101 Great Story Starters for Middle School

Encourage students to engage their imaginations using these fun story starters for middle school.

Generating ideas for writing can be a frustrating experience.

Writer’s block is a real thing, and the issue can cause students to produce very little content during writing block.

As teachers, you can help jump-start students’ ideas using story starters.

Story starters for middle school provide a framework students may use to begin their writing.

These starters add context and set the stage for elaborating ideas.

The problem though for teachers is coming up with enough story starters for middle school students.

That’s where these ideas come in.

The story starters here spark creativity, grow students’ love for writing, showcase their writing skills, and encourage them to think critically.

That’s why these story starters for middle school make a great addition to your collection of writing activities.

Here are 100+ of the best story starters for middle school students.

Story Starters for Middle School

The following middle school story starters encourage students to stretch their creativity skills.

1. I was sitting at a basketball game, minding my own business when suddenly this happened…

2. My parents won the lottery and told me that I could get anything that I wanted. First, I bought…

3. I woke up this morning and realized that I could fly! Here’s what I will do…

4. Yesterday, my family received a mysterious letter in the mail…

5. If there was no gravity…

6. Today’s lunch in the cafeteria was unusually horrible. Upon investigation, I discovered…

7. You are camping in the woods with a friend. All of sudden, you hear a scary noise…

8. You’re roaming in the forest. All of a sudden, a dinosaur appears…

9. A one-way ticket sat on his desk. In just two days, he would start his life over in…

10. Finally, my parents were ready to let me know whether I would get a…

11. I only had a few minutes to grab what mattered most to me. I quickly went to my room to grab…

12. The footsteps echoed through the halls. I was being chased by a…

13. You find an alien sleeping in your bed…

14. I received a surprise package in the mail when I got home from school. I eagerly tore it open to find…

15. My happiest memory is the time when…

16. It was Sam’s birthday party and all the students from the class were there. No one could have guessed what happened next.

17. I once set the Guinness World Record for…

18. My friends and I were walking home from school when we came across…

19. John was awakened by the sound of an animal crying for help. He looked out his window to see…

20. I’d always wanted to try it for myself. Finally, I gained the courage to attempt…

21. You discover a tree in your backyard that grows money…

22. The car was locked. Water was rushing inside as it sank to the bottom of the ocean. To save myself, I decided to try…

23. We waited patiently for the others to arrive for the special event. It was time to unleash…

24. Out of the five children in the small classroom, only one was prepared to deal with the threat of…

25. I’ve heard a lot of tall tales from my grandpa, but my favorite story is the one about…

26. Start a story with a lyric from a song.

27. After Goldilocks left the three bears, her next adventure…

28. I was running late again, so I ran to the bus as quickly as I could. In my hurry, I forgot to bring…

29. I saved my allowance all year. I finally had enough money to buy…

30. Let me tell you the story of the time that I saved…

31. By the time that I turn 30, I hope that…

32. There were 20 students at the start of the match. After three rounds, only two students remained.

33. Tom trusted everyone, which is probably why he agreed to…

34. I’ve never felt more scared in my life. Standing in front of me was…

35. Taylor and Jaime grew up together. They were best friends until…

36. I finally get to move to the city of my dreams. My parents just bought a home in…

37. My parents were going to be furious with me if they found out. I broke their favorite…

38. It was the last day of school and Fred was ready to…

39. I was about to become the youngest person ever to…

40. All it took was three tries for me to solve the riddle. I was now the proud owner of a new…

story starters for middle school
story starters for middle school

41. The delivery man held out a package. It was finally here. I had the last part for completing my…

42. No matter how hard I try, I keep forgetting how to…

43. I predict that in 20 years…

44. Pete couldn’t wait to get home from school and play with his new…

45. My grandparents finally told me the truth. I’m descended from…

46. I had three days to win the title of the best…

47. The street was busy. Cars were rushing by in every direction. Everyone was hurrying home before…

48. Rebecca understood the assignment. It was up to her and her alone to stop the…

49. It was going to be the best day of my life. As soon as the school bell rang, I ran out into the hallway and…

50. The tank was almost out of gas. He only had two more miles to go until he reached…

51. I was cold, alone, and tired, but I had a job to do. I needed to reach…

52. The three children stood in the middle of the room. They were trying to decide who would take the blame for…

53. The campfire was the only light for miles. I knew that it was only a matter of time before they found us.

54. Samantha read the letter a second time. She couldn’t believe that her mother was really a…

55. John saw two paths in front of him. If only he had gone left, he could have avoided…

56. The clown scared the children at the party. They were afraid of the…

57. Once upon a time, there were three wise…

58. I sent myself a warning from the future. I told myself to look out for…

59. I walked into the dining room to see a group of seven dogs sitting at the table playing poker. One dog turned to me and said…

60. For homework, I had to write eight-story starters for middle school. I couldn’t complete the assignment because…

story starters for middle school
story starters for middle school

61. You step out of your house, and it’s raining chicken nuggets…

62. Your teacher walks into the classroom barefoot one day…

63. You walk into your living room and there’s an elephant standing there…

64. Oh no! You accidentally put salt instead of sugar in your birthday cake…

65. As you’re writing, your pencil suddenly disappears into thin air. Complete the story.

66. You look out the window, and see that it’s raining popcorn. Write about what happens next.

67. I’ll never sleep in a treehouse again. It was horrible. Let me tell you what happened.

68. School changed for the better when they finally let us…

69. I think that my teacher is an alien. Yesterday, he accidentally…

70. A long time ago, three wizards decided to use their powers to…

71. My best friend is a robot! He helps me with…

72. I looked out the classroom window and saw a flying saucer in the field. A door opened and out walked…

73. The capsule was floating through space. I only had a few hours of air left. Luckily, I remembered to…

74. I once found a talking squirrel in the forest. Here’s what he had to say…

75. The aliens landed without warning. Instead of attacking us, they helped us solve…

76. “Put me down,” yelled my pencil. I dropped the talking pencil on my desk. It stood on its tip and started…

77. My pet monkey helps me with…

78. Once upon a time, a young boy/girl saved the world from…

79. Last year, I took a trip to the moon. It was a wonderful experience, except for…

80. My dog recently became a social media influencer and now travels the world. The best part of my dog’s fame is…

81. There once was an alien stranded on Earth. He landed in…

82. Generate a series of story starters for middle school that you think your classmates will like.

83. Last Christmas, my family decided to take a trip to…

84. I had planned the party for months. I had everything I needed, including…

85. It was ten to midnight. It would soon be time for the arrival of…

86. A few days ago, I discovered that I have superpowers. Most of the powers are useless, except for my ability to…

87. I almost drowned in quicksand one time. It’s a crazy story. It all started when…

88. The cave of Adal was guarded by an ancient dragon. To defeat the dragon, I needed to…

89. I took a sip from the cup. Within seconds, my skin started to…

90. “Where are you going?” asked the monster with tentacles.

91. The black cat strutted across the floor before turning back and saying, “Now what?”

92. I was having the time of my life in the hot-air balloon until things took a turn for the worst…

93. We were running out of time. In the distance, I could see…

94. The most amazing thing happened yesterday. It all started when…

95. I discovered a secret door in the back of my closet. You’ll never believe what I found.

96. I created a plan to solve one of the biggest problems facing the world. Here’s how I solved it…

97. The downtown bookstore was a quiet, dark place. It was also the key to solving the mystery of…

98. I ate the worst meal the other day. I had a pizza topped with…

99. It was the last house on a dead-end street. No one dared go near it, until…

100. My parents came home with a new dog yesterday. To everyone’s surprise, the dog can…

101. After waiting ten years, I was finally ready to tell them the truth. It was me who…

Final Thoughts: Story Starters for Middle School

Now you have an assortment of story starters for middle school to use during writer’s workshop.

For students who need support, teach how to respond well to these story starters for middle school.