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The Old Key

Story Writing

Intermediate

30 minutes

Kent

FSCE

Independent

The Prompt

“Write a story titled "The Old Key".”

Planning Hints

4 tips to help you plan your response

Where does your character find the key — in an attic, buried in a garden, hidden in a book?

What does the key unlock? A door, a chest, a secret?

Build mystery: what clues suggest the key is important before it is used?

What is the twist or surprise when the key is finally used?

Starter Sentences

Suggested opening lines to get you started

“It was wedged between two floorboards, coated in dust and forgotten by time.”

“Gran always said the attic was off-limits, but Gran was no longer here to stop me.”

“The key was small, no bigger than my thumb, but it felt impossibly heavy in my palm.”

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

Gran always said the attic was off-limits, but Gran was no longer here to stop me. The ladder groaned under my weight as I climbed, each rung creaking a warning I chose to ignore. A rectangle of pale light waited above. The attic smelled of old paper and lavender — Gran's smell. Dust particles floated lazily through a single beam of sunlight, as if time itself had slowed in this forgotten room. Cardboard boxes lined the walls, their labels faded to ghosts of words. But it was the wooden chest in the corner that drew my eye: dark oak, carved with spiralling vines, and fastened with a lock that gleamed despite the dust. I almost missed the key. It was wedged between two floorboards near the chest, as though someone had hidden it in a hurry. Small, brass, and cold to the touch, it fit perfectly into the lock. The click echoed through the silence. Inside, there were no jewels, no treasure maps, no dramatic secrets. Instead, neatly folded, lay a bundle of letters tied with a faded blue ribbon — and on top, a photograph. Two girls, arm in arm, laughing on a beach. One of them was unmistakably Gran. The other, I had never seen before. I sat on the dusty floor, the letters in my lap, and began to read. With each page, a life I had never known about unfolded — a friendship, a promise, a goodbye. The attic was no longer off-limits. It was an invitation.

Hover or tap the highlighted phrases to see the technique and explanation

Techniques Used in This Answer

Personification

Sensory Detail

Simile

Metaphor

Short Sentences (x2)

Rule Of Three

Ready to Write?

Practice this prompt under timed conditions, just like the real exam. You have 30 minutes.

Planning Templates

Suitable for story writing

Story Mountain

The classic 5-part narrative structure. Perfect for story writing prompts where you need a clear beginning, middle, and end.

5 steps|3-5 minutes

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.

4 steps|2-3 minutes