1. 16/10/14 Openings 2
TP: Good writers get the reader’s attention with their story opening Bell work: Read the extract below. Where is the setting for the story? Give reasons for your answers. Sadie thrust the ticket into the man’s hand. Half-torn he returned it and pulled open the door. Her eyes narrowed as she stepped forward urgently into the dimly-lit room. Stale popcorn collapsed under her feet. She felt her way down the narrow aisle. She had agreed to meet Gerry somewhere in the middle. The front was too close, whilst the back meant you spent most of your time staring at the hairstyle in front. A young couple stood up to let her pass, their coats fell from their laps and were lost in the dark alley beneath their folding seats.

2. Using the story wheel Pick a character Pick a setting Pick a situation
WRITE!!!!!!
ALIEN
NEW YORK CITY
GETTING LOST

3. Exemplar
There was a blinding explosion as the metal craft landed on the street. The door opened. The crowd gasped. A creature stepped out, looking lost. The crowd went silent. “What are you?” said one boy. “Please don’t hurt us.”
How can we change this to make it more descriptive?
The sentence structure is a bit repetitive. How can we edit this?

4. Improved Exemplar
There was a blinding explosion as the strange metal craft crashed into the middle of the bustling city street. Slowly, a concealed door opened. As the gathering crowd gasped, a tall, thin creature with luminous skin stumbled out, looking dazed and confused. An eerie silence fell over the crowd. “What are you?” ventured one boy, his voice shaking with terror. “Please don’t hurt us.”

5. Paired Work
Decide which type of opening you want to write (setting, character, action, dialogue or problem outlined by the main character)
Choose a character, setting and situation to write about (you can use the story wheel)
Write one or two paragraphs of exposition
Remember, do not write a whole story, just the opening!