Writing a Short Story Opening

Hook with setting or action.

Examples

• It was raining when the phone rang.

Key rules

• A strong opening creates interest with a hook, such as a sound, action or question
• Set the scene quickly with time and place
• Use past tenses to narrate events

Common mistakes

• The story was about a girl who lived in a village. → It was raining when the phone rang.

Use cases

• Creative writing exercises
• Starting a short story for a competition
• Writing the opening paragraph of a narrative essay