ATTENTION GETTERS

1. ATTENTION GETTERS For Narrative Writing

2. Set the Scene A gentle breeze blew as the children gazed upon the sparkling water. The sunlight warmed them. It was one of those bright, warm days that kids dream of all winter long.

3. Reflective Question How much do we really know about our neighbors? Just because someone looks normal, should we assume everything’s okay?

4. Action A mob of screaming, panicked people poured out of the narrow walkways that ran alongside the canals. I saw a woman carrying a bleeding child who had nearly been buried by the crumbling brick buildings. Soon the reason for all the chaos came into sight—a large ship was trying to squeeze into the narrow canals of Venice!

5. Onomatopoeia THUMP! CRASH! BANG! It sounded like the entire house was crashing down. It was two weeks later, and once again Harold found himself chasing the annoying lump under the rug. This time, he used a dining room chair as a weapon.

6. Dialogue “How much longer?” whined 7-year-old Billy. “About an hour,” answered Billy’s older brother, Jim. “Go back to sleep. I’ll wake you before we get there.” “Promise?” “Have I ever let you down before?” Jim asked. Billy trustingly closed his eyes and rested his head on his big brother’s shoulder.

7. Fragments Dim lamplight. A ticking clock. Slow, steady breathing. Strange greenery sprouting from a book.

8. Alliteration As the river wound through the woods, a wondrous view was revealed.

9. Metaphor The Smith’s basement was a playground for unnatural creatures.

10. Definition Magic: an extraordinary power seemingly from a supernatural force. Tabitha never dreamed she would end up possessing such power.

11. Now it is YOUR turn to create an Attention Getter that fits the theme and the tone (mood) of your story. You may use one of the techniques demonstrated here, or another technique that draws the reader in and gets him/her interested in reading your story.