Story Starters Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 21: Story starters that hook the reader · Set 52 · 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.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) What was hiding inside Grandma’s locked trunk? (b) This is my story. I hope you like it. (c) Clang! The temple bell rang by itself at midnight.
2. 2.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) “Quick, the train is leaving!” yelled Meera. (b) There was a house. It had a door. (c) One day I woke up and had my breakfast.
3. 3.Why does this opening hook the reader?
   Whoosh! The wind snatched my hat away. (a) it starts with someone speaking (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with a sound word
4. 4.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) Where do lost socks really go? (b) I am going to tell you about my holiday. (c) A boy went to school. Then he came home.
5. 5.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (b) Splash! Kabir fell straight into the pond. (c) One day I woke up and had my breakfast.
6. 6.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) “Today, everything will go wrong,” said Dev. (b) Can a pumpkin really grow as big as a car? (c) I am going to tell you about my holiday.
7. 7.Why does this opening hook the reader?
   Who left giant footprints on our roof? (a) it starts with a question (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with someone speaking
8. 8.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) How do you catch a cloud in a jar? (b) One day I woke up and had my breakfast. (c) “Nobody must know about this,” said the old sailor.
9. 9.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Crunch! Someone was eating in the dark. (b) Achoo! The giant sneezed and the trees shook. (c) This story is about a cat and a mouse.
10. 10.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Thud! A coconut dropped right at my feet. (b) What was hiding inside Grandma’s locked trunk? (c) This is a story about a boy called Ravi.
11. 11.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) In this story I will write about a tree. (b) This story is about a cat and a mouse. (c) Hiss! A snake slid out of the water pot.
12. 12.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) “Nobody must know about this,” said the old sailor.
13. 13.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
14. 14.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Once there was a dog. It was a dog. (b) What if your parrot told everyone your secrets? (c) “I found a map under my bed!” said Isha.
15. 15.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Hiss! A snake slid out of the water pot. (a) it starts with a question (b) it starts with someone speaking (c) it starts with a sound word
16. 16.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Crash! The cricket ball smashed the window. (b) “There’s a monkey in the kitchen!” cried Mum. (c) It was a normal day and nothing happened.
17. 17.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (b) I am going to tell you about my holiday. (c) “Somebody has eaten my homework!” wailed Kabir.
18. 18.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) Why did the cat bring home a fish every day? (b) My story is about a day at school. (c) This story is about a cat and a mouse.
19. 19.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) What would you do if your shadow ran away? (b) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (c) This is my story. I hope you like it.
20. 20.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) “Nobody must know about this,” said the old sailor.
21. 21.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) What was hiding inside Grandma’s locked trunk? (b) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (c) It was a normal day and nothing happened.
22. 22.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) “There’s a monkey in the kitchen!” cried Mum. (b) One day I woke up and had my breakfast. (c) This is a story about a boy called Ravi.
23. 23.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Ring, ring! The phone woke the whole house. (a) it starts with a question (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with someone speaking
24. 24.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    “Hold on tight!” yelled the boatman. (a) it starts with someone speaking (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with a sound word
25. 25.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Pop! The balloon burst in Dad’s face. (a) it starts with a question (b) it starts with someone speaking (c) it starts with a sound word
26. 26.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
27. 27.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (b) There was a house. It had a door. (c) “Hold on tight!” yelled the boatman.
28. 28.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Have you ever heard a tree laugh? (a) it starts with someone speaking (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with a sound word
29. 29.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) Who would steal a whole bus? (b) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (c) There was a girl. She had a bag.
30. 30.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) “This is not an ordinary box,” whispered Nani. (b) Crash! The cricket ball smashed the window. (c) There was a house. It had a door.
31. 31.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    “This is not an ordinary box,” whispered Nani. (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with someone speaking
32. 32.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Who would steal a whole bus? (a) it starts with someone speaking (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with a sound word
33. 33.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) My story is about a day at school. (b) In this story I will write about a tree. (c) Who left giant footprints on our roof?
34. 34.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    How do you catch a cloud in a jar? (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with someone speaking
35. 35.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    “Never feed a dragon after dark,” said Grandpa. (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with someone speaking
36. 36.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (b) Clang! The temple bell rang by itself at midnight. (c) It was a normal day and nothing happened.
37. 37.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Why was the old well glowing at midnight? (b) Honk! A runaway cart of melons rolled downhill. (c) In this story I will write about a tree.
38. 38.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) In this story I will write about a tree. (b) There was a house. It had a door. (c) How do you catch a cloud in a jar?
39. 39.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) It was a normal day and nothing happened. (b) One day I woke up and had my breakfast. (c) Whoosh! The wind snatched my hat away.
40. 40.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) Have you ever woken up as tiny as an ant? (b) One day I woke up and had my breakfast. (c) There was a house. It had a door.

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