sentence starters for a scary story

One classic sentence starter could be 'In the dead of night, a strange noise echoed through the empty house.' It immediately sets a spooky mood as the 'dead of night' implies a time when most people are asleep and vulnerable, and a strange noise in an empty house is often associated with something sinister.

One good sentence starter could be 'In the dead of night, as the wind howled outside, I heard a strange scratching at my window.'

This might be a story: 'The old abandoned house was said to be haunted. Everyone in the town avoided it. But I was new in town and didn't believe in such stories. I went inside. There were broken furniture and old portraits on the walls. The eyes in the portraits seemed to follow me. As I walked further, I felt a cold breeze on my neck. I turned around, but there was nothing there. Then, I noticed a locked door. I found a key on the floor and unlocked it. Behind the door was a dark room filled with strange noises.'

One possible story could be: 'It was a dark and stormy night. I was all alone in my old, creaky house. The wind howled outside, rattling the windows. Suddenly, I heard a strange scratching sound at the door. I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. I knew I was the only one there, or so I thought. I slowly made my way to the door, my steps echoing in the silent hall. When I peered through the peephole, there was nothing but darkness. But the scratching continued, getting louder and more insistent.'

One good sentence starter could be 'In the midst of chaos and gunfire, the young soldier...'. This immediately sets the scene of a war situation.

As the fog rolled in over the moors, I knew I was in for a night of terrors. Fog can be very effective in creating a sense of mystery and isolation. The moors are also often associated with desolation and danger in literature, so this sentence starter is perfect for a spooky nature - based scary story.

A strange figure could emerge from the shadows. Maybe it's a ghostly apparition with glowing eyes, slowly approaching the protagonist.

A great starting sentence for a story might be 'The day began like any other, but little did I know...'. It creates a sense of normalcy at first and then hints at something unexpected to come. This type of start draws the reader in as they want to find out what that 'little did I know' part is all about.

Once upon a time is a great 2nd grade sentence starter for a story. It immediately sets a story - like mood.

Well, 'Long ago, in a different world...' is a great sentence starter for a story. It makes the reader think about a time and place that's not the present. 'Suddenly, everything changed...' is also good as it grabs the reader's attention right away, making them wonder what changed. 'There was a small town where...' is useful for setting the scene in a more specific location.