Narrative Story - Gabriel's 11+ Writing Lab

Task Type: Narrative Story

What's the Task?

A narrative story is all about telling a tale! Usually, you'll be given a starting point, like a picture or a sentence, and you need to create an exciting story with characters, a setting, and something happening (the plot!). Think of it like being the director of your own mini-movie. For the 11+, you often have around 30-40 minutes to write a story of about 350-450 words. It needs a clear beginning, middle, and end, taking the reader on a mini-adventure.

Exam Success Checklist

To write a brilliant narrative story, examiners often look for these things:

A Clear Structure: Does your story have a proper beginning that sets the scene, a middle where the action happens, and an ending that wraps things up?
Engaging Characters & Setting: Have you created characters the reader cares about (even if they're animals!) and described the place (like a jungle, a cave, or a spaceship) so the reader can picture it?
Exciting Plot: Does something interesting happen? Is there a problem or challenge your characters face and try to solve?
Good Language Choices: Are you using interesting words (adjectives, adverbs, powerful verbs) and techniques like similes or metaphors to make your writing vivid? (Check the Playbook and Word Bank for ideas!)
Correct SPaG: That's Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar. Make sure your sentences make sense and you've checked for mistakes!

(Based on a prompt: Write a story about an animal discovering something new.)

Kip, a young marmoset monkey with fur like burnt orange sunset, clung nervously to the highest branch. Below him, the familiar emerald chaos of the Amazon jungle stretched for miles. But today, a strange sound tickled his ears – a low, continuous rumble he’d never heard before. Curiosity, sharp and insistent, pricked at him. His mother had always warned him about the Whispering Falls, a place shrouded in legend, but the sound pulled him like an invisible rope.

Taking a deep breath, Kip launched himself into the green canopy, leaping from branch to branch, his tiny heart thudding against his ribs like a trapped bird. The rumbling grew louder, vibrating through the wood beneath his paws. He dodged a grumpy toucan and zipped past a sleeping sloth, driven by the mysterious noise. The air grew thick with moisture, clinging to his fur in tiny droplets. Suddenly, the trees thinned, revealing a sight that stole his breath.

Before him, a colossal curtain of water plunged from a mossy cliff into a churning, turquoise pool below. Rainbows danced in the spray that rose like smoke. The roar was immense, powerful, magnificent! It wasn’t whispering; it was shouting its glory to the jungle. Kip stared, mesmerised. This wasn't a place of danger, but of breathtaking beauty. He chattered excitedly, the sound lost in the waterfall's roar, already planning how he would lead his family to this incredible, newly discovered wonder.

Why it works: Clear beginning (introducing Kip and the mystery sound), middle (the journey and build-up), and end (the discovery and resolution). Uses descriptive language ("burnt orange sunset", "emerald chaos", "colossal curtain of water") and shows Kip's feelings ("nervously", "curiosity, sharp and insistent", "mesmerised").

Story Structure Cheat-Sheet: The Adventure Arc

Most great adventure stories follow a simple pattern. Think of it like climbing a mountain:

The Beginning (Set-up): Introduce your main character (who?), the setting (where and when?), and hint at the adventure or problem to come. Example: Kip the monkey hears a strange sound in the jungle.
The Middle (Build-up & Problem): The character starts their journey or faces challenges. Things get more exciting or difficult. This is where the main action happens. Example: Kip travels through the jungle, facing obstacles, getting closer to the sound.
The Climax (Peak Action): This is the most exciting part! The character confronts the main challenge, makes a discovery, or faces the biggest danger. Example: Kip reaches the clearing and sees the huge, roaring waterfall for the first time.
The End (Resolution): How does the story wrap up? What happens to the character afterwards? What have they learned or achieved? Example: Kip is amazed and decides to share his discovery.

Diagram showing a story arc like climbing a mountain: Setup, Build-up, Climax, Resolution

Visualise your story like climbing this mountain!

Transition Phrases: Use words like 'Suddenly', 'Meanwhile', 'After that', 'Later on', 'Finally', 'In the end' to help your story flow smoothly between parts.

Ready to Practise?

Now it's your turn! Try writing a narrative story using the Adventure Arc. Head over to the Practice Zone for some exciting animal and adventure prompts!

Scribbles the monkey mascot writing in a notebook

Monkebius says: "Every great adventurer needs a map! Use the Story Arc mountain to plan your amazing tales before you start writing!"