Hey, Everybody!
Do you know what day it is?
If you said the third Monday of the month, Monday Funday, the day Short & Sweets returns to a blog near you (er… this one! 🙂 ) then you win the penny prize!
badge created by Loni Edwards
The object of Short & Sweets is to jump start our writing, whether it’s Monday morning or any other time of the week. Short & Sweets are fun little exercises we can do together and share to get the writing sparks flying! We will all inspire each other’s creativity.
I’ll supply a challenge. You put your response in the comments. Then scroll through and see how everybody else responded. Maybe whatever you thought up won’t spark a story idea for you, but maybe someone else’s response will! (And don’t worry – everything will be vague enough that there’s no way 2 people will ever write the same story off the same prompt. It just doesn’t work that way :))
So are you ready?
Pull up a chair amongst your friends here, help yourself to a breakfasty snack, and let’s get writing!
Here’s today’s challenge: (we’re going nice and simple to ease you in… 🙂 )
Write the opening sentence of a picture book.
The sentence should introduce the main character and the story problem.
For example: Ava had a hard time falling asleep.
Easy peasy, right?!
Let’s see how many opening sentences we can generate! Feel free to share more than one!
I’ll start.
Jasmine Bloom had the worst superhero power ever!
Now you go…!
I can’t wait to see what opening sentences you come up with!
Happy writing everyone! Have a marvelous Monday! 🙂
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Hi Susanna,
Monday Funday…what a great way to start the day. How about…
A fearless hen waits in disguise.
For Mr Fox, a BIG surprise…
Ooh! Not only an intriguing beginning, Julie, but in RHYME! 🙂
Yolanda could not stop yawning, neither could anyone else around her.
Hahaha! Well, yawns, as everyone knows, are contagious! 🙂
“I won’t come out!” Tuttle the turtle cried from inside his shell.
I’m guessing Tuttle has a good reason… or thinks he does! I want to know more! 🙂
🙂 Esher’s day started off bad–then it got worse.
Oh, boy! Poor Esher! I’m hooked though, Wendy – I want to know what happened! 🙂
It had been a long time since Elsie had seen her sister Rose.
Ooh! Interesting! Where has Rose been? Or where has Elsie been? I’m curious!
Nolan was the smartest kid in his class, until a new girl, Charlotte, came along.
Yep. Sounds like trouble. Jealousy with a capital J, or maybe a little struggle with the old self-esteem…!
Deirdre was a dreamer.
Lovely! You’ve got me wondering what kind of dreamer – a daydreamer spinning fantasy stories, or a dreamer of big plans for accomplishment, or a dreamer of world peace? I’d like to know more about Deirdre! 🙂
“Uh-oh,” said Tabitha.
I’m hooked! 🙂 How can you not wonder what THAT’S about?! 🙂
Jimmy didn’t mean to cause the explosion.
Hahaha! I’ll just bet he didn’t! 🙂
Joe thought all owls were wise. That’s why he asked Ollie for advice.
Why do I get the feeling that maybe Ollie ISN’T wise?! 🙂
Ken knew he wasn’t cut out to be just a corn kernel sitting in a jar.
Hahaha! 🙂 I long to know what Ken dreams of being instead, Alice! 🙂
Mouse always wanted a big, red balloon. She never dreamed it’d take her to the moon.
Oh, I love the idea of a mouse going to the moon by balloon! How wonderful! 🙂
Callie jumped when she heard the noise from outside — a rush-rush-rush and then a window-rattling BOOM.
Uh-oh. Sounds like trouble, Gabi 🙂
Ada’s Bake-O-Matic invention came with a fire extinguisher because it had one small problem.
Totally love this, Pat! 🙂 I’m ready to keep reading!
“You are not the boss of me!” Emma cried. “Nobody can tell me what to do!”
Oh, gosh! Haven’t we all felt THAT way, Ellen! Great beginning for a PB! 🙂
“Fluppy, now we don’t have enough money for it because you went over budget again on your woofie treats,” Joanna sighed.
You’ve piqued my interest! I’m wondering what’s in a woofie treat to make it so irresistible that Fluppy keeps going over budget 🙂
Milo Bear scrubbed extra hard behind his ears. He wanted to be squeaky clean and smelling sweet before all his friends showed up to throw the surprise party he was certain they had planned for him.
Oh, boy! Why do I get the feeling that Milo might be all dressed up with nowhere to go?! I hope it all works out for him, Judy 🙂
Her phone rings all the day long, so she didn’t answer. Boy, was that a mistake!
Oh, wow! What did she miss, Patricia??? What if she won the lottery? Or what if it was a warning that she won’t get…!
Sophie made a list of all the reasons why she couldn’t fall asleep.
I am NOT afraid of stomping monsters,
hissing snakes,
or rustling leaves in trees.
Just then, she heard a sound at the window. Her pencil shook as she scribbled on the next line:
I am absolutely positively NOT afraid of buzzing bees.
I love this Vivian, because I used to have a recurrent nightmare when I was a kid that a giant bee was coming to get me stinger end first! 🙂
Graham stared at his garden, completely confused.
This was such fun! Thanks for helping start my writing week of right.
Great opening! I’m wondering what Graham saw? Nothing growing? Something growing that shouldn’t be? Something unrelated to growing… like buried treasure…? 🙂
At the end of a stream behind a dead tree was a lopsided forgotten flour mill. Inside lived a family of five mice and one little kitten.
Aw! What a nice opening scene! I’m hoping since it’s a kitten it will work out ok for the mouse family! 🙂
Bethany was pretty sure the new girl in her class was a witch.
Love it, Genevieve! I’m wondering what clues Bethany had to reach that conclusion!
Sam held her breath, “I don’t belong here.”
Sounds like a tense and uncomfortable moment, Cindy! You’ve got me wanting to know what’s going on! 🙂
It was love at first sight for Gorilla, but Dolly didn’t feel the same way.
Oh gosh, Lauri! I hope Gorilla isn’t in for some heartbreak! 🙂
Three little pralines peered through the shop window at the colorful costumes. “They’re going to have so much fun today, ” sighed Lou.
Ooh, I love this, Keila! Imagine pralines as characters – I would never have thought of that! And I can just feel the longing in Lou’s voice over the fun that presumably will be had only by others… 🙂
Lily threw back the covers of her comfy, cozy bed and whispered with glee, “Today’s the day!” she told Elephant. “I pick out my new puppy today,” she told Turtle.
Ooh, how lovely, Kelly! Is there any better day than the day you get a puppy???!!! 🙂
As soon as she snipped out the cut-paper bird, Jasmine knew in her heart it would learn how to fly.
What a lovely image, Heather! I can imagine the illustrations already! 🙂
Angela bent down and peered into the tiny opening. “Come on in. There’s plenty of room.”
As usual, Hogwash couldn’t find his boots.
Stretching, Sami teetered on tiptoes, reaching for one last bite.
It’s Thursday, but I hope you don’t mind that I’d still like to play!
I was making my bed just like every morning when a piece of paper fell out of the pillow.