Give a child a topic like 「如果我有一双会飞的鞋」 and many will write: 我穿上鞋，飞到了月亮，又飞到了海底，然后回家了。Everything is wild and nothing is felt, so the reader is not moved. The fix is, again, a process. Imagination (想象) in a composition works best when it is disciplined: a small number of rules, real feelings, and an ending that comes back to the beginning.
Step 1 — 定一条规则: give your imaginary world ONE rule
A world where anything can happen has no tension. Ask your child to decide one rule before writing: 「这双鞋有什么特别的地方？有什么限制？」 For example, the shoes only fly when the wearer is telling the truth, or they can only be used three times. One rule gives the story a reason for every choice that follows.
| Unlimited (no rule) | With one rule |
|---|---|
| 我有一双会飞的鞋，想去哪里就去哪里。 | 这双鞋只在我说真话的时候才会离地。有一次我想骗同学，鞋子立刻变得像石头一样重。 |
| 我变成了一只小鸟，到处飞。 | 我变成小鸟的时间只有一个下午，太阳一落山，我就要变回来。我得赶在天黑前飞回自己的窗口。 |
| 我发明了一个机器人，什么都会做。 | 我的机器人只会做我教过它的事。我忘了教它关灯，所以整晚它都在房间里一遍遍按开关。 |
These sentences are my own and only show the pattern. Let your child invent their own rule; a rule they made up is a rule they will remember to follow.
Step 2 — 写真实的感受: the world is imaginary, the feelings are not
A reader believes a fantasy when the character reacts like a real person. Ask: 「第一次飞起来的时候，我的心跳、手心、腿是什么感觉？我害怕什么？我舍不得什么？」 Use the same tools as a realistic story: 动作, 神态, 心理. 「我的脚尖离开地面的一刹那，心像被人轻轻提了起来，我死死抓住了窗框。」 This sentence is more believable than any list of places visited.
Step 3 — 让故事收回来: close the loop
A fantasy that just stops, or ends with 「原来是一场梦」, feels unfinished. Ask two questions: 「故事开头我想要什么？」 and 「这次经历，让我对现实生活有什么新的看法？」 Then bring the ending back to the ordinary world. If the story began with a child who was afraid to tell the truth, it can end with the child telling the truth without any magic at all.
💡 Check the thread
After drafting, ask three questions: Is there ONE clear rule in this world? Is there at least one place where the character feels something real (fear, pride, reluctance)? Does the ending connect to what the character wanted at the start?
A worked example (short)
Topic idea: a pair of flying shoes. Rule: they only fly when the wearer tells the truth. Draft: 「那天我打碎了妈妈最喜欢的花瓶，心里直打鼓。穿上新鞋，我想飞出窗外躲一躲，可是鞋子像灌了铅，一动也不动。我低着头，嘴里蹦出一句：『妈妈，花瓶是我打碎的。』话音刚落，脚下一轻，我竟然离开了地面。我吓得闭上了眼睛，心怦怦直跳。后来我才明白，真正让我飞起来的，是说出真话的勇气。第二天，我脱下鞋子，没有它，我也敢站在妈妈面前了。」 One rule, a real feeling, and an ending that returns to everyday life — the magic served the message.
A 10-minute practice routine
- Pick one imaginary idea (a shrinking potion, a talking tree, a school on the moon) and write ONE rule for it. (2 minutes)
- Write down what the character wants at the start. (2 minutes)
- Write the key scene in 4–5 sentences, including at least one real feeling or action detail. (4 minutes)
- Write one sentence that brings the story back to everyday life. (2 minutes)
Do this once a week with a different idea. Combine it with the posts on the 记事, 写人 and 写景 methods so each genre gets its own practice.
Free: write a full composition and get feedback on your story, with questions that help you revise.
试试作文批改 — Try it free →Want to practise the realistic-story version first? Read next:
Writing a 记事 Composition: Small-Twist Method →Want to practise the beginning and the ending first? Read next:
Openings and Endings in Chinese Composition →Sources
- Composition requirements and marking criteria are set by SEAB and MOE; check the current syllabus and specimen materials at seab.gov.sg. This post does not state any marking scheme or mark allocation.
- The three-step method and routine are the author's own tutoring practice, offered as suggestions, not an MOE requirement and not a promise of any result.
- All example sentences are original and illustrative.
- No exam-frequency, prediction or ranking claims are made in this post.