good starting lines for a horror story

Say the starting line is 'The old cemetery gate creaked open.' To build suspense, start with the character's reaction. 'My heart skipped a beat as I pushed through the gate. I could feel the eyes of the long - dead on me. Then, introduce small, spooky details. 'The tombstones were covered in moss, and as I walked, I thought I saw a shadow move out of the corner of my eye, but when I turned, there was nothing there.'

One follow - up could be to introduce a strange sound that gets louder and closer. For example, if the starting line was 'The old house stood alone at the end of the lane.', you could say 'Suddenly, a low moaning sound began to seep through the cracks in the walls, growing louder with each passing second, as if something was awakening from a long slumber.'

One great starting line could be 'In the dead of night, a strange noise echoed through the empty streets.' It immediately sets a mysterious and somewhat eerie mood, drawing the reader in.

One good opening line could be 'The night was as black as ink, and a coldness seeped into my bones as I entered the forest.' This line gives a sense of foreboding and an uncomfortable setting.

If the starting line is 'The old house on the hill had always been a mystery.' You could write a story where a group of friends, on a dare, enter the house. Inside, they find a diary that reveals the tragic story of the family who used to live there. As they read, they start to experience the same spooky events that happened to the family years ago, and they must figure out how to escape the haunted house.

One good line to start a story could be 'In the dead of night, a strange noise woke me up.' A story could be about a person who discovers a hidden portal in their attic when they go to investigate the noise. Another starting line 'The old, creaky door swung open, revealing a world I had never seen before.' You could build a story around a character entering a magical realm through that door. And 'As the sun dipped below the horizon, a sense of unease settled over the town.' This could lead to a story about a town haunted by an ancient curse that becomes active at night.

The moon was full, but its light couldn't penetrate the thick fog that had swallowed the old, decrepit mansion at the end of the lane.

One example could be 'We met on a rainy day at the bus stop, two strangers sharing an umbrella.' This sets a simple but relatable scene. It could lead to them starting a conversation, finding out they have common interests, and from that moment on, their friendship begins to grow. They might exchange numbers and start hanging out regularly, facing different challenges together and strengthening their bond as friends.

First, you need to analyze the starting line. For example, if it's 'A lone figure stood at the edge of the cliff, looking out into the vast unknown.' You can start by asking questions. Who is this figure? What are they thinking? Maybe it's a warrior who has lost everything in a war and is now contemplating a new life. Then you can start building the world around this character. What kind of world is it? Is it a medieval land? A post - apocalyptic wasteland? Then you can introduce other characters like a mentor who finds the warrior at the cliff and offers him a new purpose.

A starting line such as 'The small, dusty bookstore seemed to hold a thousand secrets.' To develop this, first describe the bookstore in more detail, the smell of old books, the creaky floorboards. Then introduce a character, perhaps a book lover, who comes across an old, locked diary in the store. The character tries to find out who the diary belongs to and what secrets it holds. This could involve meeting the owner of the bookstore, who has his own secrets related to the diary, and as the story unfolds, the secrets are slowly revealed.