Once upon a time...

Tips for kids on writing a great story opening + an exclusive giveaway

Great first lines stay with us forever, right?

“Our mother had a dark heart feeling.” [‘Lenny’s Book of Everything’ by Karen Foxlee]

“The journalists arrived before the coffin did.” [‘The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend]

“It was a dark and stormy night.” [‘A Wrinkle in Time’ by Madeleine L’Engle]

So it often comes as a surprise to students at my school visits to discover that authors will often write the opening lines of a novel after they have finished writing the entire story.