Break the blank page with a story starter
A story starter hands you 5 opening lines for a story — the first sentence that gets you moving before you've figured out the rest. Type a character, a mood, or a single image, and it writes 5 different story openers to choose from: some plain, some strange, each a real first line you could keep. Pick the one that pulls hardest and write from there.
Type an idea and see 5 opening lines free — no sign-up.
What makes a first line pull you in
A strong opening line drops you mid-motion — someone already wants something, or something's already wrong. Skip the weather and the throat-clearing; start a half-step after the interesting thing began. The best openers raise a question the reader has to keep reading to answer, and they do it in plain words, not fireworks.
- A locksmith who's never once locked her own door
- The day the sea went quiet
- A boy who trades his shadow for a warm coat
- Two strangers assigned the same seat on a night train
Story starter, questions answered
What is a story starter?
A story starter hands you 5 opening lines for a story — the first sentence that gets you moving before you've figured out the rest. Type a character, a mood, or a single image, and hellowriter writes 5 different openers to choose from, each a real first line you could keep.
Is the story starter free, and do I need an account?
Yes, hellowriter's story starter is free with no sign-up. Type an idea and see 5 opening lines in seconds; make an account only when you want to save one and build the whole story from it.
What makes a good opening line?
A strong opening line drops you mid-motion — someone already wants something, or something's already wrong. The story starter skips the weather and the throat-clearing, starting a half-step after the interesting thing began and raising a question you have to keep reading to answer.
What do I do after I pick an opening line?
Pick the line that pulls hardest, and hellowriter builds out from there — characters, a world and illustrated chapters that follow that first sentence. The story starter beats the blank page; the rest of the tool writes the actual story.