Ray Bradbury’s advice on how to write confident and compelling narrative? “Let the world burn through you. Throw the prism light, white hot, on paper.” With the right tools, your students can write narrative pieces that blaze. In these lessons they’ll gain the skills to become highly attuned to the world around them, develop their voices and create their best work. They will learn how to - • Identify and develop strong ideas that add heat to a story. • Use popular song lyrics to find story ideas and create realistic characters. • Beat writer’s block. Discover the technique that award-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin uses to make a great start, every time. • Craft compelling stories that are relevant and timeless. Learning objectives Reading Understanding the author’s craft Writing Composition: generating ideas, planning and drafting Composition: shaping and constructing language for expression and effect Speaking and Listening Developing active listening skills and strategies Group discussion and interaction: Developing and adapting discussion skills and strategies Resources include 5 Activities Story prompts Quotes and song lyrics Story planner for students Online resource links Please contact Claire Vorster with any questions. Many thanks!

Every picture tells a story, but which one? Here are 8 curated, visual creative writing prompts. Each image includes a writing prompt designed to inspire your students, or help them to write from the heart. Learning objectives: Generating ideas, planning and drafting Developing viewpoint, voice and ideas Writing narratives, considering how authors have developed characters and settings Differentiation opportunities: Ask students to find an image they want to write a story about. You can create your own favourite visual creative writing prompts from headlines. It’s easy to pull up images from pinterest or amazing free image sites like unsplash. All my students enjoy this activity. It can help them generate ideas and write about characters and settings they are interested in.

There’s nothing quite like staring at a blank page. Using these five activities students will apply secrets from master storytellers as they discover techniques to conquer those first line blues. They will learn to - Grab the reader’s attention from the very first line and hold onto it. Review the first lines of relevant, famous novels and develop their own style. Write to inform and entertain. And be ruthless about the editing process. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or other questions. Activities Speaking and listening, planning, writing, reviewing. Resources included in this plan Writing and Mini Writing Activities Story prompts Reading and Comprehension Story planner Online resource links

Each student has 20 seconds to tell a story about the image the slide sorter shows. The slide changes every 20 seconds and a new student starts to tell a new story. Resource contains Rules of the game Timed slide sorter with 34 images

These mini creative writing activities will help students to conquer their first line blues. You will find a fabulous bundle of creative writing lessons here. They apply secrets from master storytellers to build on existing skills, These lessons will engage your students as they create compelling characters and emotions that elevate and sharpen any story. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or with other questions.

We’ve all read great stories that end in a rush, and others that should have ended sooner. These bundled lessons apply secrets from master storytellers to help students discover how to write effective story endings. They will learn to - • Review the closing lines of famous novels and develop their own style. • Use a great piece of advice from Pixar Story Artist, Emma Coates. • Try out expert techniques to bring their stories to a close. • Stay motivated, right to the end. • Know when it’s time to simply let go. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or other questions. Activities Speaking and listening, reading comprehension, planning, writing, reviewing. Learning objectives Reading Understanding the author’s craft: story shape Writing Composition: generating ideas, planning and drafting Composition: shaping and constructing language for expression and effect Speaking and Listening Developing active listening skills and strategies Group discussion and interaction: Developing and adapting discussion skills and strategies Resources included in this plan Reading and Comprehension Activities Mini and Comprehensive Writing Activities Famous quotes for discussion Literary examples Story prompts Story planner for students Online resource links

These mini creative writing activities will help students discover how to write effective story endings. You will find a fabulous bundle of creative writing lessons here. They apply secrets from master storytellers to build on existing skills, These lessons will engage your students as they create compelling characters and emotions that elevate and sharpen any story. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or with other questions.

One little spark, that’s all it took to start the Great Fire of London. Here are four lesson plans plus all the resources you need to turn up, engage, inspire and teach KS1 Great Fire of London. Lessons include listening and speaking, history, fiction, writing, art and drama. Watch the sparks fly! Learning outcomes: English • listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers • give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings • use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising • imagining and exploring ideas • listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently • making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done • predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far • sequencing sentences to form short narratives • re-reading what they have written to check that it makes sense • discuss what they have written with the teacher or other pupils • develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by: writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional) writing about real events History • learning about: events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally [for example, the Great Fire of London, the first aeroplane flight or events commemorated through festivals or anniversaries] the lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements. • use inquiry skills to gain information from photographs and written text • understand and create a timeline • offer opinions and suggestions about why things happened Art • use drawing and imagination to develop their ideas of 17th Century London. • Use tone, pattern, line and shape in pictures. Drama • develop confidence using movement • develop spatial awareness • act out a story • facilitate the creation and communication of ideas Lessons include excerpts and an illustration from the popular children’s novel Ellie Sparrow and the Great Fire of London. These lessons are written by author and tutor Claire Vorster. Enjoy!

We’ve all read great stories that end in a rush, and others that should have ended sooner. These four activities apply secrets from master storytellers to help students discover how to write effective story endings. They will learn to - • Review the closing lines of famous novels and develop their own style. • Discover how to use writing prompts to find their starting point. • Try out expert techniques to bring their stories to a close. • Stay motivated, right to the end. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or other questions. Activities Speaking and listening, planning, writing, reviewing. Resources included in this plan Writing Activities Story Prompts Reading and Comprehension Story Planner Online Resource Links

There’s nothing quite like staring at a blank page. These bundled lesson plans apply secrets from master storytellers as students discover techniques to conquer those first line blues. They will learn to - Grab the reader’s attention from the very first line and hold onto it. Review the first lines of famous novels and develop their own style. Saturate their stories with atmosphere and meaning. Write to inform and entertain. And be ruthless about the editing process. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or other questions. Activities Speaking and listening, reading comprehension, planning, writing, reviewing. Learning objectives Reading Understanding the author’s craft: story shape Writing Composition: generating ideas, planning and drafting Composition: shaping and constructing language for expression and effect Speaking and Listening Developing active listening skills and strategies Group discussion and interaction: Developing and adapting discussion skills and strategies Resources included in this plan Reading and Comprehension Activities Mini and Comprehensive Writing Activities Famous quotes for discussion Literary examples Story prompts Story planner for students Online resource links

With the right plot, your students can write confident and realistic narrative pieces. Using these bundled lessons your students will discover techniques to help them write stronger, more authentic stories. They will learn to - • Quickly set themselves up for a successful first draft. • Find great stories in the places they may least expect them. • Understand the importance of having a secret story that drives their characters. • Create tension for the reader by escalating the stakes in their story. • Discover what heavy weight boxing champion Muhammad Ali said about defeat, and how it can help more than they think. Activities Speaking and listening, planning, writing, reviewing. Learning objectives Reading Understanding the author’s craft: story shape Writing Composition: generating ideas, planning and drafting Composition: shaping and constructing language for expression and effect Speaking and Listening Developing active listening skills and strategies Group discussion and interaction: Developing and adapting discussion skills and strategies Resources included in this plan Story Mountain Reading and Comprehension Activities Mini and Comprehensive Writing Activities Famous quotes for discussion Literary examples Online resource links Story Planner Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or with other questions. Thank you!

Ebenezer Scrooge is a mean-spirited old man who hates everything - even Christmas! But when three spirits visit him one Christmas Eve, Scrooge is taken on a journey into the past, present and future that will change him forever. These four simple and engaging lesson plans and activities contain all the resources you need to turn up, engage, and teach this fantastic story. Lessons include listening and speaking, comprehension, writing, art and a memory game. Joy! Includes 4 Full Lessons Plans Learning Outcomes Printables Sequencing activity Story Mountain Story Planner Worksheets Online resources Learning outcomes English • listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers • give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings • use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising • imagining and exploring ideas • listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently • making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done • predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far • sequencing sentences to form short narratives • re-reading what they have written to check that it makes sense • discuss what they have written with the teacher or other pupils • develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by: writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional) writing about real events Art • use drawing and imagination to develop their ideas. • Use tone, pattern, line and shape in pictures. These lessons are written by children’s author and tutor Claire Vorster. Enjoy!

With the right plot, your students can write confident and exciting stories. These Creative Writing lessons start with a simple plotting tool and will build on existing skills, each time adding a new story telling element. Your students will learn how to - • Develop a solid plot structure. • Quickly set themselves up for a successful first draft. • Get tools to keep their stories clear and on track. • Discover how to use a writing prompt to find their starting point. • Remove the fear from the thought of writing a whole story. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or other questions. Time Allowance 2-4 lessons Activities Speaking and listening, planning, writing, reviewing. Learning objectives Reading Understanding the author’s craft: story shape Writing Composition: generating ideas, planning and drafting Composition: shaping and constructing language for expression and effect Speaking and Listening Developing active listening skills and strategies Group discussion and interaction: Developing and adapting discussion skills and strategies Resources included in this plan Story Mountain Story Mountain for Advanced Climbers Images - Flood, Worst Hotel Reading - Why should I plan? Reading / Ranking Activity - Famous quotes Activity Sheets Online resource links Please contact Claire Vorster with any questions. Many thanks!

Every picture contains a secret story, but which one? Here are 8 curated, visual creative writing prompts. Each image includes a writing prompt designed to inspire your students, or help them to write from the heart. Learning objectives: Generating ideas, planning and drafting Developing viewpoint, voice and ideas Writing narratives, considering how authors have developed characters and settings Differentiation opportunities: Ask students to find an image they want to write a story about. You can create your own favourite visual creative writing prompts from headlines. It’s easy to pull up images from pinterest or amazing free image sites like unsplash. All my students enjoy this activity. It can help them generate ideas and write about characters and settings they are interested in.

“It’s like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story.” —Patrick Rothfuss, author Examples of best selling books or movies that were inspired or experienced by the people who lived them: The Imitation Game First Man Adrift Dunkirk Into the Wild Apollo 13 Here are 8 curated examples of real stories – from poignant to silly. Students can take the idea that appeals the most and write their own fictional story. Learning objectives Generating ideas, planning and drafting Reading and engaging with a wide and varied range of texts Developing viewpoint, voice and ideas Differentiation opportunities Ask students to find a headline they want to write a story about You can create your own favourite creative writing prompts from headlines. It’s easy to pull up the day’s news and take quick screenshots. All my students enjoy this activity. It can help them write realistic / fiction about a topic they are interested in.

Mr and Mrs Grinling are looking forward to an extra-special Christmas with their great-nephew, George. But on Christmas Eve, Mr Grinling and George get stranded in the middle of a storm! Can Mrs Grinling reach them in time for a Christmas Dinner? The Lighthouse Keepers Christmas Kit includes four lesson plans plus all the resources you need to turn up, engage, and teach this fantastic story. Lessons include listening and speaking, comprehension, writing, art and a memory game. Delicious! Includes 4 Full Lessons Plans Learning Outcomes Printables Sequencing activity Story Mountain Story Planner Worksheets Online resources Learning outcomes English • listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers • give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings • use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising • imagining and exploring ideas • listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently • making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done • predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far • sequencing sentences to form short narratives • re-reading what they have written to check that it makes sense • discuss what they have written with the teacher or other pupils • develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by: writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional) writing about real events Art • use drawing and imagination to develop their ideas. • Use tone, pattern, line and shape in pictures. These lessons are written by children’s author and tutor Claire Vorster. Enjoy!

Mr Grinling locks himself out of the lighthouse. Not only is Hamish the cat trapped inside, he also needs to switch on the light to warn the ships that they’re near the rocks! Mrs Grinling has an ingenious plan to get back in…but will it work? The Lighthouse Keepers Catastrophe Kit includes four lesson plans plus all the resources you need to turn up, engage, and teach this fantastic story. Lessons include listening and speaking, comprehension, information and story writing, art and a memory game. Delicious! Includes 4 Full Lessons Plans Learning Outcomes Printables Sequencing activity Story Mountain Story Planner Worksheets Online resources Learning outcomes English • listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers • give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings • use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising • imagining and exploring ideas • listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently • making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done • predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far • sequencing sentences to form short narratives • re-reading what they have written to check that it makes sense • discuss what they have written with the teacher or other pupils • develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by: writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional) writing about real events Art • use drawing and imagination to develop their ideas. • Use tone, pattern, line and shape in pictures. These lessons are written by children’s author and tutor Claire Vorster. Enjoy!

In an old lighthouse, where a twenty-four-candle lantern lights a sparkling blue-green sea, live a lighthouse keeper and his little companion – a cat called Mackerel. One day, a huge storm comes and the lights go out. Mackerel has an ingenious plan to help…but will it work? Resources included 10 Activities Printables Story Mountain Worksheets Handouts Story planner Online resource links Activities Comprehension, speaking and listening, story & information writing, labeling, drawing /painting, memory game Learning outcomes English • listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers • give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings • use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising • imagining and exploring ideas • listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently • re-reading what they have written to check that it makes sense • discuss what they have written with the teacher or other pupils • develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by: writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional) writing about real events Art • use drawing and imagination to develop their ideas. • Use tone, pattern, line and shape in pictures. These lessons are written by children’s author and tutor Claire Vorster. Enjoy!

With the right tools, your students can write confident and compelling narrative pieces. This adaptable teaching guide applies secrets from a master storyteller to build on existing skills. Your students will learn how to - • Develop a solid plot structure. • Keep their narratives clear and on track. • Craft compelling stories. Resources include Teaching Guide 3 Act Story Infographic Answer Guide Worksheets Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or with other questions.

There are many great reasons why The Lighthouse Keepers Lunch is so fun to read and teach. Here are four lesson plans plus all the resources you need to turn up, engage, and teach this fantastic story. Lessons include listening and speaking, comprehension, writing, art and drama. Delicious! Includes 4 Full Lessons Plans Learning Outcomes Printables Sequencing activity Story Mountain Story Planner Worksheets Online resources Learning outcomes English • listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers • give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings • use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising • imagining and exploring ideas • listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently • making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done • predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far • sequencing sentences to form short narratives • re-reading what they have written to check that it makes sense • discuss what they have written with the teacher or other pupils • develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by: writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional) writing about real events Art • use drawing and imagination to develop their ideas of 17th Century London. • Use tone, pattern, line and shape in pictures. Drama • develop confidence using movement • develop spatial awareness • act out a story • facilitate the creation and communication of ideas These lessons are written by children’s author and tutor Claire Vorster. Enjoy!