Story Starters by Jo Franklin

Like many children’s authors I spent most of last week visiting schools for World Book Day. Authors are always asked where they get their ideas from but this week one student asked me where they could get ideas for starting their own stories, so I thought I would give GHB readers some story starters including a couple of pictures which may give you some ideas. Here goes …

I waved frantically from the clifftop as the motorboat sped away from the island.
‘You can’t leave me here!’ I shouted, but it was too late. I was all alone.

The gentle song of a string quartet floated through the air and swallows dived for insects from the still lake. It would have been perfect if it hadn’t been for the body lying face down in the lily pads.

I hadn’t been scared when Billy Jenkins dared me to go to the graveyard after dark, but now the sun had set and white gravestones loomed out of the darkness like a set of crooked dentures, I began to realise that maybe I believed in ghosts after all.

Jack twisted the dial this way and that, listening to the tumblers clicking within the thick door of the safe. He had to break the code. It was essential. At last he sat back on his heels and with a sigh of satisfaction he opened the door.
‘I wasn’t expecting that!’ he whispered to himself when he saw what was inside.

I suppose it all started to go haywire the day the garden gnomes went on strike.

Martha Mouse scurried across the kitchen floor towards the larder unfortunately she hadn’t seen that Tyson the cat was watching her from the top of the fridge.

The goalposts seemed a million miles away but Jaydn was convinced she could score from here. She booted the ball and it soared into the air. The football curved right and was heading for the back of the net when suddenly …

Let me know if you feel inspired to write on. I’d love to read your stories. My mind is already beginning to tick.