10 Tips for better writing: For the 11 Plus, GCSE English and in general!

10 creative writing tips for children

A strong writing foundation is essential for every child – not just in preparation for exams like the 11 Plus or entrance tests.

Here are 10 helpful tips for better writing you can work through with your child.

Write with a purpose

As writers, it’s essential that we write something meaningful and not just throw words on a page. Writing should be more than just trying to find the right word–it should be about giving the reader something worthwhile. Think of yourself as a teacher who is presenting information to your reader.

Use simple words


It’s good practice to use less complicated words in place of several long, difficult ones. It can be easy to pick out longer adjectives if you have a thesaurus nearby, but sometimes simpler terms are better. It doesn’t hurt to repeat an adjective if it’s describing a noun that is important to your story.

Keep sentences short and clear

Business teamwork concept


When you’re writing, it’s easy to get carried away with words that seem great at the time, but they may not be what you mean. If your reader has trouble following your train of thought because of complex sentences, they may lose interest in what you’re saying. You can also use shorter sentences to create a better rhythm for your writing.

Eliminate unnecessary words

It can be easy to repeat yourself and use words that don’t mean much at all when writing. It’s good practice to read over everything you’ve written and cut out any words that aren’t necessary. You can also add more information into a sentence by removing the filler words “like” and “just.”

Use strong verbs

Using stronger verbs will improve your writing because they give more meaning to what you’re saying. They’ll stick in the reader’s mind and help them remember what happened in a specific scene.

Adopt a strong point of view

Pick a direction for your story and stick to it. If you want to give the reader a different perspective of your story, write about what’s happening from an outsider’s perspective. If you’re going to play a character, become that character and describe everything from their point of view. It’s also important to stay consistent with your point of view.

Keep the action moving

Wooden figure on drawn steps

As writers, it’s easy to get caught up in describing everything happening or all of the surroundings. Still, it would be best if you kept the action moving. If there isn’t much action in your story, then cut down on details and give more information when something important happens.

Keep the dialogue going


Dialogue can make a story more interesting. It brings characters to life and gives the reader insight into what they’re thinking and feeling at that moment. But if you find yourself writing too much dialogue, you must replace it with more description.

Consistency is key

If you’re writing about something that happened in the past, you need to use the past tense. If something happens at another time or place, then write about it using other tenses. You don’t want your reader to get confused and lose interest in what you’ve written.

Have fun!


The most important tip is to have fun! Writing should be a fun experience for the writer and the reader. If you’re not enjoying yourself, step away from your writing and come back to it later.

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