Sign up or login to use the bookmarking feature.

Starting Stories with Suspense

Minilesson Print

Starting Stories with Suspense

Starting Stories with Suspense
Thoughtful Learning

Exciting stories often start in the middle of the action, with a main character immediately facing a potential conflict or problem. Conflict creates suspense or uncertainty, which in turn draws readers into the story. For instance, consider the first line of the Hunger Games trilogy:

  • When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.

This short line foreshadows the struggle to come. The other side of the bed is cold and empty, suggesting something is not right. The character expected someone else to be there, and the reader is encouraged to read on to find out who and why.

When you write your own stories, think about how you can create suspense from the opening few lines and then maintain that suspense as the story continues.

Your Turn Read the following story starters. Choose your favorite and write what happens next. Maintain the suspense as long as you can. If none of the starters appeals to you, create your own suspenseful beginning and keep the story going.


Teacher Support:

Click to find out more about this resource.

Answer Key:

Answers will vary.

Standards Correlations:


© 2019 Thoughtful Learning. Copying is permitted.