Literacy Shed

Story Starters

When you are a writer, you hear over and over again the important job of
the first line: to draw your reader into your story. The first line is a hook
to grab the reader. But another important aspect of the first line is when it
grabs you as a writer.
One way to fire up your imagination? Creative writing exercises focused
on the first line of a story. Below is an arbitrary list of first lines for you to
use to hone your storytelling and writing skills. Any of the following lines
can be used to begin a novel, short story, or even an essay or non-fiction
piece. Choose one and let your imagination loose!
Write the one that interests you most at the top of the page and then start
writing. Now write the one that interests you the least and do the same.
There are 31 here, enough to keep you writing for an entire month. (These
are in 1st person, but feel free to change them into 2nd or 3rd person.)

1. I didnt mean to kill her.

2. The air turned black all around me.
3. Icy fingers gripped my arm in the darkness.
4. Wandering through the graveyard it felt like something was watching me.
5. The eyes in the painting follow him down the corridor.
6. A shrill cry echoed in the mist
7. Icy wind slashed at his face and the rain danced its evil dance upon his
head as he tried to get his bearings on the isolated beach.
8. Footsteps slowly creaked on every step of the stairs. The bedroom door
handle turned slowly.

9. Death lurked in every door way with hell at one dark window. Inspired by
A. Noyes 'The Highwayman'
10.

My hair stood on end, a shiver raced down my spine and a lump

came to my throat. It was him...

11.

The gravestones stood silently, row upon row like soldiers long

forgotten, a scream shattered the silence...

12.

It was there and then it had gone, why would a rabbit be on my

bathroom floor?
13.

Bleary-eyed, I went downstairs for breakfast, the house was empty,

even the furniture had gone...

14.

The lights flickered and then went off, then the sirens started, it was

coming, and we knew it wouldnt be the last time...

15.

The date was 13th July, my 345th birthday... it would be my last...

16.

Three of us. We were the only ones left, the only ones to make it to

the island.
17.

"What have you done?" the headmaster bellowed, all eyes now

turned to me as he stood over the lifeless body on playground.

18.

Dad just sat and cried. He cried for three whole days. His face was

blotchy and his eyes were red. Then one day he just stopped...
19.

The clock stopped... 74 minutes past 18...it was time to get up.

20.

The car screamed to a halt, four men wearing masks jumped out

and ran into the nearest building, I looked around. The street was
deserted except for me.

21.

Everything stopped; people were stood like statues all around me,

people in cars, men on bicycles, babies in prams all lifeless, frozen in

time.
22.

I had never seen a ghost. But like they say, there is a first time for

everything.
23.

He opened the safe and it had gone. No one had the code, who

could have opened it?

24.

Grey and foreboding, the castle stood atop the hill looking down

across the small town, in the topmost window of the highest tower stood a
small boy called...
25.

Am I in heaven? What happened to me?

26.

Closer and closer it came, it was getting bigger and bigger, soon it

filled the sky above, was the moon falling?

27.

He wandered aimlessly through the house seeking any form of

distraction to avoid the inevitable doom. Why did it feel like he was
nearing the gallows?
28.

Peeking through the window her surprise turned to horror...

29.

I woke up with a start, something was in my room. The wardrobe

doors opened and it came out of my wardrobe.

30.

"Witches don't exist!" My Gran's words echoed around my head as

the horrific visage gurned at me through my bedroom window.

31.

Keeping watch at the side of the ship, George was tiring; his eyes

weary from constantly searching the horizon, were they also playing tricks
on him? What was that waving from the rocks?

32.

The two coins in his pocket clinked together as he stumbled down

the cold pavement, the holes in his shoes turning his feet into blocks of
ice. His heart was warmed though in the knowledge that he was rich.
33.

The phone rang. "Hello," I said, "Hello." No one was there. I hung

up. All the lights went out...

34.

Wrapped up warm against the icy fingers of dusk, the caretaker

closed the cemetery gates, who was that watching him?

35.

Hundreds of eyes peered at me through the darkness in the alley.

How many cats where there? Why were they all here together?

36.

I heard the music as I entered the room, but all that was there was a

violin, lay there on it's back on the bare floorboards.

37.

It was the day the moon fell.

38.

I couldn't believe a word he told me any more and why had he

brought me here?
39.

Cold and wet, tired and exhausted she made her way along the path

through the forest.

40.

Everything stopped, everything a statue all around me. Frozen in

time.
41.

"Help me!" Help me!" Came the call from behind the steel door.

42.

"Welcome to the future!" saidving, the teacher as she removed the

sheet with a flourish revealing what had been hidden beneath.

43.

My next door neighbours, The Johnsons, were all asleep in their

coffins when I climbed the fence to get the ball.

44.

It moved, why was it moving? That should not have been moving,

well not on it's own anyway.

45.

I hadn't seen the door before. It wasn't there last night. Cautiously,

I turned the handle.

46.

She scratched his face from the photograph. She would get her

revenge.
47.

It was a bright, frosty morning. The pavement glistened like a carpet

of crushed diamonds in the early morning sunshine. by Debbie Reynolds

48.

As she walked along the street the tiny dragon in her pocket stirred

restlessly. By Dot Hallam

49.

Just after he died, he sat up.

50.

His metal mask shone in the sunlight, he prayed that this would not

be his last day.

51.

I cant help it. I lie. All the time.

52.

When I found out there would be a supermoon in two nights, I began

making my plans.
53.

I turned to see who was following me.

54.

Ive never done anything like this, but I was about to be thrown out

of college and was desperate for money

55.

The day I decided to get my tattoo

56.

I had always thought the people who were paid to watch me were

stupid, but this was beyond belief.

57.

I wish I could take back that moment, at the fortune-tellers table

58.

Anytime you want to meet someone over the internet, take my

advice. Dont.
59.

Its bad enough that I have the boss from hell, but this profession

sucks the life from my soul, especially today.

60.

The first thing that went through my head was shes a witch! from

that Monty Python movie.

61.

Manipulating people is so easy I almost stopped doing it. Almost.

62.

This was the last thing I expected.

63.

When he suggested I should run for office, I laughed. Then I

considered it. After all

64.

I was fascinated by the history of my house.

65.

This building smelled like a hospital, but it was not a place anyone

would leave alive.

66.

Id always wondered what would happen when I opened that door.

67.

The day I died began as an ordinary day.

68.

The moon has always called to me

69.

Everyone thinks Im normal, but no one has ever seen me at

midnight.
70.

As I sit down to write this, I imagine what you will think when you

open the envelope

71.

Watching for the delivery truck became my obsession. I couldnt

wait for the package to come; Id never ordered anything like it before.
72.

Never a dull moment when youre a taxi driver. Just the other day

this guy gets in

73.

This might seem like its about me, but its not.

74.

If I hadnt looked out the window at that exact moment and watched

it happen with my own eyes, I would never have believed it.

75.

Sometimes its best not to go home again.

76.

I wasnt allowed to do this. But I couldnt resist.

77.

I never should have started it, but I had no idea I would cause such

trouble.
78.

When I woke, I didnt know where I was.

79.

The moment I realized what I was reading, I knew I was as good as

dead.
80.

Id never imagined I could kill somebody.

81. After shed told me it was high time I knew my family legacy, my

grandmother turned, pulled the box from the closet and handed it to me.