Descriptive Writing topics

1. A song or piece of music comes on the radio. Immediately the tune reminds you of a particularly happy or
sad occasion. Describe in detail the scene you remember (real or imaginary) and your feelings at that time.
2. Describe a person (real or imaginary) who immediately appears to be either sinister or kind and trustworthy.
Pay particular attention to her/his physical features and mannerisms.
3. You come across a shop in a side street which you have never noticed before. You enter, and are amazed at
what you see. Describe the interior of the shop and the things on sale there.
4. Describe what you see from the window during a journey by road or rail.
5. Young people often have a close relationship with an elderly person. Describe the characteristics of a
grandparent (real or imaginary) or any other elderly person whose company you enjoy.
6. It is your birthday. Your friends are playing a trick and have blindfolded you. Describe what your senses of
touch, taste, smell and hearing tell you about the place they are now leading you into.
7. ‘The Reunion.’ Describe a moment when two people meet each other after a long time apart.
8. ‘My favourite time of day.’ Describe what you see and/or hear and/or feel that makes you enjoy this time
the most.
9. ‘The happy family.’ Paying particular attention to the sights and sounds, describe the scene as a family enjoys
a special meal in a restaurant.
10. Children often keep a box of special things. Describe the contents of such a ‘treasure box’.
11. You walk into a room and there is an atmosphere of anger and embarrassment. Describe the scene, paying
particular attention to the ways in which the atmosphere is made obvious to you.
12. For many years you have heard exciting and humorous tales about an elderly aunt/uncle in your family.
Someone gives you a diary that once belonged to this relative, who is now dead. Write two diary entries,
each describing a memorable moment in this person’s life.
13. Describe the discovery of your own secret hideaway. It could be an overgrown garden or a deserted shack.
Concentrate on the detail and atmosphere of the place.
14. Describe a time when you were waiting for something unpleasant or fearful to happen. Describe the place
where you were at the time and your feelings as you waited…and waited.
15. The sounds of laughter and loud voices attract your attention to a room in your house. The door is closed.
Describe what you can hear, as well as what you can see, as you gently open the door.
16. Describe a time and place, real or imaginary, when you felt trapped. Concentrate on your surroundings and
your feelings at the time.
17. You come across a group of people eating and speaking together around a table. Describe how they reveal
their personalities, relationships and emotions.
18. Describe the features of the landscape or town which would form the setting for your ideal interactive
computer game.
19. A ‘Reality’ TV show is looking for families to take part in a new series called ‘Meet My Family’ and you want
to take part. Only four members of your family can be chosen. Describe these family members to the TV
production team, making each person sound interesting to the viewers
20. Imagine that you have shrunk to only a few centimetres high. Describe what you see, hear and feel as you
attempt to cross a room.
21. Describe the minutes before and after a person receives some very important news. In your description, you
should pay particular attention to the emotions involved and how they are conveyed to you.
22. Describe a time and place (real or imaginary) when you felt so embarrassed that it still makes you
uncomfortable to this day. Describe how you felt and how other people reacted.
23. You are walking home alone when you notice signs of a storm gathering around you. Describe what
happens and how you feel as you make your way to shelter.
24. Describe three moments in a race; the start, the middle and the finish.
25. Describe the time when you mastered a skill such as unicycling, skateboarding, skiing, cooking or even plate
spinning. Describe what you were trying to do, and your thoughts and feelings at the final moment of
success.
26. Describe a fire from the first signs of smoke to the moment when it is out of control.
27. Describe nightfall as you reach camp in the middle of the jungle.
28. You come across a shop in a side street which you have never noticed before. You enter, and are amazed at
what you see. Describe the interior of the shop and the things on sale there
29. Describe what you see from the window during a journey by road or rail.
30. Write a descriptive account entitled ‘The Flower Seller’.
31. You have to get to an important event or meeting, but the vehicle you are in is held up in a traffic jam.
Describe what is going on around you and your feelings during the delay.
32. Describe the surroundings and your emotions at a time when you felt very alone.
33. Imagine that you are up in a hot air balloon. Describe what you see below and how the experience makes
you feel.

Narrative Writing Topics

1. You discover an old photograph at home. You ask your parents who the person in the photograph is, and
when and where it was taken. There is a tense silence… Make this mystery an important part of a story.
2. You are writing a story set in the future. Your main character is a successful businesswoman who has been
invited to go to her high school reunion. It is twenty-five years since she attended ‘Marsh Academy’ but
curiosity compels her to go. Write the beginning of the story. Start your story: As soon as the door opened,
a familiar face…
3. A letter turns up which has been lost in the post for ten years. Write a story which explains the effect of this
letter when it is finally delivered.
4. ‘Slow but steady wins the race.’ Write a story to illustrate this saying.
5. The main character in your narrative has accidentally broken a very valuable item at a neighbour’s house.
Using the title ‘The Lie’, write the beginning of this story.
6. You are writing a mystery or thriller-type story, which is set in an old building. It is night time. Suddenly all
the lights go out and someone’s footsteps are heard running away. Make this event an important part of a
story called ‘Power cut’.
7. ‘The Short Cut.’ You are very late and you need to get home quickly. Up ahead is a short cut, but you’ve
been warned not to use it. If you don’t get home soon there’ll be serious trouble… Write a story about what
happens next.
8. Write a story in which missing a chance or missing an opportunity is central to the plot.
9. Write a story or an episode of suspense in which a character is facing a problem relating to time running out.
10. ‘Who’s Who?’ Write a story in which a case of mistaken identity plays a central part.
11. ‘The Rescue’. Write a story in which a rescue plays a central part.
12. The central character in a story realises that s/he has lost something vital. Write the next part of the story in
which a sense of panic is built up.
13. Everyone thinks you are an ordinary teenager, living an ordinary life. No-one knows, nor must they ever find
out, that you have powers which can only ever be used for the good of humankind. Write about a day in ‘The
Secret Life of…’.
14. ‘The radio crackled as the distant voice spluttered and died. Now they felt completely alone, but surely there
must be others like them out there?’ Write a narrative using this quotation as the beginning or end of your
story.
15. ‘The figure sprinted away from the angry crowd and headed towards a gap between the buildings.’ Use this
sentence to start a story.
16. As you shake your morning breakfast cereal from the box, out tumbles a small, red envelope with the words
‘Open me now!’ stamped on it. Inside, there is a list of instructions that you must carry out ‘before night
falls.’ Write the story of your day.
17. ‘As they looked in the mirror they were amazed to find two completely different people smiling back at
them.’ Use this sentence as the beginning of a story.
18. Write a story in which the central theme is flying.
19. ‘Forgiveness’. Write a story in which forgiveness plays a central part.
20. Write a story, or part of a story, in which a character discovers something vitally important that people need
to know about, but nobody will listen
21. Write a story, or part of a story, about disobeying an order.
22. Write part of a story in which a character has to overcome an obstacle.
23. “Alex was someone who liked to live life ‘on the edge’ for too long, barely managing to survive. Now, in
desperation, s(he) would do anything…”. Use this quotation as the start of a story.
24. Write a story in which fire plays an essential part.
25. Write a story in which the main character is desperately trying to cross a border to safety.
26. Tell the story of a rich person who woke up one morning to find that wealth had turned to extreme poverty.
27. Tell the story of what happened on the first night of a school play through the eyes of one of the actors OR
somebody working behind the scenes.
28. ‘Nothing could have survived that explosion, so what on earth is that climbing out of the ...!’ Use this
sentence at an important point in your story.
29. Write a story in which greed plays an important part.
30. ‘At last I could see a light at the end of the tunnel.’ Use this sentence either to begin or end a story.
31. You see an advertisement in a local newspaper which says: ‘Are you brave and adventurous? Then telephone
this number and change your life.’ Start the story with the phone call you make.