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CREATIVE WRITING BOOKLET

SETTING
Read this description of a haunted house in London.

PORTMAN SQUARE, LONDON, 1911.

It was an old house which stood on the corner of the street. The
corridors were very long and not very well lit. The sun didn’t shine in
the windows, and so the house didn’t have a good view.

At night, the house grew very dark. As well as being difficult to light,
the house was always very cold.

Not very interesting, is it? However, using the elements for settings,
we can change it to something much better.

PORTMAN SQUARE, LONDON, 1911.

It was a strange and rambling house, full of old oak stairways. Long
and narrow corridors seemed to hold dark and evil secrets. Windows
gave no warming sunlight, only gloomy views of shadowed courtyards
at the back and the blank, blind faces of houses at the front.

After sunset a shroud of darkness seemed to wrap itself around the

house before creeping slowly inside. Blazing log fires hardly seemed
to warm the rooms and hissing gaslight was strangely dimmed.

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BEN’S JOURNEY

The car engine seemed to cough a few times before it finally shuddered to a halt. Ben
sighed in frustration. Fifty miles from home, in the middle of nowhere, half past
midnight. His choice was simple: stay put in the icy darkness till the morning or leave
the car and see if there was any sign of human life nearby.

The moonlight glimmered on the white frost which covered the road like a gossamer
sheet and on the tussocks of grass standing stiffly and blackly along the roadside. The
bushes cast strange shaped shadows in his path, and a solitary owl hooted from a nearby
wood. He felt the skin at the back of his neck prickle with cold sweat. The clouds
momentarily cut off the moonlight and the shadows melted into general darkness. The
air was thick with darkness, so thick that he could almost touch it. His breath seemed to
materialize into something solid in the icy air, and he could hear his heartbeat like a
drum. Something touched his face, something as cold as the grave and his teeth clacked
and chattered uncontrollably.

1. Is this an effective setting?

Yes. I think this story incorporates an effective story.

2. What imagery do you find particularly effective?

The personification, “The car seemed to cough a few times before it finally
shuddered to a halt. Ben sighed in frustration,” illuminates that the car had
some malfunction with its engine, and it wasn’t working properly and
therefore, Ben was frustrated. The second whole paragraph gives a clear vision
of the setting and what Ben’s surroundings were.

3. Which words help to add to the spooky atmosphere?

Underline which of the words in bold you think is most effective in

describing the following setting.

The road up to the castle was littered with/covered in/full of stones that were so
big/sharp/uneven that they caught the traveler unawares and cut/tore/sliced through
his shoes or threw him off balance so that his ankles were sore/tender/racked with
pain. Around the castle there ran a deep river whose surface was covered with green
weeds/slime/vegetation. A few wild birds floated hopelessly/uneasily/sadly in it, their
feathers dull and drooping.
Overhead grey/stormy/cloudy skies cast a dull/dark/dead light over the castle. It
seemed that the thick clouds would perpetually stop any sun from
reaching/warming/touching the castle with its rays.
 The walls of the castle were hidden/entwined/covered with tangled creepers which
seemed to be trying to choke the life out of it. The creepers had
pulled/dragged/wrenched stones from the wall so that the whole building threatened
to/was about to/might fall on anyone who entered and kill/crush/hurt him.

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READ THE FOLLOWING INTRODUCTION.

I entered the room and closed the door behind me. The room was big with bay
windows and there were lots of dark corners. The blinds were drawn as were the
curtains but I could hear the wind and rain outside. The bedside lamp was lit and there
was a fire in the grate. Two large mirrors were hung high on the walls and on a
wooden shelf stood two large brass candlesticks. I could hear the ticking of the
grandfather clock

NOT VERY INTERESTING OR FRIGHTENING, IS IT?

Rewrite the extract to create a more frightening atmosphere. Try to

take away any words which seem boring or ordinary, and add description
which makes the atmosphere more menacing. You can add details of your
own if you wish.

Abandoned for more than 70 years. Delighted to have its first visitor after an
eternity. I slowly crept into the archaic room and gently pressed it so I could hear a
‘click’ noise. The antique room looked like it had not been maintained in years.
Fragments of miniature glass pieces covered sections of the snapped and ruptured
timber floor. There was paint ripped off the walls and brown rust on the metal
frames. Green and brown-colored moss multiplied through the round corners for
which a shroud of darkness seemed to wrap around it. Two large, smashed mirrors
stood against the wall, and its wooden frames were severed. The rain shivered
outside and I could hear it shouting very loud.
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USING LANGUAGE TO CREATE A CONVINCING

ATMOSPHER
E
To add to your setting and create a convincing atmosphere, you need to:

 Use words or phrases which create a mood

 Use simile
 Use personification
 Use metaphor
 Use sound techniques – alliteration, onomatopoeia

TASK ONE
Read the following extract and note how the writer changes the
mood/atmosphere from the first paragraph to the second.

Overhead the trees arched, and water birds, becoming used to my harmless presence,
called out softly. Once or twice a kingfisher flashed. There were trout in the warm
water, I could feel them brush gently against my bare legs every now and then as I
waded knee- deep along the course of the brook.

And then – suddenly: fear. Where did it come from? I had no means of knowing.
Menace. Cold fear was all around me – in the dark arch of the trees, the tunnel they
make (into which the stream vanished), the sharp croak of birds, the icy grip of the
water on my calves, the gritty scour of mud on my grimed and scraped hands. But
most of all, in my own mind, as if down at the back of it, stood something hidden,
watchful, waiting.

TASK TWO
Underline the phrases in the second paragraph which match, but alter,
the mood of the phrases from the first paragraph.

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TASK THREE

Rewrite the following passage in which a safe, comfortable setting/

atmosphere becomes one of fear and menace.

The cottage stood hidden from the road, held protectively by the surrounding trees. Ivy climbed the
walls, making it difficult to see what colour the stonework underneath had originally been. The
windows peered inquisitively out at those who approached, while the door was always opened in a
welcoming smile.

The little house was cosy and friendly. It smelt of woodsmoke and apples when you walked in and little
squares of sunshine fell through its tiny windows. It offered no sound apart from the crackle of logs on
the fire, or sigh of wind in the chimney.

New wooden floorboards had been laid in a couple of rooms over the bricks, for warmth, and these had
shrunk as they dried; just sometimes you’d get the feeling as if somebody else had stepped on to the
board you stood on, and made it bend a little.

SIMILES
Highlight any similes you find in the following extracts (there is at least
one in each), and explain why you find them effective.

Sonny, who is a little troubled about this point, indicates the flat sheet of darkness to the right of the
sign and extending to the next, smaller oak tree. As he looks at it, the darkness loses its two-
dimensionality and deepens backward like a cave, or a black hole softly punched through the air. The
cave, the black hole, melts and widens into the earthen road, about five and a half feet wide; it must
have been there all along.

The streets were muddy then, the actual blocks islands above the gutters, and the entire city so dark
compared to the cities of today. The lights were as beacons in a black sea. Even with morning rising
slowly, only the dormers and high porches of the houses were emerging from the dark…

The waves crashed against the shore like angry stallions, as the wind roared above her head. In the
distance, she could see the ship, its torn rigging illuminated by the moon like a ghostly skeleton.

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PERSONIFICATIO
N
Windows gave no warming sunlight, only gloomy views of shadowed
courtyards, at the back and the blank, blind faces of houses at the
front

- Do houses have ‘faces’?

- What is the writer trying to suggest by saying they are ‘blind’?
- What is this technique called?

After sunset a shroud of darkness seemed to wrap itself around

the house before creeping slowly inside.

- Why is ‘shroud’ a good choice of word here?

- What is the writer trying to suggest about the darkness in this
extract?

The clouds cut off the moonlight and the shadows melted into
general darkness.

- What does the word ‘melted’ suggest to you about the shadows?

The moon was smiling down on him and the clouds looked like soft
balls of cotton wool
- What is suggested about the protagonist’s mood here?
- How is this suggested?

The branches of the bushes waved him onwards to where Beth

was waiting for him.
- What does this extract tell you about the way Ben was feeling as he
drove home?
- What technique is used to achieve this?

Wind sighed mournfully through the rhododendron bushes.

- What mood is suggested by the writer’s use of personification?

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ALLITERATION and ONOMATOPOEIA can be used to good

effect.
1. The blank blind faces at the front
2. The hissing gaslight was strangely dimmed
3. The bushes cast strange shaped shadows
4. His teeth chattered and clacked uncontrollably
5. The sharp croak of birds
6. It offered no sound apart from the crackle of logs on the
fire, or sigh of wind in the chimney

IMAGER
Y

A simile tells you that one thing is like another; it compares two
different objects using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’.
 His hair was as black as coal.
 His heart beat like a drum.

A metaphor tells you that one thing is something else. It is not meant
literally but is just a way of creating vivid pictures in your mind.
 The cold breeze was a slap in the face.
 She stared with eyes of stone.

Personification describes a thing or object as if it is a person or has

human qualities.
Eg
 The wind whistled through the sails.
 The sun tread a path through the woods.

WORD
CHOICE

Your word choice is very important. It creates meaning.

 Careered is a stronger word than ran.
 ‘Shroud of darkness’ has a different meaning than ‘cloak
of darkness’.
 ‘He felt helpless’ is more effective than ‘he didn’t know what to
do’.

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Now write at least two opening paragraphs to describe the setting for your own story.

 Remember the five elements for setting

 Remember to choose your words carefully

 Remember to use figurative language/imagery

 Remember to use word sounds

Some further suggestions for setting are:

 a wood

 a lonely country road

 a castle

 an old house

 a ruined church

 caves

 the beach

TECHNIQUES TO USE TO HELP IMPROVE YOUR WRITING

 When describing setting and creating atmosphere, use details based on senses –

sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.

 Base your settings on a place you know and then add invented details.

 Use real as well as invented names to bring characters and places alive

 Create atmosphere by writing about what is hidden, what is dangerous, what

looks unusual, what is out of place.

 Describe the weather, time of day and season, as well as the place.

 Use a mixture of long and short sentences to vary pace. Short sentences help to

increase tension and a sense of panic in your characters; long sentences with lots

of verbs or repeated use of ‘and’ can add to the impression of heightened

activity.

 Use sentence fragments to build tension.

 Ask questions to make your reader empathise with your characters.

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CHARACTE
R
You should aim to give the reader an impression of your character’s
personality by the way you describe him / her. You should also aim to
make your reader respond to your character in the way you want. Do you
want your character to be liked, feared, hated, pitied, etc?

THE GHOST
Rewrite the following example, giving a clearer description of the ghost,
as well as some indication of whether it is to be feared or not.
Remember to use the techniques you learned when looking at setting and
atmosphere.

Tom tossed and turned before his eyes finally opened. There at the foot of the bed he
saw a strange white shape. It was standing quite still. The head nodded slowly, and
the white hair moved in the darkness. Black eyes stared at Tom, and the mouth
opened as if to speak.
It was a terrible sight!

CHARACTER
This is a description of the character of Tom. He is supposed to be a
sympathetic, innocent child.

TASK 1: Rewrite this in your workbook, improving it as much as you can.

Tom was twelve years old. He was small for his age, but strong. He had red hair
and very white skin. His eyes were dark blue and small. He had a miserable look on
his face because he hadn’t wanted to leave the only place he had ever known as home,
and come to live in the old cottage which his father had bought.

TASK 2: Now rewrite it again, but turn Tom into a frightening, evil child.

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A MONSTER
Now read the following passage about a monster and his encounter with a
group of people.

The creature opened the door and entered the room, oblivious to the stares which met

him. Knocking a chair out of the way, he reached the mantelpiece and picked up the

photograph of Eva which sat upon it. A strange noise came from the being, who did

not seem to realise until that moment that he was being watched. He looked into the

eyes of each person there, before dropping the picture frame, where it smashed on the

hearth. As suddenly as he had entered, he was gone.

DOESN’T REALLY TELL US MUCH THOUGH, DOES IT?

TASK
Rewrite the paragraph for each of the following options.

1. The creature is a very dangerous monster. He has been the subject

of legends for many years and is known to be cruel and
bloodthirsty. You are trying to influence your reader to be afraid
of the creature.

2. The creature is a gentle, man-like beast. He has been the subject

of legends for many years, but is associated with good luck, and has
been said to help humans in trouble. You are trying to influence
your reader to like the creature and to sympathise with him.

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STRUCTURE
STRUCTURE refers to how the PLOT is put together.
Most stories are structured using a chronological or linear TIME
structure.

BEGINNING MIDDLE END

Beginning: This INTRODUCES the reader to the SETTING in which you

have placed your PROTAGONIST. This also introduces your
protagonist and lets your reader see the kind of person he /
she is.

Middle: This is the bulk of your story and usually starts with
something happening. You need an EVENT or a PROBLEM
which pushes the action forward. The middle of your story
will continue with your tale of how your protagonist handles
this occurrence.

End: This is where your story comes to its CLIMAX. The problem
is either resolved or your protagonist is defeated. Finally, if
you choose to, tie up any loose ends, explain anything as yet
unexplained, and conclude your story. Don’t drag your ending
out - it should be no more than two paragraphs long.

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TENSION
A good story needs to build up TENSION. Something has to happen to
move the action forward towards a CLIMAX.

Read the following extract and then answer the questions at the end.

Margaret’s uneasy sleep was disturbed by a tapping noise which seemed

to penetrate her dream. She tossed from side to side before her tired eyes
finally opened and adjusted to the darkness of her new room. She sat up
in the strange four poster bed, and listened. At first she thought it was part
of her dream but just as she turned her pillow round ready to resume her
sleep, she heard it again. This time it was louder than before.

A) What happens next?

B) Then what happens?
C) What is the climax?
D) How is the problem resolved?
E) How does the story end?

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GENRE
Read the following paragraph, then rewrite it twice, adding at least 3
sentences each time
1. as part of a ghost story 2. as part of a horror story

Mark walked into the room. He looked around and saw something which surprised
him. His brain struggled to understand what his eyes were seeing, but before he had a
chance to comprehend the sight before him…

ENDINGS
There are many ways to end a short story but the most popular and
effective ways usually:

 Tie up all the loose ends in the story

 Answer all the questions in the reader’s mind

 Bring a resolution to the problem

 Often offer a surprise, something the reader did not know about

 Have a ‘twist in the tale’

 May be a line of dialogue

 Can be a cliff-hanger, whereby the writer gives some hint in the final line

that the danger is not over but will return …

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