Writing Techniques

Essential writing techniques every 11+ candidate should know.

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Show, Don't Tell: A Guide for 11+ Creative Writing

Learn how to use 'show, don't tell' to make your 11+ creative writing vivid and engaging.

6 min readIntermediate

How to Write a Strong Opening Paragraph for the 11+ Exam

Walk the reader through four opening techniques that examiners reward: action openings, dialogue openings, setting-first openings, and in-media-res openings. For each technique, show a weak version and a polished version side by side. Include a five-step mini exercise at the end where the student rewrites their own opening using one of the four methods. Keep the tone encouraging, like a favourite English teacher who genuinely believes every child can improve. Use short paragraphs and real student-style examples, not literary novel extracts.

7 min readIntermediate

Using Figurative Language Effectively in 11+ Creative Writing

Explain simile, metaphor, personification, and hyperbole with examples written at Year 5/6 reading level. Show how overusing figurative language weakens writing just as much as underusing it. Include a "before and after" paragraph where plain prose is transformed with well-placed figurative language. Offer a practical rule: aim for two or three figurative devices per page, placed at moments of high emotion or vivid description. End with a quick self-check list students can use before handing in their exam paper.

7 min readIntermediate

Writing Effective Dialogue in 11+ Stories

Teach students how to write dialogue that sounds natural and reveals character. Cover punctuation rules (speech marks, new speaker new line, comma before closing speech marks) alongside craft skills (using dialogue to show personality, advance the plot, create tension). Provide three examples of the same conversation written poorly and well. Show how dialogue tags beyond "said" should be used sparingly and only when they add meaning. Include a rewriting exercise where students improve a flat conversation.

7 min readIntermediate

How to Write a Satisfying Ending for Your 11+ Story

Address the most common problem in timed creative writing: rushed or missing endings. Explain four ending types that examiners reward: the circular ending (echoing the opening), the reflection ending (character learns something), the twist ending (surprising but logical), and the quiet ending (moment of calm after action). For each, provide a short example. Offer a time-management tip: leave the last five minutes specifically for your ending. Include a practice exercise where students write three different endings for the same story.

7 min readIntermediate

Using the Rule of Three in 11+ Creative Writing

Explain the rule of three: ideas, descriptions, and actions presented in groups of three are more satisfying and memorable. Show how it works in different contexts: three adjectives in a description, three events in a plot, three items in a list. Provide examples from well-known stories and original writing. Discuss when to break the rule for effect. Include before-and-after paragraph comparisons showing writing with and without the rule of three applied.

7 min readIntermediate

Building Tension and Suspense in 11+ Story Writing

Teach five specific techniques for building tension: short sentences, unanswered questions, slowing down time with detail, withholding information from the reader, and using the senses to create unease. For each technique, provide a clear example and explain the mechanism: why does a short sentence feel tense? Because it mirrors the sharp, rapid thoughts of a frightened character. Include a model passage that builds from calm to tense, annotated to show which techniques are used where. Close with a practice exercise.

8 min readIntermediate

Writing Flashbacks Effectively in 11+ Stories

How to weave a flashback into a short story without confusing the reader — signals, transitions, common pitfalls, and a rewriting exercise.

9 min readIntermediate

Using Symbolism in 11+ Creative Writing

What symbolism is, how it works in short stories, the difference between natural and forced symbolism, and a writing exercise.

9 min readIntermediate

Writing Twist Endings That Actually Work

The craft behind a satisfying twist — three types, the requirement to plant hints, and a planning template for 11+ stories.

9 min readIntermediate

Using Repetition for Emphasis in 11+ Writing

How deliberate repetition — anaphora, epistrophe, key-word repetition — creates rhythm and emphasis in creative writing and speeches.

8 min readIntermediate

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