Narrative Writing – IGCSE English 0990 (Paper 2)

 

You’ll be given a choice of descriptive or narrative writing. For narrative, you’re expected to write about 350–450 words of original fiction — showing creativity, control, structure, and style.

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🧭 Step-by-Step Guide

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1. Choose the Right Question

You’ll see questions like:

• “Write a story which begins with: ‘I had never been more certain of anything…’”

• “Write a story based on the title: ‘The Mistake’.”

✅ Choose a prompt that sparks your imagination
🚫 Avoid one that’s too complicated or needs a long backstory

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2. Understand What Makes a Good Narrative

Cambridge looks for:

• A clear beginning, middle, and end

• Well-developed characters and setting

• A moment of conflict, change, or climax

• Varied language, vivid vocabulary, and accurate spelling/punctuation

• Controlled pace and paragraphing

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3. Plan Briefly – Don’t Start Blind

Take 5 minutes to plan. Use this simple structure:

📄 Basic Story Arc (use this for your plan):

1. Exposition – Who? Where? When?

2. Build-up – What’s starting to go wrong?

3. Climax – The turning point or big event

4. Falling action – The result of the climax

5. Resolution – What changed or was learned?

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4. Hook the Reader from the First Line

Your first sentence should:

• Grab attention

• Create mystery or emotion

• Set the tone

✅ Examples of Good Hooks:

• “The door creaked open, but there was no one on the other side.”

• “We were told never to go near the river after dark.”

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5. Create Realistic Characters and Setting

Even in a short story, make your characters feel real:

• Give them motives, emotions, flaws

• Use specific details (clothing, gestures, thoughts)

And show your setting:
✅ Instead of: “It was scary.”
✅ Try: “The shadows danced across the cracked floor, whispering as the wind slipped through broken glass.”

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6. Use Language Creatively but Clearly

Use:

• Similes & metaphors

• Personification

• Sound imagery (e.g. “the crunch of gravel”)

• Vary sentence lengths

• Strong verbs

📌 But avoid:

• Overused clichés ("my heart skipped a beat")

• Unnecessary complicated words

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7. Keep the Story Focused

Common mistake: trying to tell too much. Stick to one main idea or event.

❌ Not: A whole life story from birth to death.
✅ Do: A single incident with emotional weight (e.g. getting lost, a competition, a secret revealed).

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8. End with Impact

Your ending should:

• Tie back to the beginning (circular structure = excellent!)

• Reveal a twist, realisation, or change.

• Be clear — don’t confuse the reader.

✅ Examples:

• “And in that moment, I understood why she had lied.”

• “I walked away — not proud, but no longer afraid.”

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📝 Sample Prompt and Model Opening

Prompt: Write a story that begins with the sentence: “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.”

✅ Model Opening (First 100 Words):

It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. I stood on the edge of the football field, the rain mixing with the sweat on my face. The crowd had fallen silent. Behind me, Liam lay still — too still. Moments earlier, we were laughing, pushing each other, chasing the ball like we always did. But now, everything had stopped. Coach ran past me, shouting into his phone. I wanted to move, to speak, to say something — but my body refused. The cold wasn't from the rain anymore. It was crawling up from my chest, turning my insides to ice.

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✅ Final Checklist for Narrative Writing

Element	✓
Clear beginning, middle, and end?
One main event or theme (not overloaded)?
Well-developed setting and characters?
Interesting and varied language used?
Punctuated dialogue correctly (if any)?
Accurate spelling, punctuation, grammar?
Around 450 words?