Story Starters

It’s often hard to get started.   The blank page can be a big barrier to climb.    Given the first couple of sentences, most people can continue.    Once they get into the habit, it becomes easier, even to the point where the blank page no longer worries them.      The following story starters have helped thousands of kids.    Maybe your children will like them too.    The completed stories can be printed out and put on the classroom wall, or in a story folder.

Group One

Story Starter 'A'

Her leg was hurting and she walked slowly up the three flights of stairs. There was a window open on the top landing and a slight breeze ruffled the curtain. There was no bulb in the light fitting which swung gently backwards and forwards, but moonlight shone on the top few steps.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'B'

The Indian moved soundlessly forward and stopped in the shadow of the lodge pole pine. Shading his eyes he looked for several minutes across the bare landscape of red and yellow rocks and down to the road which wound far below along the canyon floor. Then he saw a movement, the slightest puff of dust, and he began to smile.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'C'

Moments before it had been fine and they were enjoying their walk among the gorse bushes, but then there was a crack of thunder and within seconds large drops of rain were falling. Now they stood just inside the mouth of the railway tunnel watching the rain bouncing high off the blackened sleepers.

"Are you sure we're all right in here?" she asked.

"Yes, this bit of railway hasn't been used for years. Look at the rails, they're crusted with rust".

Not quite convinced, she turned round and peered into the blackness of the tunnel.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'D'

They heard the scream from inside Woolworths and ran out to stare down at the man lying in the road. They couldn't see any blood, but he wasn't moving.

The driver of the car was protesting to anyone who'd listen. "I didn't see him. He ran right out in front of me! I couldn't do anything about it!"

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'E'

"Don't go in there!"

"Why not?"

"Because it's dangerous"

"Someone is in there"

"That's not possible, we're all here, we're …. oh, where's John?"

"He hasn't been here for a while" said one of the girls.

"We've got to get him out! The tide's coming in. That cave will fill up in a few minutes!"

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'F'

The wind blew for a whole twenty-four hours. They lay on the mattresses in the cellar and listened to the house being torn apart above them. Sleep was impossible, what with the noise of things crashing about and the eerie animal-like howl of the wind.

Cheryl thought about her room, the pictures on the walls, the drawer which held her most cherished possessions, her diaries, and the letters from Geoff.

She began to cry silently as she thought of them all being blown up into the sky, coming down maybe miles away, to be picked up and read by any stranger.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'G'

They watched as Jenson Button slid into the chicane, spraying the fence with gravel as his nearside wheels left the tarmac.

Massa had already been lapped, and Hamilton had retired with suspension trouble.

Only ten laps remained and, as he was over eight seconds ahead of the field it seemed as though Button was a certain winner.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'H'

Nell was desparate. She wasn't much good at most lessons, but she was exceptional at games.

Although the netball team had been successful she was positive it would be even better if only she was chosen.

But she was new to the school, and how could she tell anyone "I've got great ball control" and "I almost always hit the basket"?

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'I'

He didn't like fishing. He didn't like to see the fish gasping on the ground, or see the hook being pulled out of the mouths. But his Dad said fishing was a manly thing to do, like smoking and drinking, and that he'd be a wimp if he didn't do it.

There were times when he didn't like his Dad very much. Such as when he ridiculed other people for what he saw as weaknesses, and when he said unpleasant things about blacks and Asians. They were all right, even if their skins were a different colour.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'J'

"Funny, isn't it?"

"Isn't what?"

"They can send a man to the moon but they can't eradicate the common cold"

"There's no money in it, that's why".

"No money in curing the common cold! There's a fortune to be made by someone!"

"That's not what you said. You said 'eradicate'. That means get rid of entirely, like they got rid of scurvy. The drug companies make a fortune out of 'cures' for the common cold. They wouldn't want it to go away for ever"

    Now finish this story...

 

Group Two

Story Starter 'A'

There was once a man who decided to travel the world to seek his fortune. He set off and after many days came to a beautiful palace, on the shores of a wide lake. There were many swans swimming in the water and resting on a small island in the middle of the lake. Lots of coloured flags flew from the roof of the palace, as if some special event was being celebrated. The man decided to go to the palace to find out what was happening.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'B'

Once upon a time there was a girl called Heather who lost her cat. Smudge, the cat, was a very special animal because it could talk. It talked only to Heather, who was very upset when Smudge disappeared, and thought someone may have overheard them talking together. Not knowing that Smudge would talk only to Heather, the thieves probably thought they could sell the cat for a lot of money.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'C'

Once upon a time, there lived an old man and an old woman. Many people at that time kept wild birds in cages.

The old woman, who was kind-hearted, kept a young sparrow in a cage, and gave it the best of food to eat.

The old man was a bad-tempered thing, always complaining about something or other. One day, when the old woman was out, he opened the sparrow's cage and let the bird fly away.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'D'

There was a man who was lost in the forest. Night fell and he didn't know what to do, but just before the light went completely he found a hollow tree. Climbing into it, he decided to wait until morning, and settled down to spend the night in the tree.

After a while, he thought he heard a voice. He was about to call out when he heard another voice, and for some reason he remained silent. There was something strange about the voices, something which made him want to stay in the hollow tree.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'E'

"What time is it?"

"Nearly half-past three".

"What time did the train get in?"

"Three o'clock".

Alan said excitedly "It doesn't take long to drive from the station, they'll be here any minute now!"

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'F'

It wasn't his fault. They shouldn't have left it all for him to do. It wasn't fair, expecting one person to do all that. If it failed, if they didn't succeed, they'd blame him. But it wasn't his fault.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'G'

The old house had been empty for as long as he could remember.

He'd heard all sorts of stories about it, of course.

There was supposed to be a ghost, a lady ghost, who looked out of one of the upstairs windows on New Year's Eve. And if you rang the bell after midnight you'd hear someone muttering behind the front door.

But his Dad said it was all nonsense, because the stories had all been invented since the last people left.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'H'

Annette didn't like to get up.

Every morning, when her Mum called, she'd snuggle down under the blankets for a few more minutes.

She knew that Mum would be annoyed, and would come upstairs and shout at her, but those few stolen extra minutes of comfort and warmth were worth it.

Then, one morning, she woke up and listened. Her Mum hadn't called her, she was sure of that. She burrowed down in the bed and dozed for a little while, but then reached out for the clock. It was nearly 8.30, the time she usually left for school. She was going to be late. Why hadn't Mum called her?

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'I'

Something moved in the cupboard.

It was quite dark, late at night. In fact, the clock had just chimed midnight.

At the bottom of the cupboard, under a heap of old shoes and clothing not worn for years, was a cardboard box. Inside the box were some dusty, faded toys. There were dolls, marionettes, stuffed fluffy toys, a train with two wheels missing, a wooden soldier whose sword had been broken in some long-forgotten battle, and several jigsaws.

Something in the box moved.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'J'

John didn't know where he was.

He looked out of the window, but nothing seemed familiar.

The room was strange too. He didn't recognise any of the furniture.

And his clothes, although they were a good fit, surely didn't belong to him? He'd never had a yellow shirt. Or a brown check jacket.

As he sat on the padded wooden stool trying to puzzle out answers to all these questions, he slowly became aware of something in the back pocket of his trousers. Something hard. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled it out.

    Now finish this story...

Group Three 

Story Starter 'A'

She stepped through the bushes and almost fell over the man lying on the grass.

His hands and feet were tied and a thick wad of cloth had been pushed into his mouth and fixed with parcel tape.

She couldn't understand the look of terror in his eyes as he looked at her. And then she realised he was not looking at her, but at someone, or some thing, behind her.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'B'

Sam was bored.

She'd had her tea, watched some television, played with her Nintendo, done her homework, and it was still only eight o' clock.

Her friend Sally was out, and she sat looking at the goldfish swimming around their tank, wondering what she could do.

Then the telephone rang, and her life changed forever.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'C'

She stared out of the window as the train rushed by field after field of corn, waving gently in the slight wind. But she didn't see the fields or the corn because she was thinking of other things. What would it be like now? Would she still like it, after all this time? Looking at her watch she realised that in less than an hour she would have the answers to all her questions.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'D'

The rowing boat scraped on a rock which they hadn't noticed under the choppy water. It swung round and Michael lowered the oar into the water, feeling for the obstruction so that he could push them off. Gerry gripped the sides of the boat as it lurched when his brother forced down on the rock, and then with a cry Michael was falling into the water. The oar, which he dropped as he tried to turn and grab the boat, spun in the air and hit him hard on the temple.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'E'

"Oh no, I've lost my purse!"

"Look in your shopping bag".

"That's where it was, but it's not there now!"

"You carry it in your shopping bag? That's an open invitation to a thief!"

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'F'

The wolf cubs waited for their mother to return.

They knew they should remain hidden, but they had almost reached the age when they would begin to forage for themselves, and she had been away for a long time.

One of them, braver than the rest, moved out of the den and stopped behind the big tree, sniffing the air. Then he moved out into the open, and looked up into the eyes of a big hyena, its muscles coiled like springs as it began to pounce.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'G'

The floorboard creaked.

By stepping along the edge of the wall he was trying not to make a noise, but still this one creaked.

He froze and remained motionless for over a minute, listening for any sound from the room at the end of the corridor.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'H'

"You were spying on me!" she said, her face red with anger.

"No I wasn't! I didn't know you were here. I was looking for . . . . ."

"Looking for what?"

"I can't tell you".

"You can't tell me because you weren't looking for anything. You were spying on me!"

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'I'

The chair on the waltzer swung out over empty space and he felt sick.

He tried not to look down but he knew the others were there, far below, looking like little dolls at the side of the rifle range. The swinging thing jerked and stopped for a second and jerked again, and he knew he'd be sick if it didn't stop soon.

Now finish this story...

Story Starter 'J'

The jingle of the bell made her jump as the shop door closed behind her. She went to the counter and stood for a moment, waiting for someone to come out of the back room.

When no-one came she went to look at the magazines displayed on the wall rack and was about to leave the shop when she looked down and saw stretched out from behind the counter. There were splashes of red on the pale green floor tiles.

Now finish this story...


   
   
 
  Site Map