Little Johnny woke straight
up in bed to the sound of
Santa coming. Something
was very wrong. Wasn't he
supposed to be hearing
prancing and pawing of
miniature hooves on the
roof? It wasn't out on the
lawn either. Could it really
be... his parents' bedroom!?
He sprang from his bed to
see what was the matter,
rushing up the staircase
with quite a clatter, throwing
open the door without
knocking to discover a
scene that surpassed his
wildest nightmares.
| Writing Prompt |
The first sentence of your story should entice your reader to keep reading. There needs to be a hook to reel them in. It could start *in media res* (in the middle of the action/plot) or a mysterious phrasing that intrigues the reader.
Ex: As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous
vermin. (Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka)
Ex: It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. (1984 by George Orwell)
Compare this to: The alarm went off and I got out of bed.
Which story would you rather read based on the first sentence?
****Write an opening paragraph to a story, with a 'hook' in the first sentence. The intrigue/action can continue making the whole paragraph a hook, but the punch should be in the first sentence.
****Prose only, one paragraph, not a whole story (this isn't a flash) just an opening paragraph. Any genre. Fiction or Nonfiction. |
Author Notes
Image by Meta AI. If you are inspired by this story to procure a corresponding Christmas ornament, you can find it here.
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