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The Accident

Story Writing

Intermediate

30 minutes

CSSE

Kent

FSCE

The Prompt

“Write a story titled "The Accident".”

Planning Hints

4 tips to help you plan your response

The accident doesn't have to be dramatic — a broken vase, a bike crash, spilling paint on something precious.

Focus on the moments before, during, and after — slow down the dramatic moment.

Show the character's guilt, panic, or fear through actions and physical sensations.

End with consequences or resolution — honesty, forgiveness, a lesson learned.

Starter Sentences

Suggested opening lines to get you started

“It happened in slow motion, the way bad things always do.”

“I should have listened. Everyone said not to touch it.”

“The sound of breaking glass is unmistakable. You hear it and your whole body freezes.”

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

The sound of breaking glass is unmistakable. You hear it and your whole body freezes, as though the shattering has happened inside you, not outside. It was Mum's vase — the blue and white one that had belonged to her grandmother. It sat on the shelf in the hallway, the shelf I had been told a thousand times not to throw a ball near. But the catch had been so perfect in my head: a diving grab, a roll, a hero's landing. In reality, my elbow clipped the shelf and the vase tipped, slowly at first, then all at once. I watched it fall. Time stretched like elastic. I could see every detail — the way the light caught the glaze, the painted flowers blurring as it turned, the hairline crack that appeared the instant it struck the floor before it exploded into a constellation of blue and white fragments. Then, silence. Worse than the crash. I dropped to my knees and tried to gather the pieces, as if speed could undo what had happened. A sharp edge bit into my thumb. A bead of red appeared. I barely noticed. Mum appeared in the doorway. She didn't shout. That was worse. She looked at the pieces in my hands, and I saw something move across her face — not anger, but a quiet, heavy sadness that made my chest ache. "I'm sorry," I whispered. The words felt pathetically small. She knelt beside me, carefully took the pieces from my hands, and said, "Things break. What matters is what you do next." Then she went to find a dustpan, and I sat there on the hallway floor, knowing I would remember this moment for a very long time.

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

Techniques Used in This Answer

Metaphor (x2)

Pacing

Simile

Personification

Show Dont Tell (x2)

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