Story Starters Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 21: Story starters that hook the reader · Set 74 · 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 hooks the reader most? (a) I am going to tell you about my holiday. (b) A boy went to school. Then he came home. (c) Achoo! The giant sneezed and the trees shook.
2. 2.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
3. 3.Why does this opening hook the reader?
   “Somebody has eaten my homework!” wailed Kabir. (a) it starts with someone speaking (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with a sound word
4. 4.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Boom! The sky lit up with fireworks. (b) A boy went to school. Then he came home. (c) Can a pumpkin really grow as big as a car?
5. 5.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (b) Honk! A runaway cart of melons rolled downhill. (c) Can a pumpkin really grow as big as a car?
6. 6.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) I am going to tell you about my holiday. (b) Thud! A coconut dropped right at my feet. (c) There was a house. It had a door.
7. 7.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Pop! The balloon burst in Dad’s face. (b) “Quick, the train is leaving!” yelled Meera. (c) There was a girl. She had a bag.
8. 8.Why does this opening hook the reader?
   Honk! A runaway cart of melons rolled downhill. (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with someone speaking (c) it starts with a question
9. 9.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) “The trophy is gone!” gasped the principal. (b) Ring, ring! The phone woke the whole house. (c) Once there was a dog. It was a dog.
10. 10.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Splash! Kabir fell straight into the pond. (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?
    “Quick, the train is leaving!” yelled Meera. (a) it starts with a question (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with someone speaking
12. 12.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) Can a pumpkin really grow as big as a car?
13. 13.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Bang! Something heavy fell in the attic. (b) Have you ever heard a tree laugh? (c) My story is about a day at school.
14. 14.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (b) “Hold on tight!” yelled the boatman. (c) I am going to tell you about my holiday.
15. 15.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    “I found a map under my bed!” said Isha. (a) it starts with a question (b) it starts with someone speaking (c) it starts with a sound word
16. 16.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) It was a normal day and nothing happened. (b) “There’s a monkey in the kitchen!” cried Mum. (c) A boy went to school. Then he came home.
17. 17.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
18. 18.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) Crash! The cricket ball smashed the window. (b) I am going to tell you about my holiday. (c) Once there was a dog. It was a dog.
19. 19.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) What if your parrot told everyone your secrets? (b) There was a girl. She had a bag. (c) There was a house. It had a door.
20. 20.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 a sound word (c) it starts with someone speaking
21. 21.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Pop! The balloon burst in Dad’s face. (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with someone speaking
22. 22.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
23. 23.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    “The trophy is gone!” gasped the principal. (a) it starts with a question (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with someone speaking
24. 24.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) “This is not an ordinary box,” whispered Nani. (b) There was a house. It had a door. (c) Once there was a dog. It was a dog.
25. 25.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) “Today, everything will go wrong,” said Dev. (b) “I can fly!” said the little elephant. (c) It was a normal day and nothing happened.
26. 26.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Hiss! A snake slid out of the water pot. (a) it starts with someone speaking (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with a sound word
27. 27.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) Why did the cat bring home a fish every day?
28. 28.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) One day I woke up and had my breakfast. (b) Hiss! A snake slid out of the water pot. (c) It was a normal day and nothing happened.
29. 29.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
30. 30.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Hiss! A snake slid out of the water pot. (b) “Never feed a dragon after dark,” said Grandpa. (c) This is my story. I hope you like it.
31. 31.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) One day I woke up and had my breakfast. (b) My story is about a day at school. (c) “Somebody has eaten my homework!” wailed Kabir.
32. 32.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) Have you ever met a goat that could read? (b) It was a normal day and nothing happened. (c) A boy went to school. Then he came home.
33. 33.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) This is my story. I hope you like it. (b) What was hiding inside Grandma’s locked trunk? (c) It was a normal day and nothing happened.
34. 34.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) “This is not an ordinary box,” whispered Nani. (b) There was a house. It had a door. (c) Honk! A runaway cart of melons rolled downhill.
35. 35.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) “There’s a monkey in the kitchen!” cried Mum. (b) One day I woke up and had my breakfast. (c) Boom! The sky lit up with fireworks.
36. 36.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (b) Whoosh! The wind snatched my hat away. (c) There was a house. It had a door.
37. 37.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
38. 38.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    What would you do if your shadow ran away? (a) it starts with someone speaking (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with a question
39. 39.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) What would you do if your shadow ran away? (b) A boy went to school. Then he came home. (c) This is a story about a boy called Ravi.
40. 40.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    What if your parrot told everyone your secrets? (a) it starts with someone speaking (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with a question

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