Story Starters Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 21: Story starters that hook the reader · Set 148 · 40 questions

Writer's tip (Grab them at once): Start with someone speaking: “Don’t open that box!” shouted Grandpa. Start with a question: Where do lost socks really go? Start with a sound word: Splash! Kabir fell straight into the pond. Avoid “This is a story about…”.

1. 1.Why does this opening hook the reader?
   “There’s a monkey in the kitchen!” cried Mum. (a) it starts with a question (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with someone speaking
2. 2.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) My story is about a day at school. (b) Once there was a dog. It was a dog. (c) Who left giant footprints on our roof?
3. 3.Why does this opening hook the reader?
   Crash! The cricket ball smashed the window. (a) it starts with someone speaking (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with a sound word
4. 4.Why does this opening hook the reader?
   “This is not an ordinary box,” whispered Nani. (a) it starts with a question (b) it starts with someone speaking (c) it starts with a sound word
5. 5.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) One day I woke up and had my breakfast. (b) Whoosh! The wind snatched my hat away. (c) This is a story about a boy called Ravi.
6. 6.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) “Don’t open that box!” shouted Grandpa. (b) I am going to tell you about my holiday. (c) Honk! A runaway cart of melons rolled downhill.
7. 7.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) “Never feed a dragon after dark,” said Grandpa. (b) This story is about a cat and a mouse. (c) Who would steal a whole bus?
8. 8.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) This is my story. I hope you like it. (b) Once there was a dog. It was a dog. (c) “I found a map under my bed!” said Isha.
9. 9.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) “Never feed a dragon after dark,” said Grandpa. (b) Once there was a dog. It was a dog. (c) One day I woke up and had my breakfast.
10. 10.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Thud! A coconut dropped right at my feet. (a) it starts with someone speaking (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with a question
11. 11.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) One day I woke up and had my breakfast. (b) I am going to tell you about my holiday. (c) “Run, the bees are coming!” shouted Aarav.
12. 12.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Where do lost socks really go? (b) “Don’t open that box!” shouted Grandpa. (c) One day I woke up and had my breakfast.
13. 13.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) My story is about a day at school. (b) There was a girl. She had a bag. (c) Hiss! A snake slid out of the water pot.
14. 14.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Where do lost socks really go? (b) “Today, everything will go wrong,” said Dev. (c) There was a house. It had a door.
15. 15.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    “Today, everything will go wrong,” said Dev. (a) it starts with someone speaking (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with a question
16. 16.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) “Run, the bees are coming!” shouted Aarav. (b) “This is not an ordinary box,” whispered Nani. (c) Once there was a dog. It was a dog.
17. 17.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Did you know our school has a secret door? (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with someone speaking
18. 18.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) Achoo! The giant sneezed and the trees shook. (b) This story is about a cat and a mouse. (c) A boy went to school. Then he came home.
19. 19.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Bang! Something heavy fell in the attic. (a) it starts with someone speaking (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with a question
20. 20.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) This is my story. I hope you like it. (b) Who would steal a whole bus? (c) I am going to tell you about my holiday.
21. 21.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) What would you do if your shadow ran away? (b) There was a girl. She had a bag. (c) “The trophy is gone!” gasped the principal.
22. 22.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    “Run, the bees are coming!” shouted Aarav. (a) it starts with someone speaking (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with a question
23. 23.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) Crunch! Someone was eating in the dark. (b) This story is about a cat and a mouse. (c) Once there was a dog. It was a dog.
24. 24.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    “Nobody must know about this,” said the old sailor. (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with someone speaking
25. 25.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    “I found a map under my bed!” said Isha. (a) it starts with someone speaking (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with a question
26. 26.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Have you ever heard a tree laugh? (b) What was hiding inside Grandma’s locked trunk? (c) This is my story. I hope you like it.
27. 27.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) My story is about a day at school. (b) This is my story. I hope you like it. (c) “There’s a monkey in the kitchen!” cried Mum.
28. 28.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Crunch! Someone was eating in the dark. (a) it starts with someone speaking (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with a sound word
29. 29.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Ring, ring! The phone woke the whole house. (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with someone speaking (c) it starts with a question
30. 30.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) “Run, the bees are coming!” shouted Aarav. (b) In this story I will write about a tree. (c) Why did the cat bring home a fish every day?
31. 31.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Have you ever woken up as tiny as an ant? (a) it starts with a question (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with someone speaking
32. 32.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (b) Ring, ring! The phone woke the whole house. (c) It was a normal day and nothing happened.
33. 33.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (b) A boy went to school. Then he came home. (c) Honk! A runaway cart of melons rolled downhill.
34. 34.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) I am going to tell you about my holiday. (b) One day I woke up and had my breakfast. (c) Clang! The temple bell rang by itself at midnight.
35. 35.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    What if your parrot told everyone your secrets? (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with someone speaking (c) it starts with a question
36. 36.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    What was hiding inside Grandma’s locked trunk? (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with someone speaking (c) it starts with a question
37. 37.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) I am going to tell you about my holiday. (b) My story is about a day at school. (c) Splash! Kabir fell straight into the pond.
38. 38.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) There was a house. It had a door. (b) What would you do if your shadow ran away? (c) This is a story about a boy called Ravi.
39. 39.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Buzz! A huge bee landed on my nose. (b) A boy went to school. Then he came home. (c) Splash! Kabir fell straight into the pond.
40. 40.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) There was a girl. She had a bag. (b) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (c) “Don’t open that box!” shouted Grandpa.

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