1. Creative Writing
The traveller
a story with a twist
Louise Shumway

2. Move to the next slide for a helpful word bank and sentence starters!1
You are the main character in the story.
We see everything through your eyes.
You are telling the story of what happened
to you when you met a traveller.
You are walking home from a friend’s house. To get home you need to walk past a dark forest and the weather is stormy.
Begin the story by describing the forest, the weather and where you are going.
Move to the next slide for a helpful word bank and sentence starters!

3. dim, dark, dull, gloomy, shadows, glow, moonlight, tall trees, stones, hard ground, slippery mud, freezing, chilled, starless, grey clouds
howl, thunder, screech, scrape, crunch, crack, rustle, crackle, smash, clap, hoot, pour, sprinkle, bucket, flash, shriek, scream, boom, rumble
The sky was dark/black/overcast/gloomy. The weather was…I was walking/running/strolling/sprinting home after…Suddenly I heard…The trees looked…I suddenly felt afraid/fearful/a chill/a shiver…I saw…I heard strange noises from…Then the storm started to…I was wearing…so I felt very…I looked behind me and saw…

4. Move to the next slide for a helpful word bank and sentence starters!2
You see someone on the path in front of you.
It is another traveller, who offers you some shelter under their umbrella – they are similar age to you or slightly younger.
You shelter under some trees until the storm breaks.
During these few minutes, you get to know your new companion.
Describe his/her appearance, voice and behaviour – he or she should be a little strange/unusual.
You speak only a few words to each other.
Move to the next slide for a helpful word bank and sentence starters!

5. umbrella, shadows, rivers of water, pale, green, blue, crimson, bright, dark, friendly, unfriendly, croaky, raspy, glow, unusual, supernatural
small, thin, tall, broad, smart, shabby, rough, old fashioned, modern, well dressed, black cloak, tattered shawl, filthy, clean, shoes, no shoes
There was a short/thin/small/skinny/strange child on the side of the road. He/She was dressed in…His/her eyes were…his/her skin looked…his her lips were…The stranger was wearing…I felt…Then he/she spoke…
“______________________________” he/she whispered/shouted/cried.
“_____________________________________,” I replied fearfully/calmly/quietly/loudly. We decided to…

6. Move to the next slide for a helpful word bank and sentence starters!3
You walk home together after the rain stops.
The stranger tells you his/her name/age and a local news story about a fire.
Your characters speak for a few minutes before arriving at your house.
He/she tells you that there has been a fire somewhere near your house and someone died. They don’t know who.
They ask your name, age and where you live.
The stranger is very sad/serious.
Move to the next slide for a helpful word bank and sentence starters!

7. When each character speaks, take a new line!
explained, spluttered, shouted, exclaimed, mumbled, replied, asked, muttered, demanded, yelled, screeched, agreed, screamed, moaned, whispered, cried, stated
SAID
Suddenly he/she spoke.
“________________________________,”he/she ______________.
I replied, “_____________________________________________.
I looked at…I heard…then he/she spoke again.
“__________________________________________________.”

8. You arrive back at your house. The traveller disappears.4
You arrive back at your house.
The traveller disappears.
Describe your house. Make it look quite scary and dark to create a spooky atmosphere at the end of the story.
It looks different to what you remember.
Move to the next slide for a helpful word bank and sentence starters!

9. burned, black, shadows, flickering lights, closed blinds, dark curtains, overgrown weeds, peeling gate
decay, mud, mouldy walls, silence, whisper of the wind, moonlight, sprinkling rain, cold chill, old swing on the porch
We turned the corner and suddenly I saw my house. I lived in an old fashioned house near the woods. It looked…The windows were…the door was…The grass at the front was…Even the garden gate looked…I heard…then I turned and saw…The rain started again. I thought…

10. The twist at the end of the story.5
The story is about the traveller and you realise she/he was a ghost.
The twist at the end of the story.
Choice 1
You pick up an old newspaper on the front doorstep and read the headline, which describes a child who died in a fire. There is a faded picture.
The story is about you and you realise you are a ghost.
Choice 2

11. Self Evaluation Checklist for Success
1 I have created a character in my story and described their appearance, voice and actions.
2 I have described the weather and tried to create a mysterious mood.
3 I have taken a new line for each speaker and used quotation marks.
4 I have followed planning to create a structured plot.
5 I have chosen a twist at the end of my story.
6 I have checked my spelling, punctuation and sentence structure.
7 I have tried my best to use a variety of vocabulary in this writing task.