Bring a bestselling children’s author into your classroom and help pupils invent magical creatures and write enchanting stories.
In this episode of Author In Your Classroom, award-winning author Cressida Cowell (The Wizards of Once series and How to Train Your Dragon) shares practical advice on how she creates magical creatures. She explains how to draw inspiration from real-life experiences, research, and imagination, and shows how pupils can turn these ideas into vivid, captivating characters for their own stories.
This teaching sequence is designed to support pupils who want to explore imaginative writing. It will help them move beyond simple descriptions towards rich, engaging narratives that show their creatures through actions, dialogue and carefully chosen language.
Short extracts from the podcast are suggested throughout the unit to introduce each stage of learning. These are optional, but highly motivating. They give pupils insight into how real authors work and encourage them to see themselves as creators of magic.
Resource pack contents
This free classroom pack supports a complete magical creature writing unit and includes:
- A ready-to-use PowerPoint
- Extracts from The Wizards of Once – Never and Forever
- Planning sheets for inspiration, creature design, descriptive language and story ideas
- A working wall image library for display
- Story writing sheets for drafting and final versions
Teaching overview
Across four sessions, pupils will:
- Find inspiration: Explore how real-life experiences and research can spark magical ideas and discuss examples from Cressida Cowell’s stories.
- Design a magical creature: Create unique creatures using drawings and notes, thinking about appearance, behaviour and personality.
- Bring creatures to life with words: Develop descriptive language using all senses, figurative language and indirect description to show their creature in action.
- Write a story: Compose a short narrative featuring their magical creature, using techniques modelled by Cressida Cowell, including first-person perspectives, rich vocabulary and engaging story structure.
The unit also includes guidance for extending the work, improving drafts and using a magical-creature working wall to support ideas and vocabulary.
How to listen
Search for Author In Your Classroom wherever you get your podcasts. A free resources pack is available with every episode.
Subscribe to hear more brilliant children’s authors share insider tips that help pupils write with confidence, creativity, and flair.
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