STRONG BEGINNINGS

This week we started working on strong beginnings for our stories and essays. Sometimes it works to begin with a quotation:

In the Attic
by Mei Ann Lee

  "Achoo!" Sarah sneezed in the dusty air. "Looks like no one's been in this attic for years." There was dust everywhere. Camping gear, old toys, furniture, and trash were stacked along the walls. "This is so cool!" she said to her friend Matt.

  The idea is to get the reader's attention and make them want to read the rest of the story or essay. However, use the quotations sparingly. Too much dialogue gets in the way of the plot and cause the reader to become confused and give up. Try to make the reader curious while establishing the setting and characters.

  A strong beginning for an essay can start with a question:

                                                               Clouds
                                                                by Mr. Burnett

  With as much rain as we've had this October, one wonders, will the skies ever clear again? Yet, there is something wonderful about the clouds in the sky during this rainy time of the year. Looking at the clouds is a bit like looking at an oil painting that changes from one day to the next. Let's consider some of the reasons for nature's art work.

  Like in a story, you want to grab the reader's attention in the first sentence or two, and make them want to read what you've written. A question at the beginning of an essay just might make the reader curious enough to read on.