11+ creative writing topics: 30 prompts to practise
Creative writing in the 11+ is one of the harder bits to practise at home. There's no neat mark scheme like maths, the prompts feel unpredictable, and it's tricky to tell whether a piece is good or just neatly written. The fastest fix is volume: A child who's written 20 short pieces across different genres goes into the exam with muscle memory, not panic.
This page gives you 30 prompts grouped by the five task types you're most likely to see in an 11+ paper, covering narrative, descriptive, persuasive, letter, and diary writing. Each section starts with a quick note on what that task is really testing, so you know what to look for when you read your child's work back.
Aim for 25-30 minutes per piece, with five minutes of planning before they start writing. Most 11+ writing tasks expect roughly 200-400 words, depending on the school. Quality of detail matters more than length.
Narrative prompts (short stories)
Narrative writing tests whether your child can shape a complete story arc in a small space: A clear opening, a turning point, and a resolution. The most common mistake is trying to fit too much plot in. A single moment, well described, almost always beats a sprawling adventure. Encourage them to pick one character, one setting, and one problem.
Tips for narrative writing
- Plan a clear beginning, middle and end before writing. Three sentences for each is enough.
- Open mid-action, not with weather or waking up. Examiners see "I woke up" openings hundreds of times.
- Use dialogue sparingly. Two or three exchanges in a short piece, each one revealing character or moving the plot.
- Decide the final image or twist before you start, then write towards it.
- Vary sentence length. One short punchy sentence after three longer ones lands harder.
- Save five minutes at the end to re-read and add one strong descriptive detail.
Narrative prompts
Six story openers your child can use as starting points.
- Write a story about a child who finds a letter that wasn't meant for them
- Write a story that begins: "The lights flickered, and then everything went still"
- Write a story about a journey that doesn't go to plan
- Continue this opening: "I'd promised myself I'd never go back to that house, but here I was again"
- Write a story about a small act of kindness that changes someone's day
- Write a story set entirely inside a railway station between 11pm and midnight
Descriptive prompts
Descriptive writing is about atmosphere, not plot. The examiner wants to see deliberate word choices, sensory detail beyond just sight, and a controlled point of view. A good descriptive piece reads like a camera moving slowly through a scene: Wide first, then narrowing to one telling detail.
Remind your child to think about smell, sound, touch, and temperature, not only what things look like. "The kitchen was warm" is fine. "The heat clung to my skin and the radiator ticked in the corner" puts the reader inside the room.
Tips for descriptive writing
- Pick one sense per paragraph to lead with: sight, sound, smell, touch, taste.
- Use specific nouns ("oak", "magpie", "kerosene") rather than generic ones ("tree", "bird", "fuel").
- Show emotion through detail, not adjectives. "She gripped the handrail" beats "she was nervous".
- Add one unexpected detail per paragraph. Predictability is the enemy of descriptive writing.
- Use figurative language sparingly. One striking simile or metaphor beats five competing ones.
- Pick a vantage point and stay in it unless there is a deliberate reason to shift.
Descriptive prompts
Six scenes to describe.
- Describe a busy market on a hot afternoon
- Describe an old house that nobody has lived in for years
- Describe a beach in winter, just after the tide has gone out
- Describe waking up in a place you don't recognise
- Describe your favourite room when no one else is home
- Describe a school corridor five minutes after the final bell
Persuasive prompts
Persuasive writing tests structure and tone. Examiners want a clear point of view, two or three strong reasons, and language that's deliberate without tipping into shouting. Rhetorical questions, direct address ("you"), and a confident opening line all help.
The trap to avoid is listing every possible argument. A persuasive piece with three well-developed reasons reads stronger than one with seven thin ones. A short, decisive ending lands well: One line that restates the position with conviction.
Tips for persuasive writing
- State the point of view in the first sentence. Do not bury it.
- Use three main arguments, each with one supporting example or piece of evidence.
- Address the opposite view briefly: "Some people think X, but...". It shows the examiner the writer can see both sides.
- Use rhetorical questions sparingly. One per piece is enough.
- End by restating the point with new emphasis, not just repeating the opening.
- Match tone to audience. Persuading a head teacher is different from persuading a friend.
Persuasive prompts
Six topics to argue for or against.
- Should children be allowed mobile phones at primary school? Argue your view
- Write a speech persuading your school to introduce a new subject
- Write a letter to your local council arguing for more green space in your area
- Should homework be banned at the weekend? Make your case
- Persuade your parents to let you adopt a pet you don't currently have
- Write an article arguing that one particular book should be on the Year 6 reading list
Letter prompts
Letters test whether your child can match tone to audience. A letter to a friend is chatty and informal. A letter to a head teacher or a newspaper is more measured, with full sentences and proper sign-offs. Both need a clear purpose stated early, ideally in the first or second sentence.
Format matters here in a way it doesn't for narrative. Your child should know how to lay out a letter with a greeting, paragraphs that each cover one main idea, and a sign-off ("yours sincerely" if they've named the recipient, "yours faithfully" if not).
Tips for letter writing
- Match the opening and closing to the audience: "Dear Mum / Love from" vs "Dear Mrs Patel / Yours sincerely".
- Address one thing per paragraph. Letters lose force when they jump around.
- Use specific examples, not vague generalisations. "Last Tuesday, when..." lands harder than "sometimes".
- Show feeling through detail, not labels. "I have not been able to sleep" beats "I am upset".
- Sign off with a clear ask or next step if persuading. "Please could you..." beats hoping the reader works it out.
Letter prompts
Six letter scenarios.
- Write a letter to a friend describing the most interesting day of your summer
- Write a letter to your future self, to be opened on your eighteenth birthday
- Write a letter to your head teacher suggesting one change you'd like to see at school
- Write a letter to an author whose book you loved, explaining what you took from it
- Write a letter from a character in a book you've read recently, to another character in the same book
- Write a letter to a newspaper responding to an article you disagreed with
Diary prompts
Diary writing rewards voice. The reader should hear a real person on the page: A specific way of speaking, small honest reactions, and the kind of detail you'd only notice if you'd lived through the moment. A diary entry that reads like a flat news report misses the point.
First-person, past tense, with reflection built in. A useful structure runs in three parts: What happened, how it felt, and what your child thinks about it now. The last sentence often does the heavy lifting, so it's worth pausing to plan that one before writing.
Tips for diary writing
- Write in the first person and the present tense (or recent past) so it feels immediate.
- Include time markers ("This morning", "Just now", "Tomorrow") to anchor each entry.
- Show inner thought, not just events. Half of a good diary is what happened, half is what the writer feels about it.
- Use voice: contractions, half-sentences, brackets, asides. Diaries are not polished essays.
- Include one small detail no-one else would notice. That is what makes a diary feel real.
- End on a thought or unresolved question, not a tidy conclusion. Diaries trail off.
Diary prompts
Six diary entries.
- Write a diary entry from the day you started at a new school
- Write a diary entry from a Victorian child your age, working their first day in a factory
- Write a diary entry for the day you faced your biggest fear
- Write a diary entry from the perspective of someone who has just moved house
- Write a diary entry from the day after an argument you regret
- Write a diary entry from an astronaut on their first night in space
How to mark your child's writing at home
You don't need a mark scheme to give useful feedback. Read the piece out loud once, then ask three questions: Did the opening pull you in? Did anything feel rushed? Was there a line or image that stayed with you? If the answer to all three is positive, you're in good shape.
For technical feedback, look for the patterns that examiners weigh most heavily at 11+: Varied sentence openings (not every sentence starting with the subject), at least one piece of figurative language used well, and consistent paragraphing. A page-long block of text usually means the structure isn't there yet, no matter how good the vocabulary is.
If you spot the same mistake twice, that's worth flagging. If you spot it once, leave it. The point of practice at this stage isn't a perfect piece; it's getting your child comfortable with the format so the exam doesn't surprise them.
Rotate the prompts your child practises. Doing six narratives in a row builds one muscle but starves the others. A mix across the week (one narrative, one descriptive, one persuasive) keeps the range broad and stops practice feeling repetitive.
