story's central problem is usually more satisfying than one that simply stops after the most exciting event. (3 marks)
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Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the creative writing focus set 5 worksheet pack - 16 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
This topic is chapter 30 of 11+ English Workbook 2, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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