Turn Student Ideas Into Published Stories
The Story Story Creative Writing Programme helps students develop their writing, build confidence, and become published authors, supported by professional mentors and artists. Our workshops and seminars promote GCSE relevant writing techniques to promote excellent outcomes and holistic enrichment.
What is the StoryStory Creative Writing Programme?
The StoryStory Creative Writing Programme is an initiative designed to help students take a hands on approach to their English GCSE preparation. This is achieved through a week of structured creative writing seminars, where students are encouraged to expand the application of their English subject knowledge and turn their ideas into fully realised, illustrated stories.
Students begin with a simple idea or manuscript. From there, they are supported by a writing mentor who helps them develop their short story with language techniques, improve their writing, and refine their ideas into a structured narrative. This is done to strengthen the skillset required for English Language Paper 1, Question 5 while also referencing texts from the English Literature side of the curriculum.
A competition is held in the midst of the learning week; the best student-led narratives are nurtured and developed with the very best being selected for illustration by a professional artist. That story is visually brought to life by transforming it into a web-based graphic novel or “webcomic”.
By the end of the journey, students don’t just learn how to write, they create something tangible. A story they can share, publish, and be proud of.
How It Works
Start With an Idea
Students begin with a concept, short draft, or full manuscript that will be the basis of their development during the programme.
Work With a Writing Mentor
The students are guided by a writing mentor who helps:
- Strengthen storytelling
- Improve structure and pacing
- Develop characters and themes
- Refine language and clarity
Refine, refine, refine
The student’s manuscripts are shaped into complete, high-quality short stories. The primary focus is on the inclusion of literary devices fouund in works such as “An Inspector Calls” or “A Christmas Carol.”
friendly competition!
The best story that’s developed over the course of the learning week is selected by the writing mentor alongside the school’s librarian.
A professional artist then illustrates that story for publishing, promotion or just bragging rights!
Final Outcome
The student with the most impressive showing walks away with a fully illustrated story!
More importantly, however, every student walks away with a better grasp of their English Language and Literature techniques, with a greater measure of confidence in their creative writing skills.
Why This Programme Matters
The programme is designed to directly support key areas of the English curriculum while giving students a meaningful creative outlet.
How Schools & Libraries Can Get Involved
Students develop
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Stronger vocabulary and expression
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Understanding of language, structural, and literary devices
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Creative writing skills aligned with GCSE English Language
- 📌 Confidence in storytelling and communication
Real Outcomes
- 🔸 Students build a complete, tangible project
- 🔸 They gain a unique classroom experience to strengthen GCSE outcomes
- 🔸 They can leave school as published authors
The creative writing programme seeks to get students excited about English as a subject as they journey towards self-improvement.
Creative Writing Seminars
We deliver a one-week English programme for all year groups, where we step into timetabled lessons to run seminars that combine GCSE-focused learning with creative writing. These sessions:
- Develop skills to enable high-level GCSE responses
- Introduce storytelling fundamentals
- Show students how ideas become real stories
Short StoryStory
Competition
Schools or libraries can run a creative writing competition with a co-sponsored prize.
- Students submit manuscripts for short stories
- The best story is selected
- The winning story is entered into the StoryStory programme at a discounted price
Independent Student Enrolment
Students can also join the programme individually with parental support.
This allows any student to:
- Develop their story at their own pace
- Work with a mentor
- Have their work professionally illustrated and published
A Programme That Extends Beyond the Classroom
The StoryStory Creative Writing Programme is designed to complement existing English education while offering something entirely unique to engage students: A pathway from idea to publication.
It supports:
- Literacy development
- Student engagement
- GCSE preparation
- Extracurricular excellence