Universal statement (thought-provoking generalisation) Mid-action opening Presents an unusual situation (Surprises the reader) Retrospective view of the action (narrative voice is looking back over the action of the plot with hindsight) Creates an atmosphere (for the story) Detailed description of one item Directly addresses the reader Literary or cultural allusion Biographical opening (introduction of the character) Interesting dialogue Shocking statement Understatement Story Openings Extracts No Extract Novel and Writer 1 September, Tuesday: First of all, let me get something straight: this is Diary of a Wimpy Kid a JOURNAL, not a diary. I know what it says on the cover, but when Jeff Kinney Mom went out to buy this thing I SPECIFICALLY told her to get one that didn’t say on it. “diary” 2 Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a million Billionaire Boy pounds? Or a billion? How about a trillion? Or even a gazillion? Meet David Walliams Joe Spud. Ho Chi Minh City in the summer. Sweltering by anyone’s standards. Artemis Fowl 3 Needless to say, Artemis Fowl would not be willing to put up with such Eoin Colfer discomfort if something extremely important had not been at stake. Important to the plan. 4 don’t care if your friend Darren has a python, a cockatoo and a Jake’s Magic ‘I marmoset monkey,’ said mum, answer’s still no.’ Alan Durant ‘the
Universal statement (thought-provoking generalisation) Mid-action opening Presents an unusual situation (Surprises the reader) Retrospective view of the action (narrative voice is looking back over the action of the plot with hindsight) Creates an atmosphere (for the story) Detailed description of one item Directly addresses the reader Literary or cultural allusion Biographical opening (introduction of the character) Interesting dialogue Shocking statement Understatement Story Openings Extracts No Extract Novel and Writer 1 September, Tuesday: First of all, let me get something straight: this is a JOURNAL, not a diary. I know what it says on the cover, but when Mom went out to buy this thing I SPECIFICALLY told her to get one that didn’t say “diary” on it. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Jeff Kinney 2 Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a million pounds? Or a billion? How about a trillion? Or even a gazillion? Meet Joe Spud. Billionaire Boy David Walliams 3 Ho Chi Minh City in the summer. Sweltering by anyone’s standards. Needless to say, Artemis Fowl would not be willing to put up with such discomfort if something extremely important had not been at stake. Important to the plan. Artemis Fowl Eoin Colfer 4 ‘I don’t care if your friend Darren has a python, a cockatoo and a marmoset monkey,’ said mum, ‘the answer’s still no.’ Jake’s Magic Alan Durant
S5-9-Story-openings-bingo.docx