The Summer Writing Challenge
Welcome! I'm delighted you've decided to join us and keep your writing flowing through the summer.
Over the next four weeks we'll explore three simple but powerful writing strategies. I've used them for many years with both GCSE students and adult writers. And it'll will only take 10-15 minutes to complete.
Whether you're preparing for your English exams, returning to writing after a break, or simply enjoy being creative, I hope you'll find something here to inspire you.
Each week we'll focus on one practical technique:
Week 1 – Word Banks
Build your vocabulary and collect useful ideas even before you begin your story.
You can do this anytime, anywhere - even when travelling. And modern technology is a great tool to use.
Week 2 – Plot Boxes
Discover a simple way to get your ideas down and plan a story from beginning to end.
This allows you to write your story with confidence and avoid grinding to a halt halfway through.
Week 3 – Character Sketches
Interesting characters are all around us.
Being observant is one key skill every writer needs; bringing those observations together is another.
Character sketches are a simple way to create realistic, believable characters that will keep your readers reading.
Week 4 – The 99-Word Story Challenge
In week 4, you'll have the opportunity to bring everything together by writing a complete story in just 99 words.
This is a challenge, but not an impossible one. We ran a competition in my spring writing class to do just that - a story in 99 words.
If you want to see how the students did, then please take a look here.
You can complete each activity in the Summer Writing Challenge in around 10–15 minutes, so there's no pressure. Work through them at your own pace and, above all, enjoy your writing.
Feel free to download my free GCSE Writing Guide. It introduces the same three practical strategies in more detail and explains how they can help build confidence and improve your writing.
The guide is especially designed for Year 9–11 students preparing for GCSE English, but it is useful for all. If you're a parent or a grandparent of a student, you may also like to take a look.
I'd love to see what you’ve created. You're welcome to share your work in the comments on my Facebook page or send it to me directly by email.
Thank you for visiting. I hope you enjoy the challenge – and here's to a summer full of words, ideas and stories!
David