Six “creative writing” first sentences – just choose one.

Err, umm, err, aww, I just don’t know. Writing a “creative” story can be a real headache for many children. It’s not that they don’t have the imagination or vocabulary. It’s just the starting sentence.

Any writer can struggle with this and most usually fall into the “just begin a conversation” mode. This works well and is the mainstay of many excellent, well written articles. However a student might not have the confidence to launch straight in.

The following list is to help you to get going. The first sentences given here might not be in the finished article but, I hope, will provide inspiration to encourage the children to start. Just choose one to begin and close your eyes (!).

No, really, before you start writing, close your eyes. Imagine describing to someone else who wasn’t there – What kind of day was it? How big is the item? How many people where involved? Any detail you can think of can be added to your story in order to build up a picture.

Remember also to ask the seven golden questions who?, what?, why?, where?, when?, which? and how? They might not all be relevant but you can be sure that the reader will be asking them. Just thinking through the answers will help you to build a story that flows well.

Finally every story is like a fish. A head - setting the scene, a body - telling the story, and a tail - the end. It’s important that you keep to a structure and it will help you to not to become “lost” or show a lack of direction.

Finally, finally – enjoy. Writing can be fun!

1. Once upon a time..
(an old favourite)

2. The man walked up the hill... or…The dog wagged its tail..
(notice the two nouns and the verb)

3. The man walked slowly up the hill…or… The dog wagged its tail enthusiastically
(two nouns, a verb and an adjective for the more sophisticated story)

4. I like chocolate because it’s good to eat... or… I like cycling because it’s fun
(when you are asked to write about something)

5. We enjoyed our visit to __________ because…
(when you are asked to write about somewhere)

6. The experiment took place on… or…. The football match took place on…
(when you are asked to report about an event)