Responding to Stimulus
QCS Writing prompts
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Collage style- that means visual and textual
images and words collected together in a
seemingly random manner. However, on
closer examination, they may have a clear and
common THEME.
From this central theme comes associated
ideas that link clearly to the theme.
Simple Collage
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Theme: women’s shoes or
footwear
Associated ideas: Colour, variety,
protection, identity, choice,
decoration, versatility
Analyse this
Theme:
Ideas:
Collage plus theme word
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Theme: Big world
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Ideas:
Work out Theme and ideas
Choose a prompt
When Sharon opened the door of the
closet, she could not see her clothes, but
a beautiful forest.
 The whole family sat down for the
picnic, and the bear sat down with
them.
 Write 200 words on the life of a
mosquito.
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Write a text that includes this clause: "This
pendant is the only way that you can enter..."
A spaceship stumbles onto a planet full of aliens
that look like flowers.
The new house owner discovers an old
photograph in the attic.
Gretchen has lied to save her friend from trouble.
Now she is in more trouble because she has to
keep lying to continue the story that she has told.
When will her troubles end?
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A beggar has won a million dollars in a lottery.
Write about the thoughts that emerge inside his
mind and the behaviour of the people around
him before he goes and takes the money.
A group of students stumble upon a cave when
they drift off from the other students while on
a picnic in the forest
Police Officer McCarthy finds a dead body.
There are no clues except for an elaborate gold
key lying beside the body.
poltergeist . rumrunner . easy does it
fancy . missing pieces . jigsaw
stinging complaint . fraudulent . Jurassic
escapist . precious . bedtime prayers
A (strongly) suggested approach...
Perusal, 10 minutes
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Open paper, mop brow, breathe deeply;
Identify the key theme - this provides you with the lens
through which you will read the stimuli;
Systematically engage with each piece of stimulus material.
Discipline yourself to look at each piece in a careful and
considered manner.
Allow yourself to react to each piece of stimulus. What ideas
occur to you? How well do these connect to the central
theme? What genres would suit your ideas and do these marry
with your strengths?
If you have an idea for a response, allow yourself some time to
let it develop - associate ideas, visualise scenes, consider its
direction.
looseleaf paper . sundried . dishevelled
agnostic . furtive toe-tapping . unguents
stippled . incessant . string of pearls
quadrilateral failure . supine . Zanzibar
photogravure . poetic astrology .breadcrumbs
midwinter chrysalis . giddy . retrospective
deregulate . ulcerous . inoperable delight
addictive . intemperate brilliance . gizmo
grievous . overproduce . synthetic astronaut
disembodied . fantailed nightwalker . AWOL
unconfirmed invisibility . fretting . instrumental
zealot . workable . ferociously pretty
rugged . validated parking . homeschooled
unpredictably polished . sassafras . lapping
someplace . moonshine . agitated governess
cyanide . compelling harpy . snuff
licensed . eyeopening . spherical nobody
salmonella . preseason boxer . saint
possible wife . twittery . self destruct
transfixed . farsighted . sacrificial bliss
roundtrip . refractive . courageous introvert
deregulate . swaggering lifeguard . libretto
scatterbrained . Tasmanian . diminutive
icebreaker . copy . overexpanded Adonis
universal password . penniless . repelled
carnation . mercurial arsonist . moccasin
unbeliever . flapjack . passionflower
homeland troubadour . tightfitting . anaemia
Writing Phase - 120 minutes to go!
First 20 minutes - Brainstorming
 jot down ideas you came up with during perusal;
 write down every idea you can think of (character profile,
names, plot development, descriptive words and phrases, lines
of argument, facts and figures etc.) associated with your
planned response;
 decide which idea works best for you;
 ensure your planned response links clearly to the theme and
the stimulus piece;
 jot down the generic structure of your planned response
 Aim to have decided what your response will be by the end of
this time.
Images
Writing Phase - 100 minutes to go!
Next 60 minutes - Detailed planning and drafting
 Spend about 20 minutes writing a detailed plan of
your response - the more detailed the better; use your
brainstorming and organise your thoughts into
sequence. Using headings can be helpful at this
point. DO NOT go on until you know exactly how
your response will end.
 Write detailed notes in each section that clearly show
how your response will progress. Depending on the
genre, this could include dialogue, description,
evidence etc.
Writing Phase - 80 minutes to go!
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Spend the next 40 minutes writing a draft of your
response.
Allocate the last 10 minutes of this to proofreading
your work. Look for:
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logical progression and flow of ideas
spelling errors
clumsy expression
sentence and paragraph length
variety of sentence structures for effect
appropriate tone and language choice for genre
Writing Phase - 40 minutes to go!
Last 40 minutes - Final Version
 Write this neatly in your response book
 Watch paragraphing, punctuation, spelling
 Leave some time to proofread carefully for errors in
syntax, grammar, spelling and punctuation;
 Ensure your work has a title (whatever the genre);
 Exhale, stretch dramatically, attempt to rub crease
from brow.
Someone is not who they're pretending to be.
One is a breeder of cockapoos.
One of them hates someone in the group.
The accountant pines to be a cabaret singer.
There has been a betrayal.
In one's wallet is a picture of every cat they've ever owned.
One has been known to photocopy their butt and leave it in the copy tray.
Two are related but only one knows it. Though one of the others also
knows.
There is a love triangle and unrequited love but not the way you might
think.
In the suitcase of one are items from all but one of the others' suitcases.
(The group is before Al Khazneh in Jordan, the site of Indiana Jones and
the Last Crusade. Feel free to use that or ignore it.)
The photographer and the woman in the background to the left may or may not be part of
the group.
Last thoughts…
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Support one another
Work with the process of preparing for the
writing task
Conquer it and develop a plan to manage the
task
No luck needed – you make your own good
fortune through diligence & preparation
Prepare yourself mentally and physically