Writing task
“The calm before the storm rarely lasts long.” Write a creative piece which begins with this sentence. Include striking imagery, sensory description, and varied vocabulary and sentences.
Time: 45 minutes (as indicated for this published task).
Marks: 30.
Practise this exact question with personalised feedback on your writing.
Understand the task
The Calm Before the Storm is a creative narrative task that tests originality, plot control, narrative voice. Use the opening as a warning; a figurative storm can be more interesting than merely bad weather.
- originality
- plot control
- narrative voice
- accurate punctuation
Requirements to keep in mind
Recommended writing time: approximately 45 minutes (as indicated in the paper/section); Writing marks: 30 (subject to separately awarded SPaG marks); Published task/option: 1 (where the source offers alternatives, pupils answer the paper's specified number, not all)
Plan your response
- Use the opening as a warning; a figurative storm can be more interesting than merely bad weather.
- Plan a clear beginning, development and ending within the time available.
- Use precise vocabulary and vary sentence lengths where appropriate.
- Proofread spelling, punctuation and paragraphing before finishing.
Check your response against the task requirements. Leave time to review sentence clarity, punctuation and spelling.
Short atoply teaching example
Written by atoply, not an official school answer or mark scheme. This short illustration shows selected techniques. It does not set a target length or expected mark for the timed task.
Reveal example and teaching notes
The calm before the storm rarely lasts long. At the village fête, the bunting hung motionless and nobody seemed in a hurry. I carried the final tray of cakes into the hall. Then the church bell rang once, although the tower had been locked for years. Everyone stopped talking. My brother stood by the window, staring at a car parked opposite the gate. 'They said they wouldn't come back,' he whispered. A woman stepped out, holding an envelope. The summer afternoon had not changed at all, but suddenly the room seemed to have lost its air.
Learn from the example
- The example focuses on one situation, keeping the action easy to follow. Notice how a detail, action or decision moves that situation forward.
- Use the task's requirements to plan the development and ending of your own response; an opening alone does not demonstrate a complete story arc.