Descriptive and Narrative Writing

Descriptive writing — paint a picture

• The five senses – sight, sound, smell, touch, taste.
• Figurative language – simile, metaphor, personification.
• "Show, don't tell" – instead of "she was scared", show "her hands trembled and her breath caught".
• Vary the focus – wide scene → tiny detail.

Narrative writing — tell a story

• A focused opening that sets atmosphere.
• A development with tension or change.
• A deliberate ending (twist, reflection, resolution).
• Keep the time frame small — one vivid moment beats a rushed life story.

Crafting for marks

• Vary sentence length — short sentences for impact and tension.
• Paragraph for shifts in time, place or focus.
• Ambitious, precise vocabulary (not just long words).
• A range of punctuation used correctly.

Worked opening (show, don't tell)

> "The classroom door creaked. Thirty heads turned. Silence."

Short sentences build tension far better than "Everyone was nervous."

Exam tip

Spend 5 minutes planning. Up to a fifth of marks are for technical accuracy — sentence variety, punctuation, spelling. Quality over quantity.