starters for stories

One good paragraph starter for stories could be 'Once upon a time...'. This is a very classic and traditional way to start a story, often used in fairy tales. It immediately sets a story - like atmosphere and makes the reader expect something fictional and magical to follow.

Try 'In a far - away land...'. It takes the kids to a different place in their imagination. They will be excited to know what is in that far - away land. It could be a land full of talking animals or magical castles.

Some good ones could be 'In the dead of night...'. It immediately sets a spooky time. Another is 'The old, creaking door slowly opened...' which creates a sense of mystery and unease. And 'A cold wind blew through the empty corridor...' can make the reader feel a chill right from the start.

Sentence starters like 'The day started like any other,' or 'There was a strange noise coming from...' are also great. 'He had always dreamed of...' can be used to introduce a character's aspiration at the beginning of a short story. These starters help to draw the reader in and give a hint about what the story might be about.

A crowded, noisy school cafeteria. Kids are chatting, laughing, trays are clattering, and there's the smell of food in the air. This can lead to various stories, perhaps about friendship, bullying or just the daily life of students.

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 way is to simply start with a strong action verb in the sentence starter. For example, 'Ran through the forest, she felt a sense of freedom and fear at the same time.' This immediately grabs the reader's attention and sets the scene in motion. Another way is to use a descriptive phrase as a starter like 'In the hazy dawn, the village seemed to be still asleep.' It creates an atmosphere right from the start.

A story could be that a young girl was always late for school. One day, she put on her shoes and suddenly they grew wings. At first, she was terrified but then she realized she could fly to school. However, the shoes had a mind of their own and took her on a wild ride around the city, passing by tall skyscrapers and over the river. Eventually, she managed to convince the shoes to take her to school, and she became the envy of all her classmates.