Planning & Structuring Your Writing
<p>Good writing starts with a good plan. Whether you are writing a story, a letter, or an essay, taking five minutes to organise your ideas will make your writing clearer, more interesting, and less likely to run out of steam halfway through.</p>
<h2>Why Plan?</h2>
<p>Without a plan, writers often:</p>
<ul>
<li>Start well but then run out of ideas</li>
<li>Ramble without a clear direction</li>
<li>Forget to include an ending (or rush it)</li>
<li>Repeat themselves</li>
</ul>
<p>A plan takes just a few minutes and prevents all of these problems.</p>
<h2>Planning a Story</h2>
<p>Use the five-part structure:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Opening:</strong> Where? When? Who? What is happening? (1 paragraph)</li>
<li><strong>Build-up:</strong> What happens next? Build tension or curiosity. (1–2 paragraphs)</li>
<li><strong>Problem/Climax:</strong> The most exciting or dramatic moment. (1 paragraph)</li>
<li><strong>Resolution:</strong> How is the problem solved? (1 paragraph)</li>
<li><strong>Ending:</strong> A satisfying final thought, feeling, or image. (1 short paragraph)</li>
</ol>
<p>Jot one or two bullet points for each section — just enough to know where you are heading.</p>
<p><strong>Worked Example Plan:</strong> Title: "The Lost Key"</p>
<ul>
<li>Opening: Sophie finds an old brass key in her grandmother's garden. Describe the garden.</li>
<li>Build-up: She discovers a hidden door behind the ivy on the garden wall.</li>
<li>Climax: She unlocks the door and steps into a strange, overgrown courtyard that should not exist.</li>
<li>Resolution: She realises it was her grandmother's secret childhood hideaway — old toys and drawings inside.</li>
<li>Ending: Sophie sits in the courtyard with the key in her hand, feeling connected to her grandmother's past.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Planning a Persuasive Piece</h2>
<p>List your main arguments (3 or 4), the evidence for each, the opposing view, and your counter-argument. Arrange them so your strongest point comes last, building to a powerful conclusion.</p>
<h2>Paragraphing</h2>
<p>Each paragraph should focus on one main idea. Start a new paragraph for:</p>
<ul>
<li>A new point or argument</li>
<li>A change of time ("The next morning...")</li>
<li>A change of place ("Back at the house...")</li>
<li>A new speaker in dialogue</li>
</ul>
<h2>Linking Paragraphs</h2>
<p>Use connectives and topic sentences to guide the reader smoothly from one paragraph to the next:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Time:</strong> Meanwhile, Later that day, As the sun set</li>
<li><strong>Addition:</strong> Furthermore, In addition, Moreover</li>
<li><strong>Contrast:</strong> However, On the other hand, Nevertheless</li>
<li><strong>Cause/effect:</strong> As a result, Consequently, Therefore</li>
</ul>
<h2>Writing Strong Openings and Endings</h2>
<p>Your opening is the examiner's first impression. Your ending is the last thing they read before awarding a mark. Both deserve extra thought.</p>
<p><strong>Ending techniques:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Echo the opening — return to an image or phrase from the start</li>
<li>End with a feeling or reflection — "For the first time in weeks, she felt completely at peace."</li>
<li>End with a question or a hint of what comes next — "But what lay behind the second door?"</li>
</ul>
<h2>Time Management in the Exam</h2>
<p>For a 30-minute writing task:</p>
<ul>
<li>5 minutes planning</li>
<li>20 minutes writing</li>
<li>5 minutes checking (spelling, punctuation, missing words)</li>
</ul>
<p>For a 45-minute task, spend 5–7 minutes on the plan and 5 minutes checking.</p>
<h2>Checking Your Work</h2>
<p>Read through your writing and look for:</p>
<ul>
<li>Missing full stops and capital letters</li>
<li>Words you have accidentally left out</li>
<li>Spelling mistakes (especially common ones like "their/there/they're")</li>
<li>Sentences that are too long — can you split them?</li>
</ul>
<h2>Practice Tips</h2>
<ul>
<li>Practise planning in 5 minutes using a timer — this builds speed</li>
<li>Try the same title with different plans to see how one idea can go in many directions</li>
<li>After writing, read your work aloud — your ear will catch mistakes your eyes miss</li>
<li>Keep a list of good connectives and practise using one at the start of each new paragraph</li>
</ul>