About the resources
Modules flowchart for Countdown to Creative Writing
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One star games*
These games are quick and easy to play. They take around 5 to 10 minutes each and are a great way to get your class motivated and in the right frame of mind for creative writing.
Adjective tags
This game will get pupils thinking about adjectives and encourages them to work on building a character's personality. It can be used as a quick 5-minute activity, or as the basis for a longer piece of writing.
Thumbnails
This game takes around 10 minutes and encourages pupils to think about a broad range of character traits (both physical and personality-based), in order to build a character by creating a 'snapshot' description of them. It will help pupils to learn about and develop their own characters. Thumbnails can be used as a quick thinking activity, or as the basis for a longer piece of writing.
Criss-cross characters
This 5-minute game encourages pupils to think about their characters: personalities, likes and dislikes, and how their characters would react to different situations. It helps pupils to get to know their characters better, and also helps the pupils to work together as a group to develop their character-building skills. It can be used as a quick exercise or as the basis for a longer piece of writing or group work.
Two star games**
These games take slightly longer than 1-star games, usually taking around 15 to 20 minutes each. They are a great way to get your class motivated and in the right frame of mind for creative writing, and can built into longer exercises.
5-Minute interview
This technique can be used with pupils in groups or individually. It encourages them to think creatively about how their character(s) might answer questions, and to think of what questions to ask in order to learn more. A great way to kick-start the journey to a well-developed main character.
In the hot seat
This is a great game to use with pupils before embarking on story writing. It encourages pupils to work in groups to understand each others' characters and learn more about their own characters through asking each other 'interview-style' questions and answering in the way their character would answer.
Timelines
This activity will take pupils about 15 to 20 minutes if used in a simple format, however it can be developed into a longer activity lasting for over an hour, or even for a couple of lessons. The activity encourages pupils to think about each of their characters as an individual who has a past, a present and a future. And it helps them to develop timelines throughout their writing.
Pie chart game
This activity will take around 20 minutes to complete, and encourages pupils to develop well-rounded characters, by filling in their characteristics in a pie chart. By dividing a pie chart into segments, such as what a character likes, what a character is good at, or what a character is scared of, pupils are encouraged to develop a deeper personality for their characters.
Three star games***
These games take longer than 2-star games, typically 30 to 40 minutes to complete, and they require a greater depth of concentration and focus. They are a good way to get pupils focused on writing a story, through development of all elements, including plot and dialogue.
The dialogue game
This game takes around 30 minutes and is a great way to get pupils working in groups to think about their characters and stories. Pupils are encouraged to actually become their characters, and to think as the characters would think, then engage in a topic of discussion of their choice. The game helps pupils to understand each of their characters, and separate the character's thoughts and opinions from their own.
Abstract art
This activity can take anywhere between 5 minutes and 30 minutes, depending on how many pieces of 'art' you would like to look at. The activity encourages pupils to look at abstract symbols and signs and imagine the symbols as representing the character they have developed. Pupils are then encouraged to think about and expand upon what these symbols and signs could say or represent about their character. This activity is a great way to build characters without thinking about personality directly. It can be developed further by sourcing your own abstract symbols, though sheets are provided for you to start with.
Destiny tree
This activity will take around 30 minutes, and helps pupils to plot their characters through space and time to develop their lives. Pupils are encouraged to draw a tree of possibilities, and potential decisions their characters could make, and then develop these into alternative story lines. This is a great way to help pupils to consider a range of story lines and to develop multiple plot lines in their work.
Four star game ****
This 4-star game is much more involved than the earlier games, and covers skills in all areas of creative writing. It can take up to an hour to complete, and can be used as a precursor to writing a whole story.
The haunted mansion +
This activity is a board game that encourages pupils to complete creative writing exercises on each square. It takes around an hour to complete, and the exercises cover all the elements needed to write a good story, including writing small scenes, writing descriptions, thinking of words, spelling and grammar and to name but a few!