1. Boring Beginnings Ways to NOT make a good first impression!!

2. Zero Eye Contact Intro It was a nice day to do something outside. I wondered what I could do, but couldn’t think of anything around the house that seemed fun. I was feeling bored and asked my mother what I should do. She didn’t have any ideas either.

3. The Never-Ending Small Talk Introduction One bright sunny July day I woke up. I got dressed and went down for breakfast. Dad had made me waffles with syrup and bacon on the side. It was delicious.

4. Never Ending…con’t I thought it would be a fun day to go to the beach, so I asked mom. She said fine, so I called Susan, but Susan had to go to the dentist. So I called Kate, and she couldn’t go either. Mom said, why don’t you call Maggie? So I did. Etc….

5. The Stick-to-the-Facts Introduction This story is about the day that I went to the beach and met a mermaid. I saw the mermaid and went up to her. We talked, Etc.. Etc..

6. The Cliché Introduction Once upon a time my mother brought me to the beach. We parked over near the hot dog stand and got out. I walked along until I saw something weird by the rocks. It was a mermaid!

7. The Tell-All-About-Me Introduction Hi, my name is Tiffany. I am eight years old and I live in Stratford, Connecticut. I have brown hair and green eyes. I have a dog and two cats who I love a lot. I am in third grade. I love the beach, which is why I am going to tell you about my adventure there last summer.

8. Journal this: For the sake of this discussion, let’s assume you occasionally find pleasure in reading. What exactly is it about the ACT of reading that makes it pleasurable? What does your brain DO that “lights your fire”? Look at a good book around you if you need inspiration….

9. Journal this too:  How can you (the writer) ensure that your readers have a GOOD experience reading your work?