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Story Starters Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 21: Story starters that hook the reader · Set 181 · 40 questions
TalentJR

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…”.

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  1. 1.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) A boy went to school. Then he came home. (b) One day I woke up and had my breakfast. (c) “The trophy is gone!” gasped the principal.
  2. 2.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Why did the cat bring home a fish every day? (b) Did you know our school has a secret door? (c) My story is about a day at school.
  3. 3.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Buzz! A huge bee landed on my nose. (b) Once there was a dog. It was a dog. (c) “Run, the bees are coming!” shouted Aarav.
  4. 4.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Bang! Something heavy fell in the attic.
    (a) it starts with a question (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with someone speaking
  5. 5.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) Whoosh! The wind snatched my hat away. (b) This is my story. I hope you like it. (c) This is a story about a boy called Ravi.
  6. 6.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Where do lost socks really go?
    (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with someone speaking
  7. 7.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) A boy went to school. Then he came home. (b) My story is about a day at school. (c) “There’s a monkey in the kitchen!” cried Mum.
  8. 8.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) There was a girl. She had a bag. (b) “Somebody has eaten my homework!” wailed Kabir. (c) My story is about a day at school.
  9. 9.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) “Something is moving in the cupboard,” said Zoya. (b) “Don’t open that box!” shouted Grandpa. (c) This is my story. I hope you like it.
  10. 10.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    “I found a map under my bed!” said Isha.
    (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with someone speaking
  11. 11.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Have you ever met a goat that could read?
    (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with someone speaking
  12. 12.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) “Hold on tight!” yelled the boatman.
  13. 13.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) There was a house. It had a door. (b) There was a girl. She had a bag. (c) Where do lost socks really go?
  14. 14.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Who would steal a whole bus? (b) It was a normal day and nothing happened. (c) Splash! Kabir fell straight into the pond.
  15. 15.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) It was a normal day and nothing happened. (b) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (c) “I found a map under my bed!” said Isha.
  16. 16.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    “I can fly!” said the little elephant.
    (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with someone speaking
  17. 17.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) One day I woke up and had my breakfast. (b) “I can fly!” said the little elephant. (c) My story is about a day at school.
  18. 18.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) There was a house. It had a door. (b) Achoo! The giant sneezed and the trees shook. (c) A boy went to school. Then he came home.
  19. 19.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) This story is about a cat and a mouse. (b) Who left giant footprints on our roof? (c) In this story I will write about a tree.
  20. 20.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (b) “Nobody must know about this,” said the old sailor. (c) This story is about a cat and a mouse.
  21. 21.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    “Don’t open that box!” shouted Grandpa.
    (a) it starts with a question (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with someone speaking
  22. 22.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Who left giant footprints on our roof? (b) A boy went to school. Then he came home. (c) “There’s a monkey in the kitchen!” cried Mum.
  23. 23.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) How do you catch a cloud in a jar? (b) It was a normal day and nothing happened. (c) I am going to tell you about my holiday.
  24. 24.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Hiss! A snake slid out of the water pot. (b) Can a pumpkin really grow as big as a car? (c) I am going to tell you about my holiday.
  25. 25.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) There was a house. It had a door. (b) It was a normal day and nothing happened. (c) Have you ever heard a tree laugh?
  26. 26.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Whoosh! The wind snatched my hat away.
    (a) it starts with a question (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with someone speaking
  27. 27.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Ring, ring! The phone woke the whole house. (b) “This is not an ordinary box,” whispered Nani. (c) There was a girl. She had a bag.
  28. 28.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Boom! The sky lit up with fireworks.
    (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with someone speaking (c) it starts with a question
  29. 29.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) I am going to tell you about my holiday. (b) Did you know our school has a secret door? (c) One day I woke up and had my breakfast.
  30. 30.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) Crunch! Someone was eating in the dark. (b) There was a girl. She had a bag. (c) Once there was a dog. It was a dog.
  31. 31.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) “This is not an ordinary box,” whispered Nani. (b) There was a girl. She had a bag. (c) This is a story about a boy called Ravi.
  32. 32.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Clang! The temple bell rang by itself at midnight.
    (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with someone speaking
  33. 33.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) This story is about a cat and a mouse. (b) Ring, ring! The phone woke the whole house. (c) “There’s a monkey in the kitchen!” cried Mum.
  34. 34.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    “Hold on tight!” yelled the boatman.
    (a) it starts with a question (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with someone speaking
  35. 35.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Thud! A coconut dropped right at my feet.
    (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with someone speaking (c) it starts with a question
  36. 36.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (b) Why was the old well glowing at midnight? (c) My story is about a day at school.
  37. 37.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) In this story I will write about a tree. (b) Why was the old well glowing at midnight? (c) Honk! A runaway cart of melons rolled downhill.
  38. 38.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Who left giant footprints on our roof? (b) “Something is moving in the cupboard,” said Zoya. (c) There was a house. It had a door.
  39. 39.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Have you ever woken up as tiny as an ant?
    (a) it starts with someone speaking (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with a question
  40. 40.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) Clang! The temple bell rang by itself at midnight. (b) There was a house. It had a door. (c) In this story I will write about a tree.

Answer key

  1. “The trophy is gone!” gasped the principal.
  2. My story is about a day at school.
  3. Once there was a dog. It was a dog.
  4. it starts with a sound word
  5. Whoosh! The wind snatched my hat away.
  6. it starts with a question
  7. “There’s a monkey in the kitchen!” cried Mum.
  8. “Somebody has eaten my homework!” wailed Kabir.
  9. This is my story. I hope you like it.
  10. it starts with someone speaking
  11. it starts with a question
  12. “Hold on tight!” yelled the boatman.
  13. Where do lost socks really go?
  14. It was a normal day and nothing happened.
  15. “I found a map under my bed!” said Isha.
  16. it starts with someone speaking
  17. “I can fly!” said the little elephant.
  18. Achoo! The giant sneezed and the trees shook.
  19. Who left giant footprints on our roof?
  20. “Nobody must know about this,” said the old sailor.
  21. it starts with someone speaking
  22. A boy went to school. Then he came home.
  23. How do you catch a cloud in a jar?
  24. I am going to tell you about my holiday.
  25. Have you ever heard a tree laugh?
  26. it starts with a sound word
  27. There was a girl. She had a bag.
  28. it starts with a sound word
  29. Did you know our school has a secret door?
  30. Crunch! Someone was eating in the dark.
  31. “This is not an ordinary box,” whispered Nani.
  32. it starts with a sound word
  33. This story is about a cat and a mouse.
  34. it starts with someone speaking
  35. it starts with a sound word
  36. Why was the old well glowing at midnight?
  37. In this story I will write about a tree.
  38. There was a house. It had a door.
  39. it starts with a question
  40. Clang! The temple bell rang by itself at midnight.

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