“Continue the following story: "The letter arrived on a perfectly ordinary Wednesday morning, tucked between the gas bill and a takeaway menu. It had no stamp, no postmark, and no return address. Just my name, written in ink so dark it looked almost purple, in handwriting I had never seen before." Write what happens next.”
Planning Hints
4 tips to help you plan your response
Maintain the mysterious tone. What does the letter say?
The content could be an invitation, a warning, a riddle, or information about the narrator.
Show the character's reaction physically — hands trembling, re-reading, checking the envelope.
End with the character making a decision about what to do next.
Starter Sentences
Suggested opening lines to get you started
“I turned the envelope over twice before opening it.”
“The paper inside was thick and cream-coloured, the kind you don't buy in supermarkets.”
“Three words. The letter contained just three words.”
Key Techniques to Demonstrate
Techniques the examiner will be looking for in your response
Annotated Model Answer
A high-quality example response with techniques highlighted
Hover or tap the highlighted phrases to see the technique and explanation
Techniques Used in This Answer
Ready to Write?
Practice this prompt under timed conditions, just like the real exam. You have 20 minutes.
Planning Templates
Suitable for story continuation
Story Mountain
The classic 5-part narrative structure. Perfect for story writing prompts where you need a clear beginning, middle, and end.
4-Paragraph Plan (CSSE Style)
A focused structure for shorter writing tasks (15-20 minutes). Ideal for CSSE where you only write 2 compulsory paragraphs, but this plan gives you 4 strong ones if time allows.
Marking Focus Areas
imagination
organisation
atmosphere
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