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.
Once upon a time. It's a classic starter that immediately sets a story - telling mood and makes the audience expect a fairy - tale - like story. It's simple yet effective in grabbing attention.
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.
A classic story starter is finding a mysterious letter or package on your doorstep. It immediately raises questions and creates intrigue. Maybe it leads to a hidden treasure or a dangerous secret.
One way to come up with creative story starters is to think about unique settings or locations. For example, a story that begins in a hidden underwater city or on a distant planet can immediately draw readers in.
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 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.