How to Start a Story + 25 Super Story Openers

How to Start a Story That Hooks Your Readers’ Attention + 25 Story Openers to Get You Writing Today— One of the best resources for how to start a story is the first paragraph. You see, the first paragraph of your story can make or break your impression on your readers. That’s why…

As a writer, one of the most important skills to develop is the art of crafting an engaging story opening. The start of your story is key to intriguing your readers and drawing them into your narrative world.

Now, in this blog post, we share with you eight awesome tips on how to start a story that hooks your readers.

Plus…

Table of Contents

8 Tips to Hook Your Readers from the Start
25 Story Openers to Get You Writing Today
113 More Free Story Writing Prompts
A Few Closing Thoughts
6 Tips on How to Write a Story and a Successful First Draft

You’ll find 25 bonus story openers to get you writing right away. Take a look now and enjoy!

8 Tips to Hook Your Readers from the Start

Check out these 8 ways to hook your readers from the very first sentence.

Introduce a mystery that creates suspense for the readers.
Evoke emotions with a scene that connects readers to the characters.
Engage readers by starting with a snippet of dialogue.
Create a surprising dialogue for the opening sentence of your novel.
Start in the middle of an action and introduce a plot twist.
Take inspiration from famous authors like Charles Dickens.
Use descriptive language to paint vivid imagery for your readers.
Start the story in first-person, immerse your audience into the mind of the main character.

Ok, now if you need even more help on how to start a story, perhaps one of these story openers will do the trick!

25 Story Openers to Get You Writing Today

How to start a story? Write! And perhaps use one of these story openers to get inspired to do just that.

On a bright cold day, April’s journey to school took a chilling turn when she stumbled upon an abandoned mansion.
Little did anyone know, the real narrator of the curious events that unfolded in the kitchen sink was a mischievous cat.
On a gloomy morning in the enigmatic woods, a group of friends stumbled upon a map that claimed to lead to another realm.
Behind the bookshelf, Sarah found a tiny door that led to a world of tiny creatures.
William learned a Latin incantation from an old book in the attic – what he didn’t know was that it held the power to unlock the time-traveling portal.
At the elegant ball, Elizabeth’s eyes locked onto Mr. Darcy’s enigmatic gaze, initiating a dance of pride and prejudice.
In a small town, a group of happy families discovered a secret that changed their lives overnight.
At the grand exposition of the cosmos, where stars performed their cosmic ballet, a shadowy figure moved through the crowd.
In a bustling city, a chance encounter between two strangers unfolded stories of their romance in an alternate universe.
Within the creaky old mansion lived an unhappy family, each member harboring their own secrets and sorrows.
Making the common mistake of underestimating her abilities, Emma surprised everyone with her flawless acting.
Detective Jones examined the single clue —a torn map found at the scene— and knew who was the killer.
Despite her parent’s objections, Katherine was determined to find her own way in the world of art, only to discover her hidden powers.
As the countdown to the talent show began, the stakes grew higher for Charlie, who had a secret talent no one knew about.
Among the library shelves filled with ancient tomes, there was a tale whispered only to those who truly believed in magic.
A cryptic key discovered in the laundry sink unlocked the door to an extraordinary adventure.
A book called Grandmother’s Tales transported the children to distant lands while they sleep.
John’s heart sank as he realized the promises he made to his parents can’t be fulfilled because of his one mistake.
The raw emotion in Sarah’s voice hinted at a hidden story of an unhappy family.
In the age of wisdom, the elders passed down stories of ancient witches which inspired a group of friends to explore more.
In the quiet corner of the library, rested a novella that promised to transport readers to a world of mystical beings.
The old, locked chest in the basement piqued Isabel’s curiosity, forcing her to uncover the secrets held within its dusty confines.
Through the eyes of a child, the park was an enchanted wonderland; from the old man’s perspective, it was a realm of memories that brought bittersweet nostalgia.
The story unfurled from the point of view of the rescue dog, revealing a world where human emotions and events took on an entirely different meaning.
A curious boy purchased an old, tattered book by Stephen King. As the clock struck midnight, he opened the worn pages only to find the characters within come alive, their eerie whispers and presence turning his room into a realm of both fascination and fear.

I hope you enjoyed this list of story ideas and use them to explore more about how to start a story.

Check out this list of…

113 More Free Story Writing Prompts

Be sure to take a look around the blog to find even more free writing prompts.

Alrighty…

A Few Closing Thoughts

You can use these how to start a story idea prompts and story openers to write the first page of the first draft of your new and exciting story.

Remember…

Writing a first draft helps you to build confidence as a writer. And, it’s important to remember that everyone’s first draft is typically quite bad.

So….

The key to keep writing and to keep improving, and, in time and with practice, you will become a better writer.

Ok, before I close out this blog post, check out these…

6 Tips on How to Write a Story and a Successful First Draft

The start of a story is often the most challenging for writers. So take our advice and adhere to these helpful writing tips.

Don’t worry about making your story perfect. Just get your thoughts down on paper.
Do not edit as you go. This will only slow you down and make it harder to get your ideas out of your head and onto “paper”
Set a timer and write for a set amount of time each day. This will help you to stay focused and motivated.
Take breaks when you need them. Don’t force yourself to continue writing if you’re not feeling it.
Get feedback from others. Once you have a draft, ask someone else to read it and give you their thoughts.
Once you’ve gotten feedback, take some time to revise and edit your work. This is when you can make improvements to your grammar, punctuation, word choice, and overall structure.

With practice, you will become a better writer. And remember, the most important thing is to just keep writing!

From fiction writing genre, to sci fi and beyond, you can craft a compelling story when you explore your unique writing voice and dare to dive into the exciting world of story writing.

That’s all for today.

Until next time, story write on…

If you enjoyed these Story Openers and Story Writing Tips,
please share them on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest.
I appreciate it!

Sincerely,
Jill
journalbuddies.com
creator and curator