How to Plan

This is the most important part—it really sets you up for success. You would never build a house without a plan, right? Don’t write an essay without a plan.

Simply, to plan—write the minimum you need in order to write your essay in order. Your planning should be:

• Minimal
• Specific

It should contain the essential plot line to write your story and should help you write the whole piece.

Here’s the structure:

• Plot: in 1 sentence. This should answer “this story is about” in 1 sentence. It not, then there may be a lack of focus. Make sure it relates to the prompt.
• P1: 1 sentence as to what this paragraph will be about (optional: tone).
  
• P2: 1 sentence as to what this paragraph will be about (optional: tone).
  
• P3: 1 sentence as to what this paragraph will be about (optional: tone).
  
• P4: 1 sentence as to what this paragraph will be about (optional: tone).
  
• P5 (if you’re writing a 30-minute piece): 1 sentence as to what this paragraph will be about (optional: tone).
  

In the above, it’s really important that you keep to:

• 1 thing only.
• Focus on ordering.
  
• Relationship to the prompt.

What we recommend is starting from the “end” of the piece and working your way backwards. This means each paragraph is just what would happen prior (this is a special writer’s trick!).

What to avoid

Planning that:

• Uses long sentences – takes up time.
• Writes: beginning – introduces the character etc… as that takes up time and is not important as part of the plot line.

Check Your Plan

After you write your plan, you should check it to make sure that there is:

• A main event in the 3rd paragraph or 3rd / 4th paragraph if doing a 30-minute piece.
• Logical flow.
• Only one thing per paragraph.
• There is only 1 main event that stands out in the plot and in the planned piece.
• There is a clear ‘resolve’.
• That it relates to the prompt!

Examples

Watch video to see worked example/s for the following two image prompts:

Practice time!

Now, it's your turn to practice.

The questions in this checkpoint are provided to help you develop your writing skills.

To do your practice questions, click on the below to download your question paper. You can print it out or work from the electronic version. We do recommend that you write your answers by hand in a notebook or on paper.

NW-CP5-Questions.pdf

Once you have completed your questions, review the suggested solutions. You can download (and print if you wish) the PDF suggested solutions and/or watch the suggested solutions video (all below).

Once you're done with reviewing the practice question suggested solutions, move on to the next checkpoint.

NW-CP5-Answers.pdf

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