Write a short story in half an hour? No Problem...

---

First of all, let's debunk the myth that being able to write a vivid, powerful piece of prose for the 11+ and 13+ and GCSE English exams is a genetic gift. Writing is not purely a creative process. Writing can be broken down into a series of patterns that can be rearranged, adjusted, adapted and configured to suit the title given (although the use of tautology is discouraged). Of course, we are talking about a short, finite time slot to showcase a set of highly polished English skills. Therefore, if those skills are not embedded, then that is the place to start: punctuation, sentence types, a range of ambitious and relevant vocabulary, to name but a few. Once those are at the writer's disposal, however, then the use of story structure comes in to play. Often suited to the mathematically and more practically minded, teaching the structure of a story adds the final dimension to the spider's web of skills that make up the writing of a story. See the link below for the Talk for Writing process. Happy writing!

http://www.talk4writing.co.uk/