30 story openings for 11+ creative writing

The first sentence of an 11+ story is the examiner's first impression. "One sunny day I woke up" tells them nothing; a strong opening tells them they're in the hands of a confident writer. Here are 30 example openings grouped by technique. Don't memorise them — learn the techniques and adapt them to any title.

1. Dialogue

Drop the reader into the middle of a conversation.

1. "Whatever you do," Grandad whispered, "don't look behind the curtain."
2. "We're lost, aren't we?" Maya said, and for once nobody argued.
3. "That," said the museum guard, pointing at the empty glass case, "was here five minutes ago."
4. "Run!"
5. "You can't be serious," I said. But Dad had never looked more serious in his life.

2. Action

Start with something happening — fast.

6. I hurled myself through the closing doors as the train began to move.
7. The ball smashed through the greenhouse roof, and all six of us froze.
8. Leo's feet pounded the wet pavement; behind him, the footsteps were getting closer.
9. The rope snapped.
10. Clutching the map to her chest, Ava scrambled up the last few metres of rock.

3. Setting and atmosphere

Paint the scene using the senses — great for descriptive titles.

11. Fog curled around the lampposts like smoke from a dragon's nostrils.
12. The market roared with life: sizzling pans, shouting traders, and the sweet smell of roasting chestnuts.
13. Nothing moved on the frozen lake except a single black feather, skittering across the ice.
14. The house at the end of Cedar Lane had been empty for fifty years, and it looked it.
15. Rain drummed on the tin roof as the storm settled in for the night.

4. Mystery and intrigue

Make the reader ask a question they need answered.

16. Nobody in the village talked about what happened on the night of the lighthouse fire.
17. The letter had no stamp, no address — just my name, written in handwriting I'd never seen.
18. I found the key on a Tuesday. By Friday, I wished I never had.
19. Every clock in the house had stopped at exactly 3:17.
20. There were thirty children in our class when we left for the trip. Only twenty-nine came back — or so everyone thought.

5. Character

Introduce someone memorable through a telling detail.

21. Mrs Pemberton had taught at our school for forty years and had never once been seen to smile.
22. My little brother, Sam, collected three things: stones, snails and trouble.
23. The new girl sat at the back, sketching something she hid whenever anyone came near.
24. Grandma was the only person I knew who carried a compass in her handbag "just in case".
25. I'm not brave. I want to make that clear before I tell you what happened.

6. Short, dramatic sentence or question

One punchy line, then build out from it.

26. It was gone.
27. Have you ever heard a house breathe?
28. Today was the day everything changed.
29. Silence.
30. Some secrets are too big to keep.

How to write your own strong opening

• Start as late as possible. Skip the alarm clock and breakfast. Begin where the interesting part starts.
• Hook, then ground. After a dramatic first line, the next sentence or two should tell the reader who, where and what's going on.
• Match the mood. A spooky title suits a setting or mystery opening; an adventure suits action.
• Plan the ending first. A great opening with no ending loses marks. The best stories link the ending back to the start.
• Practise adapting. Take one technique and write openings for three different titles.

Try it: one title, three openings

For the rest of the story — planning, structure, vocabulary and endings — read our 11+ creative writing tips.

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