Creative Guided Writing — “The Empty Road & the Lone Motorbike”




Opening – describe the whole scene

Imagine you are holding a camera: slow pan across the empty road from left to right, then tilt to show forest backdrop.

“An empty road stretches ahead, flanked by tall streetlights that curve gently over the tarmac. Beyond the road rises a huge, dense green forest — a wall of trees so tall it feels like it’s holding back another world. Parked at the roadside is a single motorbike: silent, still, waiting. The whole scene feels paused, as if something has just happened… or is about to.”




Pan & Zoom – Detail Focus

  1. Zoom to the streetlights:
    “See how each light casts a pale halo, even in daylight — like quiet guardians watching the road.”
  2. Pan along the road surface:
    “Notice the faint tyre marks, the worn texture of the asphalt, the long white line leading the eye forward.”
  3. Zoom to the forest edge:
    “Look at the deep greens — layers of leaves, shadows, and hidden spaces. Some trees reach forward as though curious; others hang back like shy observers.”
  4. Close-up on the motorbike:
    “The metal glints. A helmet hangs from the handlebar. It feels like a clue — a question waiting for a story.”




Key Skill Focus: Extended Metaphor

“Writers often use extended metaphors to add depth. Imagine the road not just as a road, but as a timeline, a decision, a journey of courage, or even a conversation between the human world and the natural world.
Throughout your writing, return to that metaphor — let it grow.”

Example guidance:

  • If the road represents choice, describe its turns, its distance, its uncertainty.
  • If the forest represents memory, describe how it looms, whispers, or beckons.
  • If the motorbike represents escape or freedom, let it recur in your descriptions, decisions, or mood shifts.




Thoughts & Feelings Prompts

“Imagine you are standing on this road. What are you feeling?”

  • Does the stillness calm you or unsettle you?
  • Does the lone motorbike feel like an invitation or a warning?
  • Do the trees feel protective… or overwhelming?

“Let the scene echo what’s happening inside your character.”




Three Ambitious Vocabulary Words

  1. Luminous — softly glowing or shining.
  2. Obsidian — deep black, glossy, like volcanic glass.
  3. Interminable — seeming endless or without conclusion.




Three Example Sentence Starters

  • At the edge of the forest, the silent road seemed to…
  • The lone motorbike stood like a… (extend your metaphor!)
  • As the wind shifted through the treetops, I began to realise…




Three Ambitious Punctuation Features

  1. Em dash (—) for dramatic emphasis or interruption.
    • The road stretched before me — empty, expectant, endless.
  2. Colon (:) to introduce a powerful image or list.
    • There was only one thing left to do: follow the road.
  3. Ellipsis (…) to create suspense or trailing thoughts.
    • The motorbike engine ticked as it cooled… like a heartbeat fading.




Tree & Road Carbon Fact

“Roads and forests tell different carbon stories. Roads and vehicles release carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. But forests do the opposite — trees absorb carbon dioxide and store it in their trunks, roots, and leaves. This process, called carbon sequestration, helps reduce the amount of carbon in the air and slows global warming.”




Cross-Curricular Link

Science & Geography:

  • Explore how forests act as carbon sinks and how human transport systems contribute to emissions.
  • Compare land use: roads built through forests often reduce the area available for carbon-absorbing trees.

PSHE / Citizenship:

  • Discuss choices, independence, journeys, and how landscapes influence human decisions.




Oracy – Think, Pair, Share

Think (1 minute)

Write one extended-metaphor sentence about the road, the forest, or the motorbike.

Pair (3–4 minutes)

Share your line with a partner.
Partners offer:

  • One specific praise (imagery / metaphor)
  • One suggestion (stronger verb, clearer metaphor, punctuation upgrade)

Share (whole class)

Read best lines aloud.
Class listens for:

  • Most evocative metaphor
  • Best mood-setting sentence
  • Cleverest use of punctuation






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