Year 6 Twisted Tales

Biding his time, Gingerbread Man waited for a solitary child to enter the shop. 

Trapped His chest was heaving. His heart was pounding. It was dark. Darker than the pitch-black night sky; aside from a blinding shaft of a light, which flooded through the tiny hole. The air was stuffy. He stifled a cough that tickled his throat. He mustn’t be found.&nbsp; A door creaked open, its hinges screaming. Footsteps thundered on the floorboards. He held her breath. The small thread of light disappeared. Simultaneously, a rush of cold air hit his face, freezing his skin. He gasped, the figure looming above.&nbsp;&nbsp; “I’ve found him! He was here all along! Great hiding, Joe,” Emma grinned.&nbsp; 	&nbsp; 	 By Aksel

Avoid starting stories with 'One day...' Instead, you can jump straight in with some dialogue or action.

“Get out! You dirty rodents!” screeched the Farmer’s wife as she chased the blind mice around her kitchen.

Little Red Screaming Hood&nbsp; She skipped through the gloomy darkness of the woods. The crunch of the autumn leaves frightened her with every step. Light from the blood moon rained down a ruby colour, blending with her cloak.&nbsp; Silently, a furry creature lunged towards her petrified face. Heart beating frantically, she pelted as fast as she could to grandma's house. Cautiously, she opened the door. Creak!&nbsp; 	There it was: the furry creature.&nbsp; Little Red screamed a blood-curdling shriek. Softly, someone whispered in a calm, familiar voice,&nbsp; “Don't worry, sweetheart.”&nbsp; The furry creature zipped itself open and shouted, “Trick or treat!” By Alex

Adjectives are great; however, hyphenated compound adjectives are phenomenal!

Darker than the pitch-black night sky

Suddenly, there was a rustle of leaves and crunching of branches.

Use a colon, not to introduce a list, but, to expand on a point you have made already.

 Finally, she was in the perfect position: skipping down the path carrying a basket filled with delicious treats.

Notice how much better it sounds to use 'gleaming white canines' than 'white teeth'.

“Good day, Little Pigs,” Mr Wolf smiled, revealing his gleaming white canines.

Prey It was chasing me down the long, cold corridor and could easily catch me. Blundering into the garden of the sandstone suburban house, I dived into the long, wavy grass.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	It was right behind me...&nbsp; 	I could feel the heat of its breath on my neck.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	Charging like a raging bull, I ran into the fence: a dead end.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	Was this the end of my treacherous, frenetic life?&nbsp; 	As it slowly edged towards me, I knew it was the end. The cat had its delicious prey: mouse.&nbsp; 	&nbsp; 	 By Ben

Incy Mincy Spider As the hairy, malevolent spider climbed up the pipe, he scuttled around a bend. Abruptly, the pipe ended, and he found himself falling into a glowing liquid. Like a nuclear reaction forged by the liquid, the spider ballooned one hundred times in size and the glass exploded into millions of fragments. Just then, the chief scientist waltzed into the room.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	“Why is there so much smoke?” he asked, baffled.&nbsp;&nbsp; No one replied.&nbsp; 	“Is there anyone here?” he shakily inquired.&nbsp; 	Without warning, a giant, furry leg reached out.&nbsp; As the smoke engulfed him, he said his last ever word: “Help!”&nbsp; By Isaac

Provide more details for your reader using adverbials.

With my back to the wall, I creep along a bit until I spot someone sitting on the wall above me, facing away.

Why Bother? As two little goats were munching grass in a meadow by an old bridge, an ugly Troll was lurking nearby.&nbsp; 	 “Arhhhhh!” he screamed, lumbering towards them.&nbsp; 	 Little Billy Goat squeaked in horror, sprinting behind his trembling brother.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	 “We’re going to fetch Big Billy Goat, you beast!” they threatened, as they ran over the bridge to safety.&nbsp; 	 Big Billy Goat strode over the bridge, full of fury, ready to attack the Troll with his giant horns. However, under the bridge, he could hear sobbing.&nbsp; 	 “Nobody likes me!” wailed the Troll.&nbsp; 	 Disgusted, the goat turned away and trotted back to his brothers.&nbsp; 	 By Dominic

The Butcher The butcher worked diligently, smiling at the villagers he served. His tattered apron, stained red, stretched over his stout belly, signalling his noble profession.&nbsp; 	His delicious pies were famous. But, however much the villagers tried, he would never reveal the secret of his tasty recipes.&nbsp; 	He would wink, saying, “Maybe one day, if you’re lucky, you’ll find out.”&nbsp; 	One dusky evening, a lone traveller passed his shop. “Mmm butcher, your pies look good enough to die for.”&nbsp; 	“Well come in, my good friend, and see for yourself.”&nbsp; 	The butcher smiled as his bloody cleaver hacked into his secret ingredient…&nbsp; 	 By Jack

Peckish One day there was a little egg. On a sunny day, the egg was replaced by a baby creature. The miniscule creature felt peckish.&nbsp; On Monday, he ate a whole apple, he was still peckish.&nbsp;&nbsp; On Tuesday, he liked the look of a juicy pear on a tree. He climbed and climbed but then…&nbsp; He fell. Luckily, he landed in a revolting bin.&nbsp; On Wednesday he ate old crisps, stale bread and a mouldy crumpet.&nbsp; On Thursday he ate the whole content of the bin but was still hungry.&nbsp; On Friday he made a cocoon…&nbsp; He was never seen again.&nbsp; By Benji

You need to use complete sentences. Sometimes Mrs Snow writes 'IncS' in your margin to show that it is an incomplete sentence - perhaps just a subordinate clause. However, you are allowed to write a sentence like this. It is called a 'minor sentence'.

You can use the subjunctive mood instead of a simile.

A 'Show, not tell' detail to show a character's nervous state could be to have them stutter. Notice how that is punctuated.

“L-let’s t-take this short cut,” the pale boy standing beside me stuttered.&nbsp;

The Sting “Don’t move till I signal. They’ve got to incriminate themselves before we make the arrest,” whispered the agent.&nbsp; 	Darkness filled the murky forest, with only a full moon to guide the family.&nbsp; 	Deeper into the gloom they trudged - the two children determined to carry out their plan. At intervals, snow-white pebbles dropped from their pockets, leaving a trail.&nbsp; 	“Are you ready to disappear?” murmured Father. “We’ll soon be free of the pests.”&nbsp;&nbsp; 	“Let’s take a nap here,” suggested Mother. &nbsp; 	As the children closed their eyes, the parents began to run.&nbsp; 	“Stop! Social Services here! You parents are under arrest!”&nbsp; 	&nbsp; 	 By Cassian

In a Stew It was a terrible, uncontrollable wind that lashed out, blowing straw everywhere, and splintering wood. All the houses were blown down. Destroyed. But one house stood strong against everything that was thrown at it. It was made of a material unlike wood or straw, stronger than all: bricks. Inside this expansive brick house, a party was being held with stew for everyone.&nbsp; All sorts of ingredients were in that stew.&nbsp; Everyone loved it, filling up bowls and bowls of it.&nbsp;&nbsp; But one very quiet pig, who had tried some, saw a protruding bit of hair. Wolf hair.&nbsp; 	 By Ben

'princess got peckish' 'grotesque and ghoulish'

Finally Answered Jack clambered up the beanstalk, excited at what he might find. At the summit, as his head popped above the ground, he spied a tall, large woman sitting on a garden bench, with her back to him. &nbsp; 	Jack slowly emerged, tripped over, snapping some twigs. &nbsp; The woman’s large head turned, and a huge grin appeared on her lips. &nbsp; 	“Oh, thank you, my prayers have finally been answered,” she cried, with happy tears in her eyes. &nbsp; 	“A child of my very own, at last!” &nbsp; 	The Giantess picked Jack up, tucked him tightly into a cot and went inside her castle.  &nbsp; 	&nbsp; 	 By Max

Have fun with a play on words. My title has both a literal and figurative meaning.

In a Stew In a Stew = actually in the stew In a Stew = in a difficult situation

Hook’s law Shing! The sound of sword on neck had never sounded so good. Peter had been defeated.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	 “Pan is dead!” Hook roared, “we will toast to this fine time!”&nbsp; As Hook left the party, the dark spirit that had cursed Peter Pan (all his life) shifted into Hook. An ear-piercing shriek of their captain woke his men.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	 By the next day, Hook had changed every law to one that made them caring and kind. His laws of pleasantness and anti-killing were disliked by all pirates in his command, and they took their revenge.&nbsp; 	 “Aaaargh!” was Hook’s final word.&nbsp; 	&nbsp; 	 By Louis

Sickly Siblings&nbsp;&nbsp; There was once a young witch who had been abandoned by her stepmother.&nbsp; Wandering through the forest, she was cold, lonely and famished.&nbsp; She didn’t have the spell to conjure a fire or find her way home. Eventually, behind a copse of twisted trees, appeared a glittering house made of candy.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	She stared with wonder at the sight and then ran over and started munching greedily on the gingerbread.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	Two sets of beady eyes looked out at her through a window.&nbsp; The door opened slowly, and a boy and a girl emerged, hiding a bloody axe behind their backs. 	&nbsp; 	“Welcome.”&nbsp; 	&nbsp; By Rohan

Blades My gloves were stained as I hacked away. I trod over the dead as I killed more for my master. Payment. The waft of an earthy smell lingered from my digging.&nbsp; I disposed of the remains using a wheelbarrow and emptied the contents, then refilled. I had killed thousands just for my measly payment. Why did I do this torturous job? I needed the money; this was my only source of income. Blades slashed and ripped apart the innocent victims. “Have you finished yet?"&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The garden looked spectacular... unlike the compost heap.&nbsp; 	 By Henry

Every now and again you can start with a fronted adverbial. But you must remember to place a comma after it!

Inconspicuously, Jack crept but he accidentally snapped a stick, and the giant turned around, with a menacing look on his face.

Friend or foe? Cold wind spread across the forest as damp, frantic animals scrambled to shelter. Desperately, they ravaged around for cover and stopped in their tracks when they saw a large, horrifying creature: a human! He was chasing them! The petrified creatures began shaking in fright.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	As they came out of their hiding places, they froze. It was as though time had stopped. Cautiously, the man pulled his hand out his pocket. The forest was still. Not a creature stirred, and the wind stopped.&nbsp; The animals saw that food was clutched in his fingers.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	The man was a friend.&nbsp; 	&nbsp; 	 By Hugo

Here are our mini sagas (stories written in 100 words or fewer). Please enjoy reading our stories (on the right-hand side) and then, if you want to learn something about great writing, you can read one of the writing hacks we have been learning. Please read the stories first, though!

Asking a question really helps to engage your reader.

Try starting a sentence with an unusual word. This sounds much better than saying 'I raised my knife and then prepared to chop...'

Knife raised, I prepared to chop them all into miniscule, red pieces.

Fooled Here I am, lying on my four-poster bed, living a life of luxury and they still believe this act of mine. 	That night I knocked on the castle door to escape the dreadful storm. I was led to a bedroom and then left alone to sleep. 	How foolish, how naïve they were. My future was to be decided by one tiny object. But I was cleverer and more devious than they bargained for.&nbsp; 	At midnight, I heard the prince enter as a floorboard creaked, but I lay still - pretended to sleep. He approached the bed holding the fateful pea… By Harvey

Outlawed I was running. Running from my destiny. Sweat poured from my brow as I darted across the clearing, the horde of policemen hot on my trail. It was exhausting being an outlaw, always running to the shadows, trying to last another night. You had to survive on whatever you could find: water from a lake (murky and mossy); food left to decay beside the road.&nbsp; I inhaled sharply as I bolted upright in a cart, a bow and arrow at my side.&nbsp; I was the outlaw. The outlaw from my dream.&nbsp; ROBIN HOOD!&nbsp; 	 By Charlie

Note that you do not need to use inverted commas when revealing what a character is thinking. If you are typing, you can put the thoughts in italics. 

Why is it so deathly cold? thought Lucy.

Beans! “You’ll never guess what happened in interrogation room 13!” PC Roberts exclaimed, astounded.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “What happened?” Officer Williams inquired.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “That boy, caught with multiple sacks of gold, was being questioned,” he continued. “He was a nuisance to deal with since he didn’t reply to half the questions. He was completely bonkers. We gathered some clues; but he claimed that it all started with a cow!”&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “Okay, we can interview his family later to get more sense.”&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “He gave me a small bag, with beans inside. I wonder what to do with these? I think I’ll eat them.”&nbsp; By Jack

Wolfy1 “Sniper, check. Knife, check. Handgun, check. Mission wolfy1 is go.”&nbsp;&nbsp; Sinister whispering echoed from the cottage, but all I saw was a swish of a blood-red hood…&nbsp;&nbsp; “Intruder! Intruder,” came the sudden scream. Bullets skimmed my fur as I sprinted out, knocking the door off its rusty hinges.&nbsp;&nbsp; I tracked her through the forest. Finally, she was in the perfect position: skipping down the path carrying a basket filled with delicious treats.&nbsp; I pounced.&nbsp;&nbsp; She swivelled sharply on her heels - out of her ruby-red anorak, she yanked out a handgun.&nbsp;&nbsp; “It’s death-day wolfy!” a malicious grin on her face.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	 By Toby

A Twist in the Tale - Mini Sagas by boys from 6B, 6F and 6K (2022) Here was our story task:

A Twist In The Tale Creative Writing Competition for 5-11 Year-Olds

'Show, not tell'. Show the character's emotion in the way it would appear, rather than just state how the character feels.

The Three Blind Mice “Get out! You dirty rodents!” screeched the Farmer’s wife as she chased the blind mice around her kitchen.&nbsp; 	“I’m going to cut off your tails with my carving knife!” she threatened.&nbsp; 	The mice scurried to the safety of their burrow by the kitchen door. Day and night, they planned their next move.&nbsp; 	A steaming bowl of porridge lay on the kitchen table. High above, three mice manoeuvred a suspicious looking bottle, tipping a few lethal drops into the breakfast.&nbsp; 	Greedily, the Farmer’s wife picked up her spoon and tasted the porridge.&nbsp; 	The three blind mice ran excitedly around the kitchen.&nbsp; 	&nbsp; 	 By Max

Light from the blood moon rained down a ruby colour, blending with her cloak.&nbsp;

The Great, Grand Wolf “Good day, Little Pigs,” Mr Wolf smiled, revealing his gleaming white canines. “How has your day been?”&nbsp; 	 “We only woke up an hour ago,” the Pigs snapped. “We aren’t early-risers.”&nbsp; 	 “Please may I visit your beautiful house?” requested Mr. Wolf.&nbsp; 	 “It’s a better house than you’ll ever have,” they boasted.&nbsp; 	 The Little Pigs are so sweet, thought Mr. Wolf, as he knocked on the door. The proud Pigs let him in, bragging as they swaggered around.&nbsp; 	 That evening, Mr Wolf sat by the flaming fire of his new luxurious home, having enjoyed a hearty meal: the Little Pigs were gone.&nbsp; 	&nbsp; By Leo

Use a simile to create a vivid image in the reader's mind.

She spoke like every word was a silky pearl.&nbsp;

The Princess and the Peas The princess had never forgotten or forgiven the prince.&nbsp; 	 “How dare he test me with a pea!” she fumed.&nbsp; 	 Ever since that sleepless night on top of ten mattresses and a pea, she had felt humiliated at having to prove her princess credentials. Revenge was all she could think of.&nbsp; 	 That night she handed her husband a golden goblet of wine. “Drink this my prince, it will help you sleep.”&nbsp; 	 As he lay snoring, the Princess quietly entered with an enormous bag. She stood on a velvet stool and merrily covered the prince with a mountain of frozen peas.&nbsp; 	&nbsp; 	 By William

Drizzle It was a damp and dingy day as Jack was attempting once again to climb the humongous stalk. As the smelly sweat dripped down his face, he finally reached the top, but a horrendously ugly giant was lurking around a castle. Inconspicuously, Jack crept but he accidentally snapped a stick, and the giant turned around, with a menacing look on his face.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	Jack froze in terror as the giant approached with heavy, thudding steps, mouth gaping.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	“Oh hello! A visitor at last. Can I make you tea and cake?” he smiled.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	“Oh, lemon drizzle please,” Jack answered in relief.&nbsp; 	&nbsp; 	 By Raefe&nbsp;

Handsome Stranger The fortune teller looked at her crystal ball intensely.&nbsp; “My dear, I can see a tall, dark, handsome creature enter your life,” she whispered.&nbsp; Lara left the tent, overjoyed by the fortune teller’s prediction. Rumour had it, that this woman had never been wrong. She couldn’t wait to meet her handsome stranger.&nbsp; As she walked home through the forest, Lara happily day-dreamed about what he would look like and what his profession would be.&nbsp; Suddenly, there was a rustle of leaves and crunching of branches. A tall, dark, handsome bear emerged from the trees. She drew her last breath.&nbsp; 	 By Raphael&nbsp;

&nbsp; “He gave me a small bag, with beans inside. I wonder what to do with these? I think I’ll eat them.”&nbsp;

Use parentheses to add extra details. You can use dashes and brackets in addition to commas.

Up ahead, I spied a room marked ‘Private’ and, just to spite mum, I sneaked in.

In Hot Water Swish! The knife went down. Only ten more, I thought, questioning why I do this. But a voice kept telling me I need to. I could almost imagine their screams as another one went down.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	 Knife raised, I prepared to chop them all into miniscule, red pieces. I needed to put them somewhere, so I went and dumped them in boiling, bubbling water. I slid them in. They can't feel it, can they? Hotter and hotter, the pool got. It is almost ready, I thought, aaaand now, “Kids, your tomato pasta is ready!”&nbsp; 	&nbsp; 	 By Malin

'gathered' 'charged' 'Clambering' 'slipped' 'was scooped up'

Charging like a raging bull, I ran into the fence: a dead end.&nbsp;

Like a nuclear reaction forged by the liquid, the spider ballooned one hundred times in size and the glass exploded into millions of fragments.

The Distinctive Scar As a wave of excitement started to thrum through Otis’s mind, he quickly gathered his coat and gave his mum a cuddle, noticing the distinctive scar behind her ear. “Please be careful, darling.”&nbsp; 	He charged outside to meet his friend, Leo, eager for their ambitious hike.&nbsp; 	Clambering up a rocky slope, Leo slipped and was left hanging by his fingernails over a deep ravine. He let out an ear-piercing scream.&nbsp; 	In a flash, he was scooped up in the arms of a superhero! Behind her mask, Otis noticed she had the same distinctive scar that he recognised from earlier...&nbsp; 	&nbsp; By Lucas

Sometimes you have to start a sentence with a weak and 'yawny' word like 'He' or 'The'. But, if you have the chance, start a sentence with a noun to give the sentence more power.

Darkness filled the murky forest, with only a full moon to guide the family.

You can expand one of the nouns (in this case the apron) to help the reader really picture certain details.

His tattered apron, stained red, stretched over his stout belly, signalling his noble profession.

Cracked! I’ve been found out.&nbsp; Just on the other side of the wall are the police. Robbing that bank had not turned out to be such a good idea.&nbsp; &nbsp;	With my back to the wall, I creep along a bit until I spot someone sitting on the wall above me, facing away. “Please, please don’t let the police follow me,” I whisper to myself.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 	But wait, an idea flashes into my mind. With a quick push, the person on the wall tumbles off. This is my chance.&nbsp; I run.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	Further down the wall, I hear someone crying, “No! Humpty Dumpty!”&nbsp; 	&nbsp; 	 By Benedict

Add sound effects to appeal to the reader's senses. Note that sound effects have an exclamation mark after them.

Precise word choice is important. Choose powerful verbs!

UnTangled Have you got problem hair? Does it take ages to brush it into a smooth and glossy look?&nbsp; 	Well, we have the perfect solution to your ‘bad hair day’ woes! Untangled – the perfect brush for perfect hair.&nbsp; 	“I could really use that,” cried the girl, as she turned from the TV to look at herself in the mirror. “I’ll order it from the old hag when she calls.” She tried, but failed, to run her fingers through the knotted mass of her blond mane.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	From far below the stone tower, a voice cried, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, want anything from the market?”&nbsp; 	 By Maxime

Be economical with language. 'She fumed' worked better than 'she said angrily'.

“How dare he test me with a pea!” she fumed.&nbsp;

Scolded Livid with exasperation, I stormed up the hill towards the brick house.&nbsp; 	First, they steal my hay, then my logs, after that my bricks. I knock on the door… nothing. I peer through the window and see the pigs gambling with dice. Pig number 3 notices me and cackles. They won’t let me in, so, no more mister nice guy. I clamber up the wall of the house. After what seems like an eternity, I get to the roof and trip over a loose tile and fall down the chimney, falling into a pot of scolding water.&nbsp; 	 By Oliver

Beauty is The Beast In a grotesque and ghoulish castle, lived a blood-thirsty princess, entirely alone. Previously, she had lived with her father and two deliciously delightful sisters.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	One morning she awoke - starving - and feasted on her relatives. She never regretted the decision of devouring her family and made a policy that any living thing that came within fifty metres of her castle would be locked in her pantry for snacking on. In the dead of the night, someone came near and trampled on five fragrant, glossy roses. The trespasser was never seen again. 	 Perhaps the vicious and carnivorous princess got peckish.&nbsp; 	 By Johan

The House As they opened the door, the children saw the wondrous delights.&nbsp; Tables were lain with sugary treats and saccharine sweets. They couldn’t control themselves; they devoured the lot.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 	“Hello darlings.” She spoke like every word was a silky pearl.&nbsp; 	But as mysteriously as she had arrived, she disappeared. The oven sprang alight; its flames roaring menacingly.&nbsp; 	Creak! 	The door opened.&nbsp; The witch cackled behind them, pushing them towards the flames. “Did you enjoy your sweets, my dears?”&nbsp; With one last cry, the children toppled into the fiery furnace.&nbsp; 	 By Maxime

Use sensory details. Notice how I described the smell.

 The waft of an earthy smell lingered from my digging.

Cooked He settled his enormous body on the rooftop, waiting for the pastry to cool. Rustling noises startled him. The wind ghosted past his face, causing the icing on the back of his neck to prickle with foreboding.&nbsp; ‘‘What was that?’’ he said to himself ‘‘Hello? Is anyone there?’’&nbsp; 	He crept downstairs to the kitchen, to see what was going on, still not knowing what was there.&nbsp; 	“Hello? I know you’re here.” Silence…&nbsp; Swish!&nbsp; A rusty tail swept past the oven, leaving paw prints behind.&nbsp; 	 “Run, run as fast as you can, I’ll catch you, fox, I’m the Gingerbread Man.”&nbsp; 	&nbsp; 	 By Ben

Agent Red Red could feel the bite sting as blood stained her signature red hood. Her walkie-talkie crackled, “Agent Red, report to G.R.A.N.N.Y now!”&nbsp;&nbsp; 	Red looked at her shoulder. It had got worse. The scarlet blood poured down her arm. Why had she gone on that mission? She was told that it was too dangerous to go after the Wolf King alone. Now she had that blasted bite. She looked up, transfixed, at the silver ball suspended high in the starry sky. Then she realised. It was a full moon! Fur erupted from beneath her red cloak - her nails were claws.&nbsp; By Ted

The Surprising Meal I didn’t know where he came from, but one day he appeared, begging for food with his soft, puppy eyes. Every day I returned to the same spot in the forest, as did he, to eat the food I brought.&nbsp;&nbsp; But one day, he did not return. I waited in the silent forest, listening out for a signal of his arrival.&nbsp; Then, from among the trees, I could make out his wagging tail. He stepped out towards me. Behind him followed a grey wolf, and then his pack. Their sharp teeth bared, ready to tear flesh. My flesh.&nbsp; By Kaya

You can make dramatic announcements using (what Mrs Snow calls) a 'fanfare colon'. It gives it emphasis and adds drama. Think of it as a 'Da da' trumpet intro - as we do in class.

My eyes darted around the station and the realisation hit me like bullet: the platform was completely deserted.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Knife Concealed behind towering trees, a house stood alone. Vines engulfed its decaying oak planks. At night, shards from its shattered windows reflected jagged strips of moon. Not a soul had lived there or visited for many a year.&nbsp; One calm, cold night, a fire swept through the house’s ancient corridors, lighting up the sky with vicious, blood-red flames. With hungry licks, the fire devoured the barren building, leaving only ashes.&nbsp; Fire-fighters searched for clues. Who had started the blaze? But all they found were the withered bones of a single hand clutching a knife, shining through the embers.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;By Ben&nbsp;

We hope you enjoy the surprises and twists we have in store for you.

Even in short pieces of writing you should use paragraph breaks to signal the time changes or the shift in focus.

We hope you enjoy reading our mini sagas. We have had so much fun writing them for you and are looking forward to getting them published.

Howling I can hear my name being cried. Past the trees and up the hill, I can hear my name being cried. This is not the first time I have been called. 	&nbsp; 	Recently, this high-pitched screech keeps being followed by the rustle and tussle of the villagers scrambling up the hill. &nbsp; 	This time I come. &nbsp; 	Through the trees and up the hill, I spot a&nbsp;pesky boy. Instantly, he cries my name again whilst charging towards the village. I race after him, my face in the wind. My stomach produces a loud grumble, and child is on the menu. &nbsp; 	"WOLF!”&nbsp; 	&nbsp; By Freddie

Escape In Time “Come on Nico. Keep up! You’ll get lost!” urged Mum.&nbsp; 	 Trapped on a boring family trip at a boring ancient castle, I was desperate to escape.&nbsp; 	 Up ahead, I spied a room marked ‘Private’ and, just to spite mum, I sneaked in.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	 The room was in darkness, apart from a single, flickering candle on the floor in the centre. From out of the frosty gloom, a pale hand emerged and lifted the flame to my face - a hooded figure whispered, “Welcome home, Master Nico.”&nbsp; 	 I turned around - the door had gone. I followed the figure into the darkness.&nbsp; 	 By Nico

Unexpected Friends The moon glared into the darkness as Narnia’s warriors were fighting for survival.&nbsp; Why is it so deathly cold? thought Lucy. As she came along a colony of tents, she saw the wounded of Narnia returning from the night battle.&nbsp; In the distance, she could see a silhouette of a lion looming outside a tent, standing proud. “Thank god, it’s Aslan,” cried Lucy with relief.&nbsp; As she ran towards him, a sinister smile spread across his face. He lifted his great paw, released his claws and bared his sharp teeth.&nbsp;&nbsp; Behind him, the White Witch smiled at her new ally...	&nbsp; By Alex

The Cupboard “Nate!” His mum shouted, “have you put your clothes away yet?”&nbsp; 	“I’m going to do it,” Nate moaned, whilst slinking to his room. Dread swept through him like a tidal wave, but he grabbed his clothes anyway, the thought of consequences urging him on. He hesitated as he faced the cupboard. The white, bulky doors loomed before him. His heart pounded as he slowly opened the creaking door. A ghostly mist engulfed him. He screamed.&nbsp; 	Then silence.&nbsp; 	Nate’s mother dashed into the room. Dusty clothes were scattered everywhere; the cupboard doors gaped open.&nbsp; But Nate was gone!&nbsp; 	&nbsp; By Thomas

Sweet Revenge Crunch! A tooth broke the smooth surface of a sweet.&nbsp;&nbsp; Ginger legs patted quietly as he strolled casually over the sweet jars surveying the racket. Gross, greedy humans gobbled on the burnt sugar and tasted the paradise of delicious confectionery.&nbsp;&nbsp; With eyes of molten fire, he was like a hyena,&nbsp;waiting for a solitary child to enter the shop.&nbsp; At last, a young girl with blond pigtails sauntered in holding her purse. In a swift second, he was set, he was ready, he was hunting.&nbsp; Another victim today fell to the tragic fate of the gingerbread man.&nbsp; By Nicholas

Be descriptive and you can use a metaphor so that your reader can picture what you see in your imagination. I could have just said 'run her fingers through her hair', but would you have been able to picture it?

She tried, but failed, to run her fingers through the knotted mass of her blond mane.

For some mysterious reason, 3 is the magic number. You can write: three nouns, three reasons, three adjectives. Or perhaps: three phrases. It provides emphasis and sounds great! It is the 'Power of Three'.

On Wednesday he ate old crisps, stale bread and a mouldy crumpet.&nbsp;

You can use alliteration in your title to make it more striking and memorable.

You can use an emotion as your sentence opener.

Livid with exasperation, I stormed up the hill towards the brick house.&nbsp;

Award of excellence from Young Writers. (School winner!) We are elated!

The Lego Realm Dark clouds and peltering rain disguised the dawn and I could hear muffled chatter, but no-one was to be seen. My eyes darted around the station and the realisation hit me like bullet: the platform was completely deserted.&nbsp;&nbsp; 		A train flashed by, not even stopping, and I was struck with shock when I noticed it had no passengers or conductor. Yellow and blue trains? I wondered to myself. How odd! Made of blocks? Such sharp edges! 		My joints felt stiff and awkwardly straight. As I reached up to touch my face, I noticed my hands had become... plastic and cupped.&nbsp; 	&nbsp; 	 By Stan&nbsp;

Pathetic fallacy is when the object is given human emotions. (E.g. Often the weather seems angry and it reflects the mood of the character). Personification is when the object does something in the way a human would. I have used personification here:

With hungry licks, the fire devoured the barren building, leaving only ashes.&nbsp;

Use a single sentence paragraph to add drama and provide emphasis. When you get the end of my mini saga, you will understand why this sentence needed to stand out.

Hallowe'en Night Sharp, needle-like air pierced through my flesh. I heard the clatter as the lady standing before me dropped a toffee into my bucket. My friend and I walked side by side down the wide road. “L-let’s t-take this short cut,” the pale boy standing beside me stuttered.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	 “Are you okay?” I questioned. The sides of his mouth tore back, causing the tips to stretch to his ears. His sharp, black tongue protruded from his dagger-lined mouth. His skin turned snow-white as I squeaked my coarsest - and last - words... that horrifying face, was the last one I saw...&nbsp; 	&nbsp; 	 By Stanley

Find an original way to comment on someone's death other than writing 'and then he died'.

 “Aaaargh!” was Hook’s final word.&nbsp;

Name

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