how to start off a myth essay

Tragic Tales and Epic Adventures: Essay Topics in Greek Mythology

Table of contents

• 1 Tips on Writing an Informative Essay on a Greek Mythical Character
• 2.1 Titles for Hero Essays 
• 2.2 Ancient Greece Research Topics
• 2.3 Common Myth Ideas for Essays
• 2.4 Topics about Greek Gods
• 2.5 Love Topics in the Essay about Greek Mythology

With its rich pantheon of gods, heroes, and timeless tales, Greek mythology has been a source of inspiration and fascination for centuries. From the mighty exploits of Hercules to the cunning of Odysseus, these myths offer a window into ancient Greek culture, values, and understanding of the world. This exploration delves into various aspects of Greek mythology topics, providing a wealth of ideas for a captivating essay. How do myths impact today’s society? Whether you’re drawn to the legendary heroes, the powerful gods, or the intricate relationships within these stories, there’s a trove of ideas to explore in Greek mythology research topics.

Tips on Writing an Informative Essay on a Greek Mythical Character

Crafting an informative essay on a Greek mythical character requires a blend of passionate storytelling, rigorous research, and insightful analysis. Yet, there are some tips you can follow to reach the best result. Read this student essay written about the Greek mythology guide.

• Select a Fascinating Character. Choose a Greek mythical character that genuinely interests you. Your passion for the character will enhance your writing and engage your readers.
• Conduct Thorough Research. Dive into the character’s background, roles in various myths, and their significance in Greek mythology. Use reliable sources such as academic papers, respected mythology books, and scholarly articles to gather comprehensive and accurate information.
• Analyze Characteristics and Symbolism. Explore the deeper meanings behind your character’s actions and traits. Discuss what they symbolize in Greek culture and mythology.
• Use a Clear Structure. Organize your essay logically. Ensure each paragraph flows smoothly to the next, maintaining a coherent and compelling narrative.
• Incorporate Quotes and References. Use quotes from primary sources and reference key scholars to support your points. This adds credibility and depth to your essay.
• Edit and Revise. Finally, thoroughly revise your essay for clarity, coherence, and grammatical accuracy. A well-edited essay ensures your ideas are conveyed effectively.

By following these tips, you can create a compelling essay that recounts famous myths and explores the rich symbolic and cultural significance of these timeless tales.

Greek Mythology Topics for an Essay

Explore the rich tapestry of Greek mythology ideas with these intriguing essay topics, encompassing legendary heroes, ancient gods, and the timeless themes that have captivated humanity for millennia. Dive into the stories of Hercules, the wisdom of Athena, the complexities of Olympian deities, and the profound lessons embedded in these ancient tales. Each topic offers a unique window into the world of Greek myths, inviting a deep exploration of its cultural and historical significance.

Titles for Hero Essays  

• Hercules: Heroism and Humanity 
• Achilles: The Warrior’s Tragedy
• Odysseus: Cunning over Strength
• Theseus and the Minotaur: Symbolism and Society
• Perseus and Medusa: A Tale of Courage
• Jason and the Argonauts: The Quest for the Golden Fleece
• Atalanta: Challenging Gender Roles
• Ajax: The Unsung Hero of the Trojan War
• Bellerophon and Pegasus: Conquest of the Skies
• Hector: The Trojan Hero
• Diomedes: The Underrated Warrior of the Iliad
• Heracles and the Twelve Labors: A Journey of Redemption
• Orpheus: The Power of Music and Love
• Castor and Pollux: The Gemini Twins
• Philoctetes: The Isolated Warrior

Ancient Greece Research Topics

• The Trojan War: Myth and History. Examining the blending of mythological and historical elements in the story of the Trojan War.
• The Role of Oracles in Ancient Greek Society. Exploring how oracles influenced decision-making and everyday life in Ancient Greece.
• Greek Mythology in Classical Art and Literature. Analyzing the representation and influence of Greek myths in classical art forms and literary works.
• The Historical Impact of Greek Gods on Ancient Civilizations. Investigating how the worship of Greek gods shaped the societal, cultural, and political landscapes of ancient civilizations.
• Mythology’s Influence on Ancient Greek Architecture. Studying the impact of mythological themes and figures on the architectural designs of Ancient Greece.
• Athenian Democracy and Mythology. Exploring the connections between the development of democracy in Athens and the city’s rich mythological traditions.
• Minoan Civilization and Greek Mythology. Delving into the influence of Greek mythology on the Minoan civilization, particularly in their art and religious practices.
• The Mycenaean Origins of Greek Myths. Tracing the roots of Greek mythology back to the Mycenaean civilization and its culture.
• Greek Mythology and the Development of Theater. Discuss how mythological stories and characters heavily influenced ancient Greek plays.
• Olympic Games and Mythological Foundations. Examining the mythological origins of the ancient Olympic Games and their cultural significance.
• Maritime Myths and Ancient Greek Navigation. Investigating how Greek myths reflected and influenced ancient Greek seafaring and exploration.
• The Impact of Hellenistic Culture on Mythology. Analyzing how Greek mythology evolved and spread during the Hellenistic period.
• Alexander the Great and Mythological Imagery. Studying the use of mythological symbolism and imagery in portraying Alexander the Great.
• Greek Gods in Roman Culture. Exploring how Greek mythology was adopted and adapted by the Romans.
• Spartan Society and Mythological Ideals. Examining Greek myths’ role in shaping ancient Sparta’s values and lifestyle.

Common Myth Ideas for Essays

• The Concept of Fate and Free Will in Greek Myths. Exploring how Greek mythology addresses the tension between destiny and personal choice.
• Mythological Creatures and Their Meanings. Analyzing the symbolism and cultural significance of creatures like the Minotaur, Centaurs, and the Hydra.
• The Underworld in Greek Mythology: A Journey Beyond. Delving into the Greek concept of the afterlife and the role of Hades.
• The Role of Women in Greek Myths. Examining the portrayal of female characters, goddesses, and heroines in Greek mythology.
• The Transformation Myths in Greek Lore. Investigating stories of metamorphosis and their symbolic meanings, such as Daphne and Narcissus.
• The Power of Prophecies in Greek Myths. Discussing the role and impact of prophetic declarations in Greek mythological narratives.
• Heroism and Hubris in Greek Mythology. Analyzing how pride and arrogance are depicted and punished in various myths.
• The Influence of Greek Gods in Human Affairs. Exploring stories where gods intervene in the lives of mortals, shaping their destinies.
• Nature and the Gods: Depictions of the Natural World. Examining how natural elements and phenomena are personified through gods and myths.
• The Significance of Sacrifice in Greek Myths. Investigating the theme of voluntary and forced sacrifice in mythological tales.
• Greek Mythology as a Reflection of Ancient Society. Analyzing how Greek myths mirror ancient Greek society’s social, political, and moral values.
• Mythical Quests and Adventures. Exploring the journeys and challenges heroes like Jason, Perseus, and Theseus face.
• The Origins of the Gods in Greek Mythology. Tracing the creation stories and familial relationships among the Olympian gods.
• Lessons in Morality from Greek Myths. Discussing the moral lessons and ethical dilemmas presented in Greek mythology.
• The Influence of Greek Myths on Modern Culture. Examining how elements of Greek mythology continue to influence contemporary literature, film, and art.

Topics about Greek Gods

• Zeus: King of Gods. Exploring Zeus’s leadership in Olympus, his divine relationships, and mortal interactions.
• Athena: Goddess of Wisdom and War. Analyzing Athena’s embodiment of intellect and battle strategy in myths.
• Apollo vs. Dionysus: Contrast of Sun and Ecstasy. Comparing Apollo’s rationality with Dionysus’s chaotic joy.
• Hera: Marriage and Jealousy. Examining Hera’s multifaceted nature, focusing on her matrimonial role and jealous tendencies.
• Poseidon: Ruler of Seas and Quakes. Investigating Poseidon’s dominion over the oceans and seismic events.
• Hades: Lord of the Underworld. Delving into Hades’s reign in the afterlife and associated myths.
• Aphrodite: Essence of Love and Charm. Exploring Aphrodite’s origins, romantic tales, and divine allure.
• Artemis: Protector of Wilderness. Discussing Artemis’s guardianship over nature and young maidens.
• Hephaestus: Craftsmanship and Fire. Analyzing Hephaestus’s skills in metallurgy and his divine role.
• Demeter: Goddess of Harvest and Seasons. Investigating Demeter’s influence on agriculture and seasonal cycles.
• Ares: Embodiment of Warfare. Delving into Ares’s aggressive aspects and divine relations.
• Hermes: Divine Messenger and Trickster. Exploring Hermes’s multifaceted roles in Olympian affairs.
• Dionysus: Deity of Revelry and Wine. Analyzing Dionysus’s cultural impact and festive nature.
• Persephone: Underworld’s Queen. Discussing Persephone’s underworld journey and dual existence.
• Hercules: From Hero to God. Examining Hercules’s legendary labors and deification.

Love Topics in the Essay about Greek Mythology

• Orpheus and Eurydice’s Tragedy. Analyzing their poignant tale of love, loss, and music.
• Aphrodite’s Influence. Exploring her role as the embodiment of love and beauty.
• Zeus’s Love Affairs. Investigating Zeus’s romantic escapades and their effects.
• Eros and Psyche’s Journey. Delving into their story of trust, betrayal, and love’s victory.
• Love and Desire in Myths. Discussing the portrayal and impact of love in Greek myths.
• Hades and Persephone’s Love. Analyzing their complex underworld relationship.
• Paris and Helen’s Romance. Examining their affair’s role in sparking the Trojan War.
• Pygmalion and Galatea’s Tale. Exploring the theme of transcendent artistic love.
• Alcestis and Admetus’s Sacrifice. Investigating the implications of Alcestis’s self-sacrifice.
• Apollo’s Unrequited Love for Daphne. Discussing unreciprocated love and transformation.
• Hercules and Deianira’s Tragic Love. Exploring their love story and its tragic conclusion.
• Jason and Medea’s Turmoil. Analyzing their intense, betrayal-marred relationship.
• Cupid and Psyche’s Resilience. Delving into the strength of their love.
• Baucis and Philemon’s Reward. Exploring their love’s reward by the gods.
• Achilles and Patroclus’s Bond. Discussing their deep connection and its wartime impact.

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How to Write a Greek Mythology Essay

Introduction

Greek mythology has fascinated scholars and enthusiasts for centuries. The epic tales of gods, heroes, and mythical creatures have captivated the imagination of people across the globe. Writing a Greek mythology essay provides the perfect opportunity to delve into this engrossing subject and showcase your knowledge and analytical skills. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the key components of a successful Greek mythology essay and provide valuable tips and insights to help you craft an outstanding piece of academic writing.

Understanding Greek Mythology

Before embarking on your essay, it's important to have a solid understanding of Greek mythology's rich tapestry. Greek mythology encompasses a vast array of gods, goddesses, heroes, and mythical creatures, each with their own unique attributes and stories. Familiarize yourself with the major gods and goddesses, such as Zeus, Athena, and Apollo, as well as renowned heroes like Hercules and Perseus. Additionally, acquaint yourself with prominent myths, such as the Trojan War and the adventures of Odysseus in the Odyssey . This foundation will provide you with a wealth of material to analyze and discuss in your essay.

Choosing a Topic

When selecting a topic for your Greek mythology essay, consider your personal interests and the specific requirements of your assignment. You could focus on a particular god or goddess and explore their significance in Greek mythology, examining their roles and associated myths. Alternatively, you may opt to discuss a specific heroic figure and analyze their portrayal in various myths.

Another approach is to explore the overarching themes present in Greek mythology, such as the concept of fate, the power dynamics between gods and mortals, or the representation of women in ancient Greek society. By narrowing down your topic and selecting a specific angle, you can delve deeper into the subject matter and present a more focused and compelling essay.

Research and Gathering Sources

A successful Greek mythology essay relies on thorough research and a solid understanding of the primary sources. Dig deep into the works of renowned Greek writers, such as Homer, Hesiod, and Ovid, who have provided invaluable insights into the mythology of ancient Greece. Explore their epics and poems, such as the Iliad and the Metamorphoses , to gain a comprehensive understanding of the myths and characters.

In addition to classical sources, consult modern academic books, articles, and scholarly journals to gain different perspectives and interpretations. This will enable you to present a well-rounded analysis of your chosen topic and demonstrate your ability to engage with reputable sources.

Structuring Your Essay

A well-structured essay is crucial for conveying your ideas coherently and logically. Begin with an engaging introduction that provides background information on Greek mythology and presents your thesis statement. Your thesis statement should clearly state your argument or the main point you'll be discussing in your essay.

Subsequently, organize your essay into distinct paragraphs that focus on specific aspects or themes. Each paragraph should have a clear topic sentence that introduces the main idea and supports your thesis. Use evidence from your research to support your claims and ensure a well-supported argument.

Remember to include appropriate citations and references whenever you include information from external sources. This demonstrates your academic integrity and strengthens your arguments.

Analyzing and Interpreting the Myths

Throughout your essay, aim to provide thoughtful analysis and interpretation of the myths you're discussing. Consider the cultural, historical, and societal contexts in which these myths were created, and explore their relevance and enduring impact on literature and popular culture.

Examine the themes, symbolism, and character motivations present in the myths. Compare and contrast different versions of the same myth to gain a deeper understanding of the variations and underlying messages. Engage with scholarly debates and offer your own well-reasoned interpretations.

In your conclusion, summarize your main arguments and restate your thesis in a concise manner. Reflect on the broader significance of Greek mythology and its enduring legacy. Conclude with a thought-provoking statement that leaves the reader with a lasting impression.

Final Thoughts

Writing a Greek mythology essay provides a captivating journey into the world of ancient gods and heroes. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you'll be well-equipped to craft an exceptional essay that showcases your knowledge and analytical prowess.

Remember to dedicate ample time to research, planning, and revision. Engage with primary and secondary sources, formulate a strong thesis, and present your arguments coherently. With these tools at your disposal, you'll be able to write an essay that stands out from the rest and demonstrates your expertise in the captivating realm of Greek mythology.

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Writing tips 1: How to Work with Myths and Legends

Published on Wednesday 7th May 2014 by Lucy Coats

Since I am this mad mythology-obsessed writer, I thought I’d kick off my series of occasional writing tips and tricks with brief ‘useful guide’ for those of you who might be interested in this area of fiction too, but weren’t quite sure how or where to begin. So, first I’ll ask the obvious question!

What use are myths and legends to a fiction writer? Why should I use them as a starting point for my stories?

Myths and legends—and fairytales and folklore too—are a fantastic resource for the writer, a huge treasure chest of goodies to spark the creative imagination.  Just look at what’s out there for you to plunder!  There’s the Greeks (all those fallible and rather human gods and goddesses, as well as a whole clutch of butch heroes and scary monsters); there’s the Celts (more muscle-bound heroes, plus the original elves or fairies in their many manifestations):  there’s the Norse lot (warrior gods and ice giants and brave maidens with breastplates); there’s the Eastern Europeans (witches, vampires, werewolves); there’s the Far East (here be wise and intelligent dragons); there’s the Aboriginal Australians (bunyips, songlines, animal Ancestors); there’s the Americas North and South (thunderbirds, tricksters, hidden cities of gold) – and then there’s my newest discovery, the Egyptians (shape-shifting animal gods and goddesses, a scary underworld, the magic of sun and moon).

Are you excited yet?  Because I am, just writing down a fraction of what’s out there for you. Go forth and raid your local library at once! Devour the mythology section bit by bit, and read it all. If you don’t get some kind of idea for your book after that, I’ll be willing to consider eating my hat. With ketchup and possibly a side-order of Worcestershire Sauce.

What if I want to do retellings? How much should I remain faithful to existing texts?

I’m not going to lie.  Retellings can be tricky, especially if you’re going to be doing them for children. I should know—I’ve done over 150 of them, both Greek and Celtic, as well as retellings of Oscar Wilde and other more modern writers. It’s important a) to know your original source material and b) to know what to skate over/ignore/discard.  As you can imagine, the Greek myths have lots of incest, murder, rape and all that.  People always ask me how I ‘get round it’.  My answer is that since kids don’t know it was there in the first place, they won’t know it’s missing—and if they get hooked on myths through my stories, they can always go and look at the originals for themselves later on.  The most important thing is to make the story exciting and accessible in language terms. I’ve never had a kid ask a tricky question about why Zeus has children with his sisters, by the way, nor about his dodgy habit of turning into animals or birds to seduce young and pretty maidens.

How much research should I do?

I have a whole bookshelf devoted to myths and legends—both the original tales themselves, and research relating to them, which I refer to all the time. Even though most of them are in my head already, there are always details I need to check up on.  And if there’s a relevant book that I need and I haven’t got, or that is out of print, I hunt it down, either in my local library or via secondhand bookshops on the internet (Abe Books www.abebooks.co.uk is always a good place to start).  Research is never wasted—but my Top Tip is to be sure and keep notes on page numbers of where you find useful stuff.  It can be maddening and time-consuming to comb your books for that vital fact you remember seeing somewhere and need right now! I’ve made that mistake FAR too often!

How do I tackle the job of incorporating existing myths into my work of original fiction? How much creative licence am I allowed?

I have huge fun with the retellings, but they can seem a little constricting.  I found writing my own first novel incredibly liberating in that respect, because I wasn’t hemmed in by having to stick to a script, and it was the same with my forthcoming Beasts of Olympus series, in which I take characters and creatures from Greek myth and weave them into my own story, taking a few liberties along the way, but trying to remain true to the essentials of the originals.

So, in your case, let’s say something mythological takes your fancy.  You want to write a novel about, for example, a modern-day American boy who finds out he’s the son of Poseidon…oh wait—Rick Riordan already did that with Percy Jackson!  There’s a long and honourable line of authors who have taken elements of myth and done whatever the heck they wanted with them.  There’s the greatest myth-plunderer of all, JRR Tolkien, there’s Neil Gaiman (American Gods etc), Joanne Harris (Runemarks), Kevin Crossley-Holland (The Arthur trilogy)—and then there’s me.

My first teen novel, Hootcat Hill , has elements of Celtic and Norse myth, plus a smidgin of Arthurian legend thrown into the mix.  I took a lot of liberties and I found it made me want to go ‘wheeeee!’ with a slightly naughty sense of excitement every time I did so.  This was my story, and who had the right to inform me it ‘didn’t happen that way because Ovid (or whoever) tells it differently’?  No one, that’s who!  I think as long as you have a passion for and know your original sources well, it’s ok to treat them with a little ‘loving disrespect’.  In my case, I made the Norse Völundr (Weland) into a modern blacksmith in red leathers, who rides a fast motorbike and has a bad line in jokes.

The two YA novels I’m working on at the moment stray into a slightly different territory – the one where actual history meets mythology. No one knows anything concrete about Cleopatra’s life before she entered the history books, but she’s a real person. That meant I could let my imagination go free, and, as she was later described as ‘the new Isis’, it seemed right to make Isis her patron goddess and a very real presence in Cleo’s life.

Myths are not just for dry, dusty old anthropology professors to muse over in their ivory towers—they’re living stories which we continually reinvent for the times we live in. And it’s up to us as writers and tellers of tales to make sure they never die or are forgotten.  So have fun exploring loads of different myths and thinking ‘What If’?  Because you never know what might happen!

8 comments so far

A good post. With thousands of years of literature at our disposal, there can be no excuse for writer’s / illustrators’ block. Loved the “myth-plunderer” line. Got me to wondering if there’s such a thing as a modern myth?

Regardless, a very good read!

This is wonderful! It’s so great to see another author’s take on retelling the myths of old.

I am trying that out too. I am writing a Romeo & Juliet/Little Red Riding Hood retelling with a greek mythology setting.

I am planning a Bajirao Mastani/Rumpelstiltskin retelling with hindu mythology setting.

it seems really fun to do all the research and yet twist it to what my characters require. Even more because I have to find a common ground between both.

thank you for this it was definitely a confidence boost for me (I’m only 12 but hopefully I’ll become the next big thing)

I love this article as I am fascinated by the amazing tales in myth and folklore. At the moment I’m writing a book where the main character is half Hulder (from Scandinavian folklore). However I was wondering, is it ok to take creatures from other places’ myths and folklore if it’s relevant to the story? I’d like for this universe to have all sorts of creatures from near every myth (each originally living in where they were spoken of but in modern day they mainly roam the earth wherever). I was wondering if that was ok. I’m definitely doing research and not just throwing them in, so I hope I’m not disrespecting them.

So glad you liked the piece and found it useful. Also, good question. Many fantasies have in the past used mythical creatures in a mix from all the mythologies. However, there has been a lot of anger over cultural appropriation in recent times, even when research has been thorough. Right now, using creatures/beings from a culture clearly not the author’s own (and entirely set in that culture) is often seen as problematic by editors. It’s a difficult one, but I think being respectful and not using/perpetuating stereotypes is where to start. I guess if your world has a cornucopia of nations who interact together, you’ll probably be fine. Personally, I like the idea of all the mythos working together. It’s why I wrote a book with Greek and Norse gods in it! Good luck with the writing! PS I love the Hulderfolk.

So sorry for the late reply. This blog isn’t active any more, so I don’t visit often. Glad it boosted your confidence and good luck with any writing you’re doing. I shall look out for a Human Bean bestseller on the bookshelves in due course.

Thank you. And yes I understand the issue of perpetuating stereotypes, I’ll be sure to be careful about that in my writing. I wouldn’t want to offend, only write a good story and show people cool myths they never knew of before. 🙂

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10 Writing Prompts from Greek Mythology

Not sure what you want to write your next story about? Need some inspiration to add life to a current project? Ever thought about using writing prompts from Greek mythology?

Storytelling has been around since there have been people with language. Humans need to experience their world through stories and through connections to others. These are stories that have been around for thousands of years, which means there is something compelling about them. Getting your writing inspiration from Greek Mythology can be a fun way to revitalize your own storytelling methods. The Greeks had some pretty amazing stories. Even Shakespeare was influenced by Greek mythology. Romeo and Juliet is an adaptation (of an adaptation) of the myth of Pyramus and Thisbe.

Using a myth as a starting point helps to give you a basic outline so you can focus on adding details and developing characters. To make it interesting you can play with the original story by changing key elements. What happens if you change the gender of the main character? What if you zoom the story into the future? They myths are often vague enough you can give the characters more detailed motivations. Change the relationships or the outcome of the story. See what the myth makes you think of and run with it. Have fun!

Below is a list of 10 writing prompts from Greek mythology and some ways you could use them to make an all new story.

And if you find these helpful, try the  prompts from Irish , Norse , and Bulgarian myths.

1) Pyramus and Thisbe

Pyramus and Thisbe were two young people whose parents hated each other. The two were never allowed to spend time together but came to fall in love by talking through a hole in the wall. They decided to meet in person one night and arranged to meet near an old tomb under a mulberry tree. Thisbe got there first and saw a lion, bloody with its last meal, and fled in terror, leaving behind her veil. Pyramus then arrived, saw the veil, and assumed the lion had eaten his beloved. He fell on his sword under the mulberry tree. When Thisbe returned she saw Pyramus and lamented his death bitterly. She then killed herself with the same sword. Their blood splashed on the mulberry tree and the gods changed the color to red permanently in honor of the two lovers.

Writing Prompt

This is a story that has been done many times. For a fresh take, try changing the genre. You could have star-crossed lovers on a generation ship headed to colonize a new planet. Then an alien parasite takes over and makes people see their worst nightmares, in this case making the lovers see the image of each other dead. You could keep the ending or perhaps they find a way to fight it.

2) Sisyphus

King Sisyphus was overall a terrible man. He murdered his guests, a violation of the guest-host relationship Greeks prided themselves on, and generally ruled by force and cruelty. Furthermore he often claimed to be cleverer than Zeus, which was ultimately his downfall. On two different occasions he managed cheat death. The first time was when he betrayed a secret of Zeus so the god ordered Thanatos, Death, to chain Sisyphus in the Underworld. Sisyphus tricked Thanatos into getting chained himself and then escaped. As long as Death was chained, no one could die. No one could make sacrifices to the gods and no one could die in war. Ares eventually got angry that is wars were not as interesting with no death so he went and freed Thanatos and delivered Sisyphus.

Upon being delivered to the Underworld this time, the arrogant King tricked Persephone into letting him go. Finally Zeus stepped in and instead of letting Sisyphus spend his death in the Elysian Fields, forced him to push a rock up a hill. Zeus tricked Sisyphus by enchanting the rock to roll away from him and back down the hill making the task last for eternity.

Create a character who breaks a cherished tradition or challenges a respected authority. What creative punishments can you come up with? The story could be from the perspective of the rule-breaker, perhaps s/he is misunderstood or was tricked him/herself. Or make it from the perspective of the law enforcer tracking down the culprit after s/he escapes, for the first or second time.

3) Pygmalion and Galatea

Pygmalion was a sculptor on Cyprus. He had had a bad experience with some prostitutes and swore off women entirely, disdaining them all because of his experience. When he returned home be began working on a new project, an ivory carving of a woman he called Galatea. He poured everything into the sculpture and soon it was more beautiful than any woman alive. He cherished it and dressed it and brought it gifts. One day, he sacrificed a bull at the temple of Aphrodite. The goddess saw him and knew his desire. She granted his wish and gave him a sign, making the flames shoot up three times. When Pygmalion returned home he found his statue had come to life. Aphrodite blessed them with a happy, loving marriage and they even had a son.

Try this story with a gender swap. Or maybe imagine what a normal person would do when a statue came to life – freak out! You could also try from the statue’s point of view; is she conscious while she is ivory? How does she adjust to being alive?

Halcyon was the daughter of Aeolus the ruler of the winds. She was married to Ceyx, the king of Tachis. Their love was so strong even the gods knew about it. When Ceyx had to travel to consult the oracle at Delphi, Halcyon begged him not to go by boat because she was afraid of the sea. He went anyway and was lost in a storm. But before he drowned he asked Poseidon to bring his body back to the shore where Halcyon could find him.

Meanwhile, Haclyon asked Hera to keep him safe. Too late to save him, Hera sent Morpheus to tell her of Ceyx’s death. Halcyon was so distraught that she threw herself into the sea. The gods were so moved by her devotion that they transformed her and Ceyx into kingfisher birds so they could remain together on the shores. Aeolus calms the winds every January to allow the kingfishers to nest and raise their eggs. These are called the Halcyon days.

What if instead of dying in a storm Ceyx was deliberately attacked by one of the gods or even Halcyon’s father. Imagine if their deaths were faked and they were put into a sort of divine witness protection.

5) Bellerophontes and Pegasus

Bellerophontes, besides having one of the coolest names ever, was an adventurer. He loved looking for trouble and was an accomplished equestrian. His friend, Proteus a sea god, became jealous and sent Bellerophontes to his father in law in Lycia with a note that said the messenger should be killed. Bellerophontes didn’t know he shouldn’t trust Proteus so he delivered the note to the king. The king decided that instead of killing him outright, he would send Bellerophontes to kill the chimera who had been terrorizing region.

In order to succeed Bellerophontes was told he needed to tame Pegasus. He was advised to pray to Athena and sleep in her temple for a solution. He did so and Athena came to him in a dream. She told him where Pegasus went for water and gave him a golden bridle. Bellerophontes found Pegasus and waited, hiding, until the winged horse came and knelt for a drink. Then he jumped on the horse’s back and put the bridle on. Pegasus took to the sky and tried to get free but Bellerophontes kept a firm hold and eventually won the contest. Together the pair defeated the chimera, freeing the people of Lycia and winning the King’s daughter.

But Bellerophontes wanted more adventure. He wanted to fly Pegasus to Mt. Olympus. The gods were incredulous and Zeus decided to take action. He sent a gadfly to bite Pegasus, who then threw Bellerophontes. Athena saved the adventurer’s life but he was crippled. He spent the rest of his days searching for Pegasus but could not find him because Zeus kept the flying horse for himself.

This would be another fun one for a gender swap. Try making Bellerphontes a woman who wants to adventure despite social norms regarding women. Her friend might try to get her killed with the note to keep her from rocking the boat. Perhaps her fall from Pegasus comes when she tries to achieve too much for her sex. Or maybe she succeeds and shows them all.

6) Orpheus and Eurydice

Orpheus was the son of Apollo and Calliope, one of the muses, and had incredible skill with the lyre. He fell in love with Eurydice and they were happily married for a long time. But one day while out for a walk, Eurydice was harassed by a man who was beguiled by her beauty. She tried running away but was bitten by a snake and died. Orpheus was so distraught he played a song on his lyre that moved all the people and things on the earth. The gods were so touched that they allowed Orpheus to go to Hades to see his wife.

Orpheus played for Hades and Persephone and earned his wife back. The condition was that he could not turn to look back at her until he was fully in the light of the earth again. Just shy of the light, Orpheus began to doubt Hades because he couldn’t hear Eurydice’s footsteps. He turned and saw her as she was whisked back down to the Underworld. Again grief tore through Orpheus and he played his lyre and begged for death to take him so he could join his beloved. A pack of beasts, or Zeus with a lightning bolt, granted his wish and killed him. (But the muses kept his head and enchanted it to keep singing.)

This time change the genre. What would happen if this story took place in a distant future where humans are perfecting the ability to revive the dead. Orpheus tries to bring his love back but somehow loses his faith and loses her again at the last minute. Or, maybe humans have discovered a way to see into the afterlife and Orpheus treks into the unknown to bring her back but something goes wrong. You could always throw in some aliens for good measure.

7) Atalanta

Atalanta was an interesting figure and has several stories surrounding her. When she was born her father, King Shoeneus wanted a son so he abandoned her on a mountaintop to die or be saved by the gods. A bear adopted her and Atalanta became an impressive hunter. She took part in the hunt for the Calendonian Boar, making most of the men in the hunting party angry, but she was the first to draw blood from the beast.

Meleager, who eventually abandoned his wife for Atalanta, fell in lover with her and awarded her the boar’s skin. His uncles were furious that a woman was given the skin and Meleager killed them for their actions. Atalanta returned Meleager’s love but had sworn a vow of chastity to the goddess Artemis because of a prophesy that said losing her virginity would be disastrous for her. Distraught, Meleager joined the Argonauts to get away but Atalanta joined the crew to follow him upsetting Jason and many of the other crew members. But she took part in battles and was a benefit to the crew. She even won a wrestling match against Peleus.

Through the boar hunt, Atalanta’s father found out about her and wanted her back to marry her off. She did not want to, however, and forced him to agree that a suitor would have to beat her in a footrace, or be killed. He agreed and many men died in the attempt to win her hand. Finally, Hippomenes won by asking Aphrodite for help. She gave him three golden apples, which could not be resisted. When Atalanta pulled ahead of him in the race, he rolled out an apple and she had to go after it. He won the race and she married him.

They had a son, Parthenopaios, and lived happily for a while but met an unfortunate end. They ended up being punished either for making love in the temple of Zeus or for not giving Athena proper honor. The two were turned into lions, which were believed to only mate with leopards and not other lions, meaning they wouldn’t be able to be together anymore.

Atalanta provides many stories to work with. Pick one or put them all together into a longer work. The story of Atalanta and Meleager would make for a compelling romantic tragedy (typical Greeks). You could also change it some. Perhaps Atalanta is under a curse that the two must break in order to be together. (There, teach those Greeks it doesn’t always have to end in tragedy.)

8) Theseus and the Minotaur

After his son was assassinated, King Minos of Crete declared war on Athens. As the result of a war or of Athen’s surrender, every nine years seven Athenian boys and seven girls were sent to Crete as sacrifice. They were forced into the Labrynth to face the Minotaur. On the third shipment of youths, Theseus volunteered to go and slay the beast.

When he got there, King Minos’ daughter, Ariadne, offered to help Theseus. He told her he would take her with when he escaped. She gave him a ball of thread to mark his path and told him how to get to the center. He made his way to the Minotaur and killed and decapitated it. Theseus escaped in the night with the Athenian youths, Ariadne and her sister. They stopped on the island of Naxos to rest and Athena woke Theseus early, telling him to abandon Ariadne there. Theseus left before she woke. Ariadne was distraught when she woke alone and the god Dionysus, whose island she was on, felt bad for her and married her.

Write this one from Ariadne’s point of view. It is usually taken for granted that Ariadne fell in love with brave Theseus and wanted him to take her away and marry her. Write it as though she used him to get out and arranged for him to leave her on Naxos so she could live out her own life.

9) Cassandra

The story of Cassandra is a tragedy through and through. Cassandra was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy and a priestess of Apollo. She was given the gift of prophesy by Apollo in exchange for sleeping with him. When she refused he then cursed his original gift so that no one would believe her prophesies. This caused most people to believe she was mad and in some versions her father locked her up, causing her to truly become mad.

She tried many times to tell the Trojans about the impending war, the many loses, the Greek-filled horse, and the aftermath. Of course, no one believed her and she was forced to watch everything happen as she foresaw. During the sack of the city, Ajax the Lessor found her clinging to the statue of Athena in her temple. Despite rules about touching supplicants and sex in temples he raped her. Athena was so furious that she punished Ajax, his people, and the Greeks who didn’t punish him. This is what caused the storm that sent Odysseus off course.

In the end Cassandra ended up going home with Agamemnon with the spoils of war. She tried one more prophesy, telling him of their murders by his wife and brother. It naturally came true and they were both slain.

I would love to read a story about Space Cassandra. But it would also be fun to see a take where Cassandra finds a way to make people do what she wants them to do. She knows they won’t believe the truth but what if she could fashion lies that would lead them in the right direction. She could play up the madness and have all sorts of hijinx as well.

10) Hercules

This last myth is one close to my heart. I used this one as inspiration for my own current writing project. I don’t have space to do the whole thing but I’ll give the highlights.

Hercules was the son of Zeus and Alcmene. Hera was incredibly jealous and decided to ruin Hercules’ life. She made him go mad and kill his entire family. When he came to, he realized what he’d done and, even though he had been forgiven legally, sought some sort of penance. He ended up working for King Eurystheus doing a total of twelve labors.

The tasks included killing a lion whose skin could not be penetrated, cleaning the stables of immortal horses, capturing a deer sacred to Artemis, gathering a lost herd of cattle, and slaying a number of beasts. They were all designed to kill him and/or humiliate him. Hera was pulling the strings the whole time and trying to get rid of him.

Athena helped him along the way and he eventually completed all the tasks. Some traditions say that when he was done he joined Jason and the Argonauts on the quest for the golden fleece.

This time I’ll let you know how I adapted the myth. First I did a gender swap. I changed Hercules to a young woman and decided to make her a student and instead of killing her family in a magic-induced fury, she kills people at the school. I also made it take place on a system of moons, giving the story a science-fiction feel. In my version she doesn’t know who made her go mad and the series revolves around discovering this and putting a stop to it.

I could find writing prompts from Greek mythology all day. Ancient myths are great sources of writing inspiration. I gave suggestions for each of the myths I listed but you could come up with dozens of ways to customize each one. Look for the fundamental story type of the myth and then have fun with the details.

Unfortunately I couldn’t include all of the myths. Let me know in the comments what Greek myths you’d like to use for writing inspiration.

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You are a very clever person!

QuixoticQuill

That’s very kind of you. 🙂

Salvador Shunk

I am thankful that I observed this web site, precisely the right info that I was searching for! .

These are awesome prompts! You’re so creative. Hope your writing project went well.

Thank you so much! I hope you get some good use out of them. Feel free to link back to your stories if you do.

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130 Inspiring Greek Mythology Topics

Do you have to write a Greek mythology essay as a class assignment? But you are uncertain about where to begin with such a task, right? The answer is a good topic. A thoughtful topic will guide you on what to research for writing a perfect essay and more.

Speaking of which, this interesting blog post offers excellent lists of exciting Greek mythology essay topics. Something you will get by hiring a  paper writing service  online. So, without further ado, let’s quickly get through these lists.

Table of Contents

130 Unique and Impressive Greek Mythology Topics

Let’s begin exploring top lists of awesome myth ideas for essays from  professional research paper writers  trusted worldwide.

50 Unique Greek Mythology Topics

When you hear or read the term Greek mythology, words like magic, myths, and more would surely pop up in your head. Interestingly, you’ll find a lot of these terminologies in our first list of myth ideas for essays below.

• A quick comparison between different established Greek Myths.
• How fate plays a role in Greek Mythology Hades and Zeus. 
• How has Athena evolved over the years? 
• What should you know about the myth of Prometheus? Who came up as a winner in the fate vs. free will in the story of Oedipus?
• The journey of Hercules.
• What are the Greek reflections on love and vanity? 
• What should you know about Medusa?
• Understanding the symbol of excellence in Greek Mythology.
• The history and family background of Persephone.
• The secret story of Pandora’s box.
• The Greek Mythology on love and loss.
• What should we know about the myth of Sisyphus?
• The hidden truth about the tale of Icarus.
• What should we know about the mysterious Greek trials?
• Understanding the myths of three fates. 
• When and where the Trojan War Originated? 
• Everything you need to know about the story of Perseus.
• What’s the Greek concept of threads of life? 
• Things we should know about the Trojan War. 
• The hidden truth in the story of Perseus.
• Greek Mythology and the power of song.
• The connection between Artemis and Apollo.
• Hidden facts in the story of Pygmalion and Galatea.
• What should we know about the journey of Odysseus?
• What is the Greek concept of the God of Ecstasy?
• Things you don’t know about the story of Pyramus and Thisble. 
• The cycle of life and death in Greek Mythology. 
• Things you don’t know about the myths of Atlas.
• Greek Myths about the strength of Hercules. 
• The hidden truth about the story of Achilles.
• What should we know about Eros and Psyche’s love story?
• Oracle and its role in Greek Society. 
• Things you should know about the story of Arachne.
• The differences between Titans and Olympians.
• The Legend of the Minotaur.
• Unveiling the myth of Europa and the Bull.
• What was the catalyst for the Trojan War? 
• Things you should know about the Myth of Actaeon.
• The Story of Atalanta.
• The secret of the tale of Daedalus and Icarus.
• What was the importance of Hermes?
• The myth of Arion.
• The Myth of Bellerophon and Pegasus.
• The Cult of Dionysus.
• The untold story of Argonauts and Jason. 
• The hidden truth about the underworld of Greek Mythology. 
• The legends of King Midas.
• Things you should know about the story of the psyche.
• The symbolism and myths of the Hydra.

50 Greek Mythology Essay Topics Related to Greek Heroes

More or less writing a Mythology essay takes the same format as any other essay. So, it’s not a bad idea to read some  tips on essay format  before you read another list of Greek mythology ideas for an essay.

• The Legends of Heracles (Hercules).
• Is Achilles the greatest Greek hero? 
• Things people don’t know about the 
• Hero of Argos.
• The heroes of Athens. Is Odysseus the most cunning hero? 
• Was Jason the leader of the Argonauts? 
• The famous Swift-Footed Huntress of Greek Mythology.
• The Legends of Bellerophon.
• Is Orpheus the legendary Greek musician? 
• Who were the Gemini twins of Greek Mythology? 
• Things you should know about the brave warriors of Diomedes.
• Who was Ajax the Great?
• The myths about the Amazon Queen.
• Perseus and Andromeda.
• Things you should know about Achilles. 
• Ajax the Great.
• The hidden truth about Theseus and the Amazon Queen love story. 
• Love, Peril, and Heroic Rescue in Greek Mythology.
• Friendship and Tragedy in Greek Mythology.
• The Tragic Hero of Greek Mythology.
• The noble Trojan Prince. 
• Orpheus and the Underworld.
• The Funeral Games in Greek Mythology. 
• Theseus and the Minotaur.
• Things we should know about the Heracles and the Hydra.
• A Hero’s quest for justice in Greek Mythology.
• Who were Jason and Medea?
• What should you know about the Castor of Greek Mythology? 
• The Hero’s Marriage to the Amazon Queen.
• Hercules’ Battle with the Son of Earth
• The Greek myth of a hero’s encounter with enchantment
• Heroism in the face of sea monsters.
• The Hero’s Trials in the Greek Underworld.
• Heracles and the Nemean Lion.
• The Hero’s Struggle Against Temptation in Greek Mythology.
• The hidden truth of the heroic duel of the Trojan War
• What should you know about Theseus and Procrustes?
• The Hero’s Battle with Sea Monsters.
• The legends of Heracles and the Atlas.
• Theseus and the Marathonian Bull.
• The Myth of Hero’s Escape from the Cyclops.
• Hidden truth about Perseus and the Graeae.
• Heracles and the Golden Apples of the Hesperides.
• What should we know about the Theseus and the Crommyonian Sow?
• The myths of the hero’s encounter with the Amazon Warrior Queen.
• Things you should know about the hero’s Interactions with the Titan.
• The myth of Hero’s quest for the Girdle of the Amazon Queen.
• The Truth of Hero’s Political Triumph in Athens.
• Odysseus and the Lotus Eaters.
• The Myths of Hero’s Participation in the Hunt

30 Greek Mythology Topics Related to Greek Love 

Still couldn’t find a topic to begin writing your essay on? Don’t worry you have 30 more Greek mythology ideas here:

• The tales of love in Greek Mythology.
• Things you should know about the love stories of Aphrodite.
• The Complexities of Divine Marital Love.
• Love, loss, and the power of music in Greek Mythology.
• The secrets of the tragic romance of Pyramus and Thisbe.
• The Love Triangle of Helen, Paris, and Menelaus.
• What should you know about Cupid and Psyche?
• The Unrequited Love Stories in Greek Mythology.
• Love in the Greek mythology underworld.
• A Forbidden love among the stars.
• The Myth of Endymion and Selene in Greek Mythology.
• The Truth of the Love of Demeter and Iasion
• The Legend of Leander and Hero.
• Romance in Nature and Greek Mythology.
• The Tale of Alcyone and Ceyx.
• Friendship or Romantic Love concepts in Greek Mythology?
• The Love Affairs of Zeus.
• The Tragic Tales of Unrequited Love in Greek Mythology.
• The Love of Ariadne and Dionysus.
• The Romance of Perseus and Andromeda.
• The Tragic Consequences of Divine Love in Greek Mythology.
• A Story of Unfulfilled Passion in Greek Mythology.
• The Love Stories of Poseidon.
• The Myth of Iphis and Ianthe.
• The Love Adventures of Hermes.
• The Love Affair of Ares and Aphrodite.
• The Tragic Love of Phaedra and Hippolytus.
• The Romance of Atalanta and Hippomenes.
• The Love Stories of the Muses.
• The Myth of Pygmalion and Galatea.

Final Thoughts On Greek Mythology Topics

Finding a good topic for writing an awesome Greek Mythology essay can be challenging for students. That’s why we thought to offer them help with lists of interesting Greek mythology research topics they can count on.

Above all, writing a Greek mythology essay is not different from other essay writing tasks. The success of this depends on a perfect structure, research, and more.

Hopefully, you have now shortlisted some topics. If you are still confused, don’t forget to count on the skills of our expert writers.

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• English & Literature

Writing Creation Myths How can creation myths explain nature and science?

In this 6-8 lesson, students will explore how creation myths provide explanations for nature and science. They engage in an adjectives writing exercise and listen to digital creation myth stories. Students will plan and write original myths, then retell them through a form of media.

Get Printable Version   Copy to Google Drive

Lesson Content

• Preparation
• Instruction

Learning Objectives  

Students will: 

• Analyze how adjectives are used to help readers visualize. 
• Discuss how creation myths provide explanations for nature and science.
• Read and analyze a creation myth.
• Write an original myth using the writing process.
• Retell a creation myth story through a form of media.

Standards Alignment

National Core Arts Standards National Core Arts Standards

MA:Cr2.1.6 Form, share, and test ideas, plans, and models to prepare for media arts productions.

MA:Cr2.1.7 Discuss, test, and assemble ideas, plans, and models for media arts productions, considering the artistic goals and the presentation.

MA:Cr2.1.8 Generate ideas, goals, and solutions for original media artworks through application of focused creative processes, such as divergent thinking and experimenting.

Common Core State Standards Common Core State Standards

ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)

ELA-LITERACY.W.8.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

Recommended Student Materials

Editable Documents : Before sharing these resources with students, you must first save them to your Google account by opening them, and selecting “Make a copy” from the File menu. Check out Sharing Tips or Instructional Benefits when implementing Google Docs and Google Slides with students.

• Creation Myths: Writing Exercise
• Vocabulary: A World of Myths
• Writing Myths Planner
• The Taino Myth of the Cursed Creator
• The Cambodian Myth of Lightning, Thunder, and Rain
• The Irish myth of the Giant's Causeway

Teacher Background

Build student background knowledge about creation myths with the lesson, A World of Myths . Teachers should familiarize themselves with the creation myth videos prior to teaching the lesson.

Student Prerequisites  

Students should have some knowledge of myths, basic story elements, and the writing process.

Accessibility Notes

Modify handouts and give preferential seating for visual presentations. Allow extra time for task completion. 

• Have students number a sheet of paper 1-10. Explain that you will state 10 objects. For each object named, they should write the color or colors associated with the object. Encourage specificity. Remind students that colors come in many shades. Mauve, puce, cat's eye green, and banana yellow are examples. List of objects: r aindrops, ocean, sun, hair, rainbow, house, horse, tree, cloud, and mountain. 
• Have students turn and talk with their peers to discuss their color choices. Encourage a few students to share their color explanations with the class. 
• Engage students in a discussion. How do adjectives, such as colors, change the way people think about someone or something? What would happen if every raindrop was a different color? What if the ocean was orange? What if the sun was adorable? What if you could grow tasty hair? What if every living creature was clumsy? What if everything in our world was gray? What if rainbows were creepy?
• Distribute the Creation Myths: Writing Exercise . Tell students they are going to stretch their imaginations with a writing exercise. Students will complete the story template using wild, imaginative, and untypical adjectives to describe typical things.
• Have a few student volunteers share their stories. As a student reads, have the other students close their eyes to envision the magical story. Follow-up with a discussion about how the adjectives impacted their visualizations.
• Explain to students that creation myths are stories that people told long ago to answer serious questions about how important things began and occurred. Myths employ fantastic mysterious and magical elements. Review the Vocabulary: A World of Myths . Review and discuss the terms with students.
• Watch and discuss the myth, The Taino Myth of the Cursed Creator . Ask students: What words or phrases stood out to you? What do you notice about the author's use of language? How was the ocean created?
• Divide students into pairs to listen to a different creation myth. Share the listening options below. As they listen, ask them to analyze the imaginative elements of the myth and how adjectives inform their visualizations. 

The Cambodian Myth of Lightning, Thunder, and Rain - a creation myth explaining the origin of lightning, thunder, and rain according to the Khmer people.  

The Irish myth of the Giant's Causeway - a creation myth explaining how the coast of Northern Ireland’s plateau of basalt slabs and columns were created according to the Ancient Irish.

• Allow students time to listen to the stories and discuss the creation myths with their peers. Have students discuss the following elements:

- Setting/Origin

- Characters

- Natural Event

• Divide students into small groups. Give each group chart paper and ask them to brainstorm a list of natural or human creations they think are interesting (i.e., a mountain, the Washington Monument, the Grand Canyon, the Great Wall of China, a redwood tree, giraffes long necks, tornadoes, etc.). Facilitate through the groups discussing their ideas. 
• Distribute the Writing Myths Planner . Tell students they are going to use their brainstorm or one of the ideas from the planner to write an original creation myth. Students can collaborate in their small groups, with a partner, or write independently. Review the planner with students and model how to plan creation myth story elements. 
• Write a creation myth. Allow time for students to work through the writing process, writing their creation myths using the planner. Encourage students to use adjectives to make the story interesting, allowing readers to visualize common things in a different way. Confer and provide feedback to students.

Reflect  

• Have students select a way to share the creation myths they wrote. By choosing one of the following options, they will detail how a natural or human-made thing came to be. Students should rehearse several times before recording their story.

- Audiobook

• Have students share their myths with the class. Teachers can curate a sharing page in Google Classroom, Padlet, or on a class blog. 
• Assess students’ knowledge of writing creation myths. Students should be able to explain how a natural or human-made thing came to be by including a setting/origin, characters, a natural event, a problem, and a solution. 

Andria Cole

Original Writer

JoDee Scissors

April 27, 2023

Related Resources

Lesson a world of myths.

In this 6-8 lesson, students will explore how myths help to explain nature and science. Students will read, discuss, and draw comparisons between creation myths and explanatory myths. They will then create a drawing or illustration to represent one of those myths.

• World Cultures
• Myths, Legends, & Folktales

Lesson Writing Fables

In this 6-8 lesson, students will engage in the writing process to create original fables and perform a skit. They will review the elements of a fable and develop an understanding of how to create a centralized focus in a narrative.

• Literary Arts

Lesson Writing Folktales

In this 6-8 lesson, students will analyze the characteristics of traditional folktales to write an original tale. They will use elements of folktales to develop their story and strengthen work through the writing process.

Lesson Sci-Fi & Fantasy Worldbuilding

In this 6-8 lesson, students will explore the intersection of science fiction and fantasy from the works of Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time Trilogy. Students will create an original character, thing, ability, and/or place using worldbuilding elements. Students will choose between dramatizing, making a book trailer, or creating an illustration to introduce their imaginary world.

• Fiction & Creative Writing

Article Get Your Write On

Writing can involve reading works that fire up your imagination or finding inspiration by connecting with people. Here are a handful of online resources to help you get your write on.

Article Stories Brought to Life

Learn about ways to increase student participation and skill building during interactive read-alouds.

• Arts Integration

Article Arts in the 21st Century Classroom

The skills our students need can be readily integrated into arts lessons and vice versa.

Article Do Tell: Giving Feedback to Your Students

How can arts educators provide engaging and useful feedback? Here are seven suggestions to get you started.

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• Custom Other

• Writing Prompts

150+ Story Starters: Creative Sentences To Start A Story

The most important thing about writing is finding a good idea . You have to have a great idea to write a story. You have to be able to see the whole picture before you can start to write it. Sometimes, you might need help with that. Story starters are a great way to get the story rolling. You can use them to kick off a story, start a character in a story or even start a scene in a story.

When you start writing a story, you need to have a hook. A hook can be a character or a plot device. It can also be a setting, something like “A young man came into a bar with a horse.” or a setting like “It was the summer of 1969, and there were no cell phones.” The first sentence of a story is often the hook. It can also be a premise or a situation, such as, “A strange old man in a black cloak was sitting on the train platform.”

Story starters are a way to quickly get the story going. They give the reader a place to start reading your story. Some story starters are obvious, and some are not. The best story starters are the ones that give the reader a glimpse into the story. They can be a part of a story or a part of a scene. They can be a way to show the reader the mood of a story. If you want to start a story, you can use a simple sentence. You can also use a question or an inspirational quote. In this post, we have listed over 150 story starters to get your story started with a bang! A great way to use these story starters is at the start of the Finish The Story game .

If you want more story starters, check out this video on some creative story starter sentences to use in your stories:

150+ Creative Story Starters

Here is a list of good sentences to start a story with:

• I’ve read about a million stories about princesses but never thought I could ever be one.
• There was once a man who was very old, but he was wise. He lived for a very long time, and he was very happy.
• What is the difference between a man and a cat? A cat has nine lives.
• In the middle of the night, a boy is running through the woods.
• It is the end of the world.
• He knew he was not allowed to look into the eyes of the princess, but he couldn’t help himself.
• The year is 1893. A young boy was running away from home.
• What if the Forest was actually a magical portal to another dimension, the Forest was a portal to the Otherworld?
• In the Forest, you will find a vast number of magical beings of all sorts. 
• It was the middle of the night, and the forest was quiet. No bugs or animals disturbed the silence. There were no birds, no chirping. 
• If you wish to stay in the Forest, you will need to follow these rules: No one shall leave the Forest. No one shall enter. No one shall take anything from the Forest.
• “It was a terrible day,” said the old man in a raspy voice.
• A cat is flying through the air, higher and higher, when it happens, and the cat doesn’t know how it got there, how it got to be in the sky.
• I was lying in the woods, and I was daydreaming.
• The Earth is a world of wonders. 
• The fairy is the most amazing creature I have ever met.
• A young girl was sitting on a tree stump at the edge of a river when she noticed a magical tree growing in the water.
• My dancing rat is dressed in a jacket, a tie and glasses, which make him look like a person. 
• In the darkness of the night, I am alone, but I know that I am not. 
• Owls are the oldest, and most intelligent, of all birds.
• My name is Reyna, and I am a fox. 
• The woman was drowning.
• One day, he was walking in the forest.
• It was a dark and stormy night…
• There was a young girl who could not sleep…
• A boy in a black cape rode on a white horse…
• A crazy old man in a black cloak was sitting in the middle of the street…
• The sun was setting on a beautiful summer day…
• The dog was restless…”
• There was a young boy in a brown coat…
• I met a young man in the woods…
• In the middle of a dark forest…
• The young girl was at home with her family…
• There was a young man who was sitting on a …
• A young man came into a bar with a horse…
• I have had a lot of bad dreams…
• He was a man who wanted to be king…
• It was the summer of 1969, and there were no cell phones.
• I know what you’re thinking. But no, I don’t want to be a vegetarian. The worst part is I don’t like the taste.
• She looked at the boy and decided to ask him why he wasn’t eating. She didn’t want to look mean, but she was going to ask him anyway.
• The song played on the radio, as Samual wiped away his tears.
• This was the part when everything was about to go downhill. But it didn’t…
• “Why make life harder for yourself?” asked Claire, as she bit into her apple.
• She made a promise to herself that she would never do it.
• I was able to escape.
• I was reading a book when the accident happened.
• “I can’t stand up for people who lie and cheat.” I cried.
• You look at me and I feel beautiful.
• I know what I want to be when I grow up.
• We didn’t have much money. But we knew how to throw a good party.
• The wind blew on the silent streets of London.
• What do you get when you cross an angry bee and my sister?
• The flight was slow and bumpy. I was half asleep when the captain announced we were going down.
• At the far end of the city was a river that was overgrown with weeds. 
• It was a quiet night in the middle of a busy week.
• One afternoon, I was eating a sandwich in the park when I spotted a stranger.
• In the late afternoon, a few students sat on the lawn reading.
• The fireflies were dancing in the twilight as the sunset.
• In the early evening, the children played in the park.
• The sun was setting and the moon was rising.
• A crowd gathered in the square as the band played.
• The top of the water tower shone in the moonlight.
• The light in the living room was on, but the light in the kitchen was off.
•  When I was a little boy, I used to make up stories about the adventures of these amazing animals, creatures, and so on. 
• All of the sudden, I realized I was standing in the middle of an open field surrounded by nothing but wildflowers, and the only thing I remembered about it was that I’d never seen a tree before.
• It’s the kind of thing that’s only happened to me once before in my life, but it’s so cool to see it.
• They gave him a little wave as they drove away.
• The car had left the parking lot, and a few hours later we arrived home.
• They were going to play a game of bingo.
• He’d made up his mind to do it. He’d have to tell her soon, though. He was waiting for a moment when they were alone and he could say it without feeling like an idiot. But when that moment came, he couldn’t think of anything to say.
• Jamie always wanted to own a plane, but his parents were a little tight on the budget. So he’d been saving up to buy one of his own. 
• The night was getting colder, and the wind was blowing in from the west.
• The doctor stared down at the small, withered corpse.
• She’d never been in the woods before, but she wasn’t afraid.
• The kids were having a great time in the playground.
• The police caught the thieves red-handed.
• The world needs a hero more than ever.
• Mother always said, “Be good and nice things will happen…”
• There is a difference between what you see and what you think you see.
• The sun was low in the sky and the air was warm.
• “It’s time to go home,” she said, “I’m getting a headache.”
• It was a cold winter’s day, and the snow had come early.
• I found a wounded bird in my garden.
• “You should have seen the look on my face.”
• He opened the door and stepped back.
• My father used to say, “All good things come to an end.”
• The problem with fast cars is that they break so easily.
• “What do you think of this one?” asked Mindy.
• “If I asked you to do something, would you do it?” asked Jacob.
• I was surprised to see her on the bus.
• I was never the most popular one in my class.
• We had a bad fight that day.
• The coffee machine had stopped working, so I went to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea.
• It was a muggy night, and the air-conditioning unit was so loud it hurt my ears.
• I had a sleepless night because I couldn’t get my head to turn off.
• I woke up at dawn and heard a horrible noise.
• I was so tired I didn’t know if I’d be able to sleep that night.
• I put on the light and looked at myself in the mirror.
• I decided to go in, but the door was locked.
• A man in a red sweater stood staring at a little kitten as if it was on fire.
• “It’s so beautiful,” he said, “I’m going to take a picture.”
• “I think we’re lost,” he said, “It’s all your fault.”
• It’s hard to imagine what a better life might be like
• He was a tall, lanky man, with a long face, a nose like a pin, and a thin, sandy moustache.
• He had a face like a lion’s and an eye like a hawk’s.
• The man was so broad and strong that it was as if a mountain had been folded up and carried in his belly.
• I opened the door. I didn’t see her, but I knew she was there.
• I walked down the street. I couldn’t help feeling a little guilty.
• I arrived at my parents’ home at 8:00 AM.
• The nurse had been very helpful.
• On the table was an array of desserts.
• I had just finished putting the last of my books in the trunk.
• A car horn honked, startling me.
• The kitchen was full of pots and pans.
• There are too many things to remember.
• The world was my oyster. I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth.
•  “My grandfather was a World War II veteran. He was a decorated hero who’d earned himself a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart.
• Beneath the menacing, skeletal shadow of the mountain, a hermit sat on his ledge. His gnarled hands folded on his gnarled knees. His eyes stared blankly into the fog. 
• I heard a story about a dragon, who was said to be the size of a house, that lived on the top of the tallest mountain in the world.
•  I was told a story about a man who found a golden treasure, which was buried in this very park.
• He stood alone in the middle of a dark and silent room, his head cocked to one side, the brown locks of his hair, which were parted in the middle, falling down over his eyes.
•  Growing up, I was the black sheep of the family. I had my father’s eyes, but my mother’s smile.
• Once upon a time, there was a woman named Miss Muffett, and she lived in a big house with many rooms.
• When I was a child, my mother told me that the water looked so bright because the sun was shining on it. I did not understand what she meant at the time.    
•  The man in the boat took the water bottle and drank from it as he paddled away.
• The man looked at the child with a mixture of pity and contempt.
• An old man and his grandson sat in their garden. The old man told his grandson to dig a hole. 
• An old woman was taking a walk on the beach. The tide was high and she had to wade through the water to get to the other side.
• She looked up at the clock and saw that it was five minutes past seven.
• The man looked up from the map he was studying. “How’s it going, mate?”
• I was in my room on the third floor, staring out of the window.
• A dark silhouette of a woman stood in the doorway.
• The church bells began to ring.
• The moon rose above the horizon.
• A bright light shone over the road.
• The night sky began to glow.
• I could hear my mother cooking in the kitchen.
• The fog began to roll in.
• He came in late to the class and sat at the back.
• A young boy picked up a penny and put it in his pocket.
• He went to the bathroom and looked at his face in the mirror.
• It was the age of wisdom and the age of foolishness. We once had everything and now we have nothing.
• A young man died yesterday, and no one knows why.
• The boy was a little boy. He was not yet a man. He lived in a house in a big city.
• They had just returned from the theatre when the phone rang.
• I walked up to the front of the store and noticed the neon sign was out.
• I always wondered what happened to Mary.
• I stopped to say hello and then walked on.
• The boy’s mother didn’t want him to play outside…
• The lights suddenly went out…
• After 10 years in prison, he was finally out.
• The raindrops pelted the window, which was set high up on the wall, and I could see it was a clear day outside.
• My friend and I had just finished a large pizza, and we were about to open our second.
• I love the smell of the ocean, but it never smells as good as it does when the waves are crashing.
• They just stood there, staring at each other.
• A party was in full swing until the music stopped.

For more ideas on how to start your story, check out these first-line writing prompts . Did you find this list of creative story starters useful? Let us know in the comments below!

Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.

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The writer of the academic essay aims to persuade readers of an idea based on evidence. The beginning of the essay is a crucial first step in this process. In order to engage readers and establish your authority, the beginning of your essay has to accomplish certain business. Your beginning should introduce the essay, focus it, and orient readers.

Introduce the Essay.  The beginning lets your readers know what the essay is about, the  topic . The essay's topic does not exist in a vacuum, however; part of letting readers know what your essay is about means establishing the essay's  context , the frame within which you will approach your topic. For instance, in an essay about the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech, the context may be a particular legal theory about the speech right; it may be historical information concerning the writing of the amendment; it may be a contemporary dispute over flag burning; or it may be a question raised by the text itself. The point here is that, in establishing the essay's context, you are also limiting your topic. That is, you are framing an approach to your topic that necessarily eliminates other approaches. Thus, when you determine your context, you simultaneously narrow your topic and take a big step toward focusing your essay. Here's an example.

The paragraph goes on. But as you can see, Chopin's novel (the topic) is introduced in the context of the critical and moral controversy its publication engendered.

Focus the Essay.  Beyond introducing your topic, your beginning must also let readers know what the central issue is. What question or problem will you be thinking about? You can pose a question that will lead to your idea (in which case, your idea will be the answer to your question), or you can make a thesis statement. Or you can do both: you can ask a question and immediately suggest the answer that your essay will argue. Here's an example from an essay about Memorial Hall.

The fullness of your idea will not emerge until your conclusion, but your beginning must clearly indicate the direction your idea will take, must set your essay on that road. And whether you focus your essay by posing a question, stating a thesis, or combining these approaches, by the end of your beginning, readers should know what you're writing about, and  why —and why they might want to read on.

Orient Readers.  Orienting readers, locating them in your discussion, means providing information and explanations wherever necessary for your readers' understanding. Orienting is important throughout your essay, but it is crucial in the beginning. Readers who don't have the information they need to follow your discussion will get lost and quit reading. (Your teachers, of course, will trudge on.) Supplying the necessary information to orient your readers may be as simple as answering the journalist's questions of who, what, where, when, how, and why. It may mean providing a brief overview of events or a summary of the text you'll be analyzing. If the source text is brief, such as the First Amendment, you might just quote it. If the text is well known, your summary, for most audiences, won't need to be more than an identifying phrase or two:

Often, however, you will want to summarize your source more fully so that readers can follow your analysis of it.

Questions of Length and Order.  How long should the beginning be? The length should be proportionate to the length and complexity of the whole essay. For instance, if you're writing a five-page essay analyzing a single text, your beginning should be brief, no more than one or two paragraphs. On the other hand, it may take a couple of pages to set up a ten-page essay.

Does the business of the beginning have to be addressed in a particular order? No, but the order should be logical. Usually, for instance, the question or statement that focuses the essay comes at the end of the beginning, where it serves as the jumping-off point for the middle, or main body, of the essay. Topic and context are often intertwined, but the context may be established before the particular topic is introduced. In other words, the order in which you accomplish the business of the beginning is flexible and should be determined by your purpose.

Opening Strategies.  There is still the further question of how to start. What makes a good opening? You can start with specific facts and information, a keynote quotation, a question, an anecdote, or an image. But whatever sort of opening you choose, it should be directly related to your focus. A snappy quotation that doesn't help establish the context for your essay or that later plays no part in your thinking will only mislead readers and blur your focus. Be as direct and specific as you can be. This means you should avoid two types of openings:

• The history-of-the-world (or long-distance) opening, which aims to establish a context for the essay by getting a long running start: "Ever since the dawn of civilized life, societies have struggled to reconcile the need for change with the need for order." What are we talking about here, political revolution or a new brand of soft drink? Get to it.
• The funnel opening (a variation on the same theme), which starts with something broad and general and "funnels" its way down to a specific topic. If your essay is an argument about state-mandated prayer in public schools, don't start by generalizing about religion; start with the specific topic at hand.

Remember.  After working your way through the whole draft, testing your thinking against the evidence, perhaps changing direction or modifying the idea you started with, go back to your beginning and make sure it still provides a clear focus for the essay. Then clarify and sharpen your focus as needed. Clear, direct beginnings rarely present themselves ready-made; they must be written, and rewritten, into the sort of sharp-eyed clarity that engages readers and establishes your authority.

Copyright 1999, Patricia Kain, for the Writing Center at Harvard University

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to start a college essay perfectly.

College Essays

If you've been sitting in front of a blank screen, unsure of exactly how to start a personal statement for college, then believe me—I feel your pain. A great college essay introduction is key to making your essay stand out, so there's a lot of pressure to get it right.

Luckily, being able to craft the perfect beginning for your admissions essay is just like many other writing skills— something you can get better at with practice and by learning from examples.

In this article, I'll walk you through exactly how to start a college essay. We'll cover what makes a great personal statement introduction and how the first part of your essay should be structured. We'll also look at several great examples of essay beginnings and explain why they work, how they work, and what you can learn from them.

What Is the College Essay Introduction For?

Before we talk about how to start a college essay, let's discuss the role of the introduction. Just as your college essay is your chance to introduce yourself to the admissions office of your target college, your essay's beginning is your chance to introduce your writing.

Wait, Back Up—Why Do Colleges Want Personal Statements?

In general, college essays make it easier to get to know the parts of you not in your transcript —these include your personality, outlook on life, passions, and experiences.

You're not writing for yourself but for a very specific kind of reader. Picture it: your audience is an admissions officer who has read thousands and thousands of essays. This person is disposed to be friendly and curious, but if she hasn't already seen it all she's probably seen a good portion of it.

Your essay's job is to entertain and impress this person, and to make you memorable so you don't merely blend into the sea of other personal statements. Like all attempts at charm, you must be slightly bold and out of the ordinary—but you must also stay away from crossing the line into offensiveness or bad taste.

What Role Does the Introduction Play in a College Essay?

The personal statement introduction is basically the wriggly worm that baits the hook to catch your reader. It's vital to grab attention from the get-go—the more awake and eager your audience is, the more likely it is that what you say will really land.

How do you go about crafting an introduction that successfully hooks your reader? Let's talk about how to structure the beginning of your college essay.

How to Structure a Personal Statement Introduction

To see how the introduction fits into an essay, let's look at the big structural picture first and then zoom in.

College Essay Structure Overview

Even though they're called essays, personal statements are really more like a mix of a short story and a philosophy or psychology class that's all about you.

Usually, how this translates is that you start with a really good (and very short) story about something arresting, unusual, or important that happened to you. This is not to say that the story has to be about something important or unusual in the grand scheme of things—it just has to be a moment that stands out to you as defining in some way, or an explanation of why you are the way you are . You then pivot to an explanation of why this story is an accurate illustration of one of your core qualities, values, or beliefs.

The story typically comes in the first half of the essay, and the insightful explanation comes second —but, of course, all rules were made to be broken, and some great essays flip this more traditional order.

College Essay Introduction Components

Now, let's zero in on the first part of the college essay. What are the ingredients of a great personal statement introduction? I'll list them here and then dissect them one by one in the next section:

• A killer first sentence: This hook grabs your readers' attention and whets their appetite for your story.
• A vivid, detailed story that illustrates your eventual insight: To make up for how short your story will be, you must insert effective sensory information to immerse the reader.
• An insightful pivot toward the greater point you're making in your essay: This vital piece of the essay connects the short story part to the part where you explain what the experience has taught you about yourself, how you've matured, and how it has ultimately shaped you as a person.

How to Write a College Essay Introduction

Here's a weird secret that's true for most written work: just because it'll end up at the beginning doesn't mean you have to write it first. For example, in this case, you can't know what your killer first sentence will be until you've figured out the following details:

• The story you want to tell
• The point you want that story to make
• The trait/maturity level/background about you that your essay will reveal

So my suggestion is to work in reverse order! Writing your essay will be much easier if you can figure out the entirety of it first and then go back and work out exactly how it should start.

This means that before you can craft your ideal first sentence, the way the short story experience of your life will play out on the page, and the perfect pivoting moment that transitions from your story to your insight, you must work out a general idea about which life event you will share and what you expect that life event to demonstrate to the reader about you and the kind of person you are.

If you're having trouble coming up with a topic, check out our guide on brainstorming college essay ideas . It might also be helpful to read our guides to specific application essays, such as picking your best Common App prompt and writing a perfect University of California personal statement .

In the next sections of this article, I'll talk about how to work backwards on the introduction, moving from bigger to smaller elements: starting with the first section of the essay in general and then honing your pivot sentence and your first sentence.

How to Write the First Section of Your College Essay

In a 500-word essay, this section will take up about the first half of the essay and will mostly consist of a brief story that illuminates a key experience, an important character trait, a moment of transition or transformation, or a step toward maturity.

Once you've figured out your topic and zeroed in on the experience you want to highlight in the beginning of your essay, here are 2 great approaches to making it into a story:

• Talking it out, storyteller style (while recording yourself): Imagine that you're sitting with a group of people at a campfire, or that you're stuck on a long flight sitting next to someone you want to befriend. Now tell that story. What does someone who doesn't know you need to know in order for the story to make sense? What details do you need to provide to put them in the story with you? What background information do they need in order to understand the stakes or importance of the story?
• Record yourself telling your story to friends and then chatting about it: What do they need clarified? What questions do they have? Which parts of your story didn't make sense or follow logically for them? Do they want to know more, or less? Is part of your story interesting to them but not interesting to you? Is a piece of your story secretly boring, even though you think it's interesting?

Later, as you listen to the recorded story to try to get a sense of how to write it, you can also get a sense of the tone with which you want to tell your story. Are you being funny as you talk? Sad? Trying to shock, surprise, or astound your audience? The way you most naturally tell your story is the way you should write it.

After you've done this storyteller exercise, write down the salient points of what you learned. What is the story your essay will tell? What is the point about your life, point of view, or personality it will make? What tone will you tell it with? Sketch out a detailed outline so that you can start filling in the pieces as we work through how to write the introductory sections.

How to Write the First Sentence of Your College Essay

In general, your essay's first sentence should be either a mini-cliffhanger that sets up a situation the reader would like to see resolved, or really lush scene-setting that situates your audience in a place and time they can readily visualize. The former builds expectations and evokes curiosity, and the latter stimulates the imagination and creates a connection with the author. In both cases, you hit your goal of greater reader engagement.

Now, I'm going to show you how these principles work for all types of first sentences, whether in college essays or in famous works of fiction.

First Sentence Idea 1: Line of Quoted Direct Speech

"Mum, I'm gay." ( Ahmad Ashraf '17 for Connecticut College )

The experience of coming out is raw and emotional, and the issue of LGBTQ rights is an important facet of modern life. This three-word sentence immediately sums up an enormous background of the personal and political.

"You can handle it, Matt," said Mr. Wolf, my fourth-grade band teacher, as he lifted the heavy tuba and put it into my arms. ( Matt Coppo '07 for Hamilton College )

This sentence conjures up a funny image—we can immediately picture the larger adult standing next to a little kid holding a giant tuba. It also does a little play on words: "handle it" can refer to both the literal tuba Matt is being asked to hold and the figurative stress of playing the instrument.

First Sentence Idea 2: Punchy Short Sentence With One Grabby Detail

I live alone—I always have since elementary school. ( Kevin Zevallos '16 for Connecticut College )

This opener definitely makes us want to know more. Why was he alone? Where were the protective grown-ups who surround most kids? How on earth could a little kid of 8-10 years old survive on his own?

I have old hands. ( First line from a student in Stanford's class of 2012 )

There's nothing but questions here. What are "old" hands? Are they old-looking? Arthritic? How has having these hands affected the author?

There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. (Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre )

There's immediately a feeling of disappointment and the stifled desire for action here. Who wanted to go for a walk? And why was this person being prevented from going?

First Sentence Idea 3: Lyrical, Adjective-Rich Description of a Setting

We met for lunch at El Burrito Mexicano, a tiny Mexican lunch counter under the Red Line "El" tracks. ( Ted Mullin '06 for Carleton College )

Look at how much specificity this sentence packs in less than 20 words. Each noun and adjective is chosen for its ability to convey yet another detail. "Tiny" instead of "small" gives readers a sense of being uncomfortably close to other people and sitting at tables that don't quite have enough room for the plates. "Counter" instead of "restaurant" lets us immediately picture this work surface, the server standing behind it, and the general atmosphere. "Under the tracks" is a location deeply associated with being run down, borderline seedy, and maybe even dangerous.

Maybe it's because I live in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, where Brett Favre draws more of a crowd on Sunday than any religious service, cheese is a staple food, it's sub-zero during global warming, current "fashions" come three years after they've hit it big with the rest of the world, and where all children by the age of ten can use a 12-gauge like it's their job. ( Riley Smith '12 for Hamilton College )

This sentence manages to hit every stereotype about Wisconsin held by outsiders—football, cheese, polar winters, backwardness, and guns—and this piling on gives us a good sense of place while also creating enough hyperbole to be funny. At the same time, the sentence raises the tantalizing question: maybe what is because of Wisconsin?

High, high above the North Pole, on the first day of 1969, two professors of English Literature approached each other at a combined velocity of 1200 miles per hour. (David Lodge, Changing Places )

This sentence is structured in the highly specific style of a math problem, which makes it funny. However, at the heart of this sentence lies a mystery that grabs the reader's interest: why on earth would these two people be doing this?

First Sentence Idea 4: Counterintuitive Statement

To avoid falling into generalities with this one, make sure you're really creating an argument or debate with your counterintuitive sentence. If no one would argue with what you've said, then you aren't making an argument. ("The world is a wonderful place" and "Life is worth living" don't make the cut.)

If string theory is really true, then the entire world is made up of strings, and I cannot tie a single one. ( Joanna '18 for Johns Hopkins University )

There's a great switch here from the sub-microscopic strings that make up string theory to the actual physical strings you can tie in real life. This sentence hints that the rest of the essay will continue playing with linked, albeit not typically connected, concepts.

All children, except one, grow up. (J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan )

In just six words, this sentence upends everything we think we know about what happens to human beings.

First Sentence Idea 5: The End—Making the Rest of the Essay a Flashback

I've recently come to the realization that community service just isn't for me. ( Kyla '19 for Johns Hopkins University )

This seems pretty bold—aren't we supposed to be super into community service? Is this person about to declare herself to be totally selfish and uncaring about the less fortunate? We want to know the story that would lead someone to this kind of conclusion.

Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice. (Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude )

So many amazing details here. Why is the Colonel being executed? What does "discovering" ice entail? How does he go from ice-discoverer to military commander of some sort to someone condemned to capital punishment?

First Sentence Idea 6: Direct Question to the Reader

To work well, your question should be especially specific, come out of left field, or pose a surprising hypothetical.

How does an agnostic Jew living in the Diaspora connect to Israel? ( Essay #3 from Carleton College's sample essays )

This is a thorny opening, raising questions about the difference between being an ethnic Jew and practicing the religion of Judaism, and the obligations of Jews who live outside of Israel to those who live in Israel and vice versa. There's a lot of meat to this question, setting up a philosophically interesting, politically important, and personally meaningful essay.

While traveling through the daily path of life, have you ever stumbled upon a hidden pocket of the universe? ( First line from a student in Stanford's class of 2012 )

There's a dreamy and sci-fi element to this first sentence, as it tries to find the sublime ("the universe") inside the prosaic ("daily path of life").

First Sentence Idea 7: Lesson You Learned From the Story You're Telling

One way to think about how to do this kind of opening sentence well is to model it on the morals that ended each Aesop's fable . The lesson you learned should be slightly surprising (not necessarily intuitive) and something that someone else might disagree with.

Perhaps it wasn't wise to chew and swallow a handful of sand the day I was given my first sandbox, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. ( Meagan Spooner '07 for Hamilton College )

The best part of this hilarious sentence is that even in retrospect, eating a handful of sand is only possibly an unwise idea—a qualifier achieved through that great "perhaps." So does that mean it was wise in at least some way to eat the sand? The reader wants to know more.

All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. (Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina )

This immediately sets readers to mentally flip through every unhappy family they've ever known to double-check the narrator's assertion. Did he draw the right conclusion here? How did he come to this realization? The implication that he will tell us all about some dysfunctional drama also has a rubbernecking draw.

How to Write a Pivot Sentence in Your College Essay

This is the place in your essay where you go from small to big—from the life experience you describe in detail to the bigger point this experience illustrates about your world and yourself.

Typically, the pivot sentence will come at the end of your introductory section, about halfway through the essay. I say sentence, but this section could be more than one sentence (though ideally no longer than two or three).

So how do you make the turn? Usually you indicate in your pivot sentence itself that you are moving from one part of the essay to another. This is called signposting, and it's a great way to keep readers updated on where they are in the flow of the essay and your argument.

Here are three ways to do this, with real-life examples from college essays published by colleges.

Pivot Idea 1: Expand the Time Frame

In this pivot, you gesture out from the specific experience you describe to the overarching realization you had during it. Think of helper phrases such as "that was the moment I realized" and "never again would I."

Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I'd been in this type of situation before. In fact, I'd been born into this type of situation. ( Stephen '19 for Johns Hopkins University )

This is a pretty great pivot, neatly connecting the story Stephen's been telling (about having to break into a car on a volunteering trip) and his general reliance on his own resourcefulness and ability to roll with whatever life throws at him. It's a double bonus that he accomplishes the pivot with a play on the word "click," which here means both the literal clicking of the car door latch and the figurative clicking his brain does. Note also how the pivot crystallizes the moment of epiphany through the word "suddenly," which implies instant insight.

But in that moment I realized that the self-deprecating jokes were there for a reason. When attempting to climb the mountain of comedic success, I didn't just fall and then continue on my journey, but I fell so many times that I befriended the ground and realized that the middle of the metaphorical mountain made for a better campsite. Not because I had let my failures get the best of me, but because I had learned to make the best of my failures. (Rachel Schwartzbaum '19 for Connecticut College)

This pivot similarly focuses on a "that moment" of illuminated clarity. In this case, it broadens Rachel's experience of stage fright before her standup comedy sets to the way she has more generally not allowed failures to stop her progress—and has instead been able to use them as learning experiences. Not only does she describe her humor as "self-deprecating," but she also demonstrates what she means with that great "befriended the ground" line.

It was on this first educational assignment that I realized how much could be accomplished through an animal education program—more, in some cases, than the aggregate efforts of all of the rehabilitators. I found that I had been naive in my assumption that most people knew as much about wildlife as I did, and that they shared my respect for animals. ( J.P. Maloney '07 for Hamilton College )

This is another classically constructed pivot, as J.P. segues from his negative expectations about using a rehabilitated wild owl as an educational animal to his understanding of how much this kind of education could contribute to forming future environmentalists and nature lovers. The widening of scope happens at once as we go from a highly specific "first educational assignment" to the more general realization that "much" could be accomplished through these kinds of programs.

Pivot Idea 2: Link the Described Experience With Others

In this pivot, you draw a parallel between the life event that you've been describing in your very short story and other events that were similar in some significant way. Helpful phrases include "now I see how x is really just one of the many x 's I have faced," "in a way, x is a good example of the x -like situations I see daily," and "and from then on every time I ..."

This state of discovery is something I strive for on a daily basis. My goal is to make all the ideas in my mind fit together like the gears of a Swiss watch. Whether it's learning a new concept in linear algebra, talking to someone about a programming problem, or simply zoning out while I read, there is always some part of my day that pushes me towards this place of cohesion: an idea that binds together some set of the unsolved mysteries in my mind. ( Aubrey Anderson '19 for Tufts University )

After cataloging and detailing the many interesting thoughts that flow through her brain in a specific hour, Aubrey uses the pivot to explain that this is what every waking hour is like for her "on a daily basis." She loves learning different things and finds a variety of fields fascinating. And her pivot lets us know that her example is a demonstration of how her mind works generally.

This was the first time I've been to New Mexico since he died. Our return brought so much back for me. I remembered all the times we'd visited when I was younger, certain events highlighted by the things we did: Dad haggling with the jewelry sellers, his minute examination of pots at a trading post, the affection he had for chilies. I was scared that my love for the place would be tainted by his death, diminished without him there as my guide. That fear was part of what kept my mother and me away for so long. Once there, though, I was relieved to realize that Albuquerque still brings me closer to my father. ( Essay #1 from Carleton College's sample essays )

In this pivot, one very painful experience of visiting a place filled with sorrowful memories is used as a way to think about "all the other times" the author had been to New Mexico. The previously described trip after the father's death pivots into a sense of the continuity of memory. Even though he is no longer there to "guide," the author's love for the place itself remains.

Pivot Idea 3: Extract and Underline a Trait or Value

In this type of pivot, you use the experience you've described to demonstrate its importance in developing or zooming in on one key attribute. Here are some ways to think about making this transition: "I could not have done it without characteristic y , which has helped me through many other difficult moments," or "this is how I came to appreciate the importance of value z, both in myself and in those around me."

My true reward of having Stanley is that he opened the door to the world of botany. I would never have invested so much time learning about the molecular structure or chemical balance of plants if not for taking care of him. ( Michaela '19 for Johns Hopkins University )

In this tongue-in-cheek essay in which Michaela writes about Stanley, a beloved cactus, as if "he" has human qualities and is her child, the pivot explains what makes this plant so meaningful to its owner. Without having to "take care of him," Michaela "would never have invested so much time learning" about plant biology. She has a deep affinity for the natural sciences and attributes her interest at least partly to her cactus.

By leaving me free to make mistakes and chase wild dreams, my father was always able to help ground me back in reality. Personal responsibilities, priorities and commitments are all values that are etched into my mind, just as they are within my father's. ( Olivia Rabbitt '16 for Connecticut College )

In Olivia's essay about her father's role in her life, the pivot discusses his importance by explaining his deep impact on her values. Olivia has spent the story part of her essay describing her father's background and their relationship. Now, she is free to show how without his influence, she would not be so strongly committed to "personal responsibilities, priorities and commitments."

College Essay Introduction Examples

We've collected many examples of college essays published by colleges and offered a breakdown of how several of them are put together . Now, let's check out a couple of examples of actual college essay beginnings to show you how and why they work.

Sample Intro 1

A blue seventh place athletic ribbon hangs from my mantel. Every day, as I walk into my living room, the award mockingly congratulates me as I smile. Ironically, the blue seventh place ribbon resembles the first place ribbon in color; so, if I just cover up the tip of the seven, I may convince myself that I championed the fourth heat. But, I never dare to wipe away the memory of my seventh place swim; I need that daily reminder of my imperfection. I need that seventh place.

Two years ago, I joined the no-cut swim team. That winter, my coach unexpectedly assigned me to swim the 500 freestyle. After stressing for hours about swimming 20 laps in a competition, I mounted the blocks, took my mark, and swam. Around lap 14, I looked around at the other lanes and did not see anyone. "I must be winning!" I thought to myself. However, as I finally completed my race and lifted my arms up in victory to the eager applause of the fans, I looked up at the score board. I had finished my race in last place. In fact, I left the pool two minutes after the second-to-last competitor, who now stood with her friends, wearing all her clothes.

(From "The Unathletic Department" by Meghan '17 for Johns Hopkins University )

Why Intro Sample 1 Works

Here are some of the main reasons that this essay's introduction is super effective.

#1: It's Got a Great First Sentence

The sentence is short but still does some scene setting with the descriptive "blue" and the location "from my mantel." It introduces a funny element with "seventh place"—why would that bad of a showing even get a ribbon? It dangles information just out of reach, making the reader want to know more: what was this an award for? Why does this definitively non-winning ribbon hang in such a prominent place of pride?

#2: It Has Lots of Detail

In the intro, we get physical actions: "cover up the tip," "mounted the blocks," "looked around at the other lanes," "lifted my arms up," and "stood with her friends, wearing all her clothes." We also get words conveying emotion: "mockingly congratulates me as I smile," "unexpectedly assigned," and "stressing for hours." Finally, we get descriptive specificity in the precise word choice: "from my mantel" and "my living room" instead of simply "in my house," and "lap 14" instead of "toward the end of the race."

#3: It Explains the Stakes

Even though everyone can imagine the lap pool, not everyone knows exactly what the "500 freestyle" race is. Meghan elegantly explains the difficulty by describing herself freaking out over "swimming 20 laps in a competition," which helps us to picture the swimmer going back and forth many times.

#4: It Has Great Storytelling

We basically get a sports commentary play-by-play here. Even though we already know the conclusion—Meghan came in 7th—she still builds suspense by narrating the race from her point of view as she was swimming it. She's nervous for a while, and then she starts the race.

Close to the end, she starts to think everything is going well ("I looked around at the other lanes and did not see anyone. 'I must be winning!' I thought to myself."). Everything builds to an expected moment of great triumph ("I finally completed my race and lifted my arms up in victory to the eager applause of the fans") but ends in total defeat ("I had finished my race in last place").

Not only that, but the mildly clichéd sports hype is hilariously undercut by reality ("I left the pool two minutes after the second-to-last competitor, who now stood with her friends, wearing all her clothes").

#5: It Uses a Pivot Sentence

This essay uses the time expansion method of pivoting: "But, I never dare to wipe away the memory of my seventh place swim; I need that daily reminder of my imperfection. I need that seventh place." Coming last in the race was something that happened once, but the award is now an everyday experience of humility.

The rest of the essay explores what it means for Meghan to constantly see this reminder of failure and to transform it into a sense of acceptance of her imperfections. Notice also that in this essay, the pivot comes before the main story, helping us "hear" the narrative in the way she wants us to.

Sample Intro 2

"Biogeochemical. It's a word, I promise!" There are shrieks and shouts in protest and support. Unacceptable insults are thrown, degrees and qualifications are questioned, I think even a piece of my grandmother's famously flakey parantha whizzes past my ear. Everyone is too lazy to take out a dictionary (or even their phones) to look it up, so we just hash it out. And then, I am crowned the victor, a true success in the Merchant household. But it is fleeting, as the small, glossy, plastic tiles, perfectly connected to form my winning word, are snatched out from under me and thrown in a pile with all the disgraced, "unwinning" tiles as we mix for our next game of Bananagrams. It's a similar donnybrook, this time ending with my father arguing that it is okay to use "Rambo" as a word (it totally is not).

Words and communicating have always been of tremendous importance in my life: from silly games like Bananagrams and our road-trip favorite "word game," to stunted communication between opposing grandparents, each speaking a different Indian language; from trying to understand the cheesemonger behind the counter with a deep southern drawl (I just want some Camembert!), to shaping a script to make people laugh.

Words are moving and changing; they have influence and substance.

From an Essay by Shaan Merchant ‘19 for Tufts University

Why Intro Sample 2 Works

Let's take a look at what qualities make this essay's introduction particularly memorable.

With the first sentence, we are immediately thrust into the middle of the action —into an exciting part of an argument about whether "biogeochemical" is really a word. We're also immediately challenged. Is this a word? Have I ever heard it before? Does a scientific neologism count as a word?

#2: It Shows Rather Than Tells

Since the whole essay is going to be about words, it makes sense for Shaan to demonstrate his comfort with all different kinds of language:

• Complex, elevated vocabulary, such as "biogeochemical" and "donnybrook"
• Foreign words, such as "parantha" and "Camembert"
• Colorful descriptive words, such as "shrieks and shouts," "famously flakey, "whizzes past," and "hash it out"
• "Fake" words, such as "unwinning" and "Rambo"

What's great is that Shaan is able to seamlessly mix the different tones and registers these words imply, going from cerebral to funny and back again.

#3: It Uses a Pivot Sentence

This essay uses the value-extraction style of pivot: "Words and communicating have always been of tremendous importance in my life." After we see an experience linking Shaan's clear love of his family with an interest in word games, he clarifies that this is exactly what the essay will be about—using a very straightforward pivoting sentence.

#4: It Piles On Examples to Avoid Vagueness

The danger of this kind of pivot sentence is slipping into vague, uninformative statements, such as "I love words." To avoid making a generalization the tells us nothing, the essay builds a list of examples of times when Shaan saw the way that words connect people: games ("Bananagrams and our road-trip favorite ‘word game,'"), his mixed-language family ("grandparents, each speaking a different Indian language"), encounters with strangers ("from trying to understand the cheesemonger"), and finally the more active experience of performing ("shaping a script to make people laugh").

But the essay stops short of giving so many examples that the reader drowns. I'd say three to five examples is a good range—as long as they're all different kinds of the same thing.

The Bottom Line: How to Start a College Essay

The college essay introduction should hook your reader and make her want to know more and read more.

Good personal statement introductions will contain the following features:

• A killer first line
• A detailed description of an experience from your life
• A pivot to the bigger picture, in which you explain why and how this experience has shaped you, your point of view, and/or your values.

You don't have to write the introduction first, and you certainly don't have to write your first sentence first . Instead, start by developing your story by telling it out loud to a friend. You can then work on your first sentence and your pivot.

The first sentence should either be short, punchy, and carry some ambiguity or questions, or be a detailed and beautiful description setting an easily pictured scene. The pivot, on the other hand, should answer the question, "How does the story you've told connect to a larger truth or insight about you?"

What's Next?

Wondering what to make of the Common Application essay prompts? We have the complete list of this year's Common App prompts with explanations of what each is asking as well as a guide to picking the Common App prompt that's perfect for you .

Thinking of applying to the University of California system? Check out our detailed guide on how to approach their essay prompts and craft your ideal UC essay .

If you're in the middle of the essay-writing process, you'll want to see our suggestions on what essay pitfalls to avoid .

Working on the rest of your college application? Read what admissions officers wish applicants knew before applying .

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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How to Start a Scholarship Essay

Last Updated: April 20, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams and by wikiHow staff writer, Jessica Gibson . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 91,725 times.

College scholarships can be incredibly competitive and most of them have an essay component. While you may dread writing these essays, they're nothing to fear—the scholarship committee just wants to know a little more about you. With a strong introduction that hooks your reader, you're halfway there! But how do you start a scholarship essay? Here, you'll find some great ideas for how to start, along with some general writing strategies that you can carry through to the rest of your essay.

Sample Introduction and Template

Include the 3 key elements of an introduction.

• A great intro sentence could be something like, "I never thought I'd have to raise my siblings," or, "On April 7, 1997, my life completely changed."
• Your overview sentences could go on to say, "My parents struggled to look after us, so I become the only constant in my brothers' lives. I had to grow up fast, but I also learned a lot about myself in the process."
• Your thesis statement might look like this, "I realized that I have a lot to offer and I'm starting a career in social work. This scholarship will give me the financial support that I need to start my educational journey."

Open with an element of surprise.

• For example, you might write: "If you looked at my parents' mantle, overflowing with trophies and medals, you'd probably conclude that I was an athlete. But what you wouldn't know is that I was born with only one leg."

Compare yourself to the scholarship's namesake.

• For example, you might write: "Mary Lewis dedicated her life to improving her community with public vegetable gardens. Last year, I worked with fellow disabled students to create a sustainable vegetable garden at our school that was accessible to others with disabilities."

Raise a question.

• For example, you might write: "For the past 4 years, I've volunteered with my local hospice. Why would a healthy, athletic young woman want to volunteer with people who are dying? Because I, too, have faced death. I know what it's like to be told you only have a few days to live."

Set the scene dramatically.

• For example, suppose you're writing an essay about rescuing an injured dog and how that made you decide to become a veterinarian. You might write: "I could smell him before I saw him. Small and frail, he limped toward me. His fur was matted and he trembled. His large eyes were full of fear. He pleaded with me for help."

Include quotes with caution.

• For example, you might write: "Nevertheless, she persisted." I never really understood the meaning of that rallying cry until, at 14 years old, I stood in front of the principal of my school to speak on behalf of myself and other disabled students."

Use buzzwords from the essay prompt.

Include a roadmap of your essay.

• For example, you might write: "My compassion for and special connection to animals spurred me to pursue a career in veterinary medicine." Then, in your essay, you would provide an instance that demonstrated your compassion and another that demonstrated that special connection.
• Your roadmap doesn't necessarily have to be a "spoiler." For example, if the prompt is to "discuss a book or experience that made you want to be a writer," you might write: "While I'd always loved reading, I never considered writing stories myself until my 7th grade English teacher gave me a book for an extra-credit report." In your essay, you would then go on to discuss the report and name the book. [11] X Research source

Close your introduction with your thesis statement.

• For example, if the prompt is to describe what sparked your interest in veterinary medicine, your thesis might be: "My experience rehabilitating stray dogs sparked my interest in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine."

Write in your own voice.

• Focus on standing out, not writing like everyone else. Although you can look at samples of other winning scholarship essays to get ideas, make sure the words in your essay are your own.
• Your own perspective is key. For example, if you're a person of color, don't try to "whitewash" your essay. Scholarship committees like diversity, so if you try to cover up your identity, you're only hurting yourself.

Make your sentences active and concise.

• For example, you might write: "I strive to demonstrate my passion for the environment every day. In my sophomore year, I started the recycling program at my school. As president of the environmental club, I teach fellow students what they can do to help save the world we live in."

Expert Q&A

• Have friends or family read your essay—they can give you tips on how to make it stronger. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Make your introduction short and sweet. The general rule is that the introduction should be about 10% of the total word count of your essay—this usually isn't many words! Most scholarship essay introductions only have 3-4 sentences. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Typos can ruin an otherwise beautiful essay! Make sure you proofread carefully. [16] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://scholarshipowl.com/blog/apply-for-scholarships/scholarship-essay-introduction/
• ↑ https://www.owens.edu/writing/scholarship/
• ↑ https://www.nitrocollege.com/blog/how-to-start-a-scholarship-essay
• ↑ https://www.thecollegemonk.com/blog/scholarship-essay-introduction
• ↑ Jake Adams. Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist. Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.
• ↑ https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/ways-to-make-your-scholarship-essay-stand-out
• ↑ https://www.internationalstudent.com/essay_writing/scholarship_essaysample/
• ↑ https://online.maryville.edu/blog/how-to-write-a-scholarship-essay/
• ↑ https://www.southuniversity.edu/news-and-blogs/2013/05/8trickstowritingstandoutscholarshipessays

About This Article

To start a scholarship essay, open with an interesting story, experience, or anecdote to draw your reader in. Then, connect your opening to the broader topic or question you'll be addressing throughout your essay. If you need some inspiration for a good introduction, read the essays written by the previous winners of the scholarship you're applying for. Just make sure you use your own voice and experiences to write your essay so it comes across as authentic. To learn how to conduct research for your scholarship essay before you write it, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Here’s a dilemma: you work so hard on your persuasive essay, do in-depth research, develop strong arguments, but in the end, you get a low grade. And all this happens because your introduction isn’t convincing enough. As you can see, understanding how to start a persuasive essay in an effective manner is crucial. Fortunately, you are in the right place. Keep reading our guide to find useful tips on beginning a persuasive essay. From crafting an irresistible hook to formulating your main statement, you will find plenty of helpful suggestions. By the way, we’ve got some good examples to share. So let’s get started.  

Importance of Knowing How to Start a Persuasive Essay

Before discussing how to start off a persuasive essay, you should keep in mind that you must hook your audience from the very beginning. Your reader should understand what you are going to say and why it is important. Still, you shouldn’t lay all your cards on the table and reveal your arguments. Your main thesis statement should be presented after some context. An introduction is used to convince the reader not just of your opinion, but of the entire paper being worth reading. Therefore, one should take an especially reasonable approach. Further, we will share some helpful tips on drawing up a good introduction and give real examples.  But first, be sure to prepare a persuasive essay outline template .

How to Start a Good Persuasive Essay: Main Elements

Before starting a persuasive essay, you should think about its structure in detail. An introduction will be effective if you compile it based on our scheme. When drawing up an introductory part, you should include such elements:

• Background information (context)
• Main definitions (if there are any)
• Topic-related thesis.

This structure makes it possible to convey any idea in a concise way. Remember: An opening paragraph should be short while writing a persuasive essay . All you need is to present a clear idea which will potentially hook the reader. Giving some hint on the gist of writing will be enough.

Starting a Persuasive Essay with a Hook

One idea that always works is starting a persuasive essay with a hook. You should make it clear about your topic in advance. Thus, you will attract reader’s attention. You should choose a strong sentence that will hook your addressee and may give them a particular idea. You can start persuasive essays with any question related to your topic or with an interesting fact. Quite often students use statistical data or quotes of some experts in their field of knowledge. This is the first step towards persuasion. It demonstrates that the subsequent text won’t be inferior. But just having an effective hook won’t be sufficient, so you should gradually prepare your reader. And we will learn more about this in the next section. In the meantime, have you already considered hiring a persuasive essay writer ? Our writers are academic-savvy and can create a great persuasive essay quickly and efficiently. 

Background Information in Persuasive Essay

In an introductory paragraph of a persuasive essay after the hook, we recommend outlining some topic’s context. Focus reader’s attention on background information. Here’s what you can include to develop your topic further:

• Historical or geographical facts
• Key characteristics.

This section should not only familiarize your readers with some background facts that you have researched. You also should smoothly lead to a thesis statement.

How to Write a Persuasive Essay Thesis

Your writing should begin with a strong persuasive essay thesis statement. Your thesis should introduce the topic and offer your viewpoint on some matter. Besides, it should list several arguments you are going to discuss in the main body. This statement will complete an introduction. Then, you will proceed to presenting the gist of an essay. Keep in mind several things that make a persuasive essay thesis stronger. First of all, a claim that you make should be debatable. This means that other people may have an opposing viewpoint. Secondly, your thesis statement should have a reasonable scope. Don’t make it too narrow, and, yet, this statement should be focused. Now that you know what elements should be included in your persuasive essay introduction, let’s discuss some writing tips.  

How to Start a Strong Persuasive Essay: Main Tips

While working on your text, you will surely need tips on how to start a persuasive essay. By following our hacks, you will be able to convey important information to readers. Based on our experience in preparing academic texts, we have developed some recommendations. Our writing tips will make your persuasive essay introduction as informative and attractive as possible. Meanwhile, some of these suggestions may be applied to other types of academic writing.  

Tip 1: Brainstorm Your Topic Before Starting a Persuasive Essay

Don’t rush to start writing right away – you should think about some good persuasive essay topics to begin your essay. The most effective way is to work on any topic in line with the purpose that you have set for yourself. Focus on any subject that you are genuinely interested in and do preliminary research. Make sure you have enough supporting facts that prove your opinion. Follow these steps to make your persuasive essay topic irresistible:  

• Summarize well-known facts on your topic.
• Highlight controversial points.
• Prepare points for further argumentation.

This way, you will know whether you should conduct any additional research. Besides, you will know if there is enough information that can convince readers of your point of view.

Tip 2: Provide a Hook for Your Persuasive Essay Introduction

An introduction of persuasive essay won’t be complete without a hook. If you fail to include it, such paper will unlikely captivate reader’s attention. A catchy hook helps to break the ice between your writing and readers. In turn, an increased attention ensures that your audience understands your topic well. Here are several things you may include in your hook to make it more effective:  

• Quotes It’s a good idea if they relate to the topic and bring readers to the main subject.
• Joke It is a great opportunity to dilute this formal environment and create some positive vibe.
• Question It is good when it’s rhetorical and makes readers think. In fact, this will help you involve readers in an action or some kind of dialogue.
• Statistics It works, if numbers are related to your research. Choose the most relevant data.
• Counterargument Starting with an opposite opinion is a great way to refute this counterargument from the very beginning. This technique helps you intrigue readers at an early stage.

These recommendations may help you create a good hook that will attract readers, so use them wisely.

Tip 3: Create a Context for Your Persuasive Essay

When working on your persuasive essay introduction, be sure that you provide some background on the topic. Put readers in some context. You are more than welcome to use any statistical facts, numbers or in-depth definition. Historical or biographical details will work as well. Your task is to set an exact direction of thoughts. But don’t reveal any arguments and proofs in this section – you will do that later. Mention why this problem should be investigated, with more precise explanations being provided in body paragraphs. With the clear context, it will be much easier to perceive any idea. On top of that, given the proper background, there should be no doubts about your argument. Consider our best college essay writing services to speed the process up.

Tip 4: Write a Thesis Statement for Your Persuasive Essay Intro

How to start a persuasive essay thesis? It is easy: just write 1-2 sentences that clearly describe your main claim. Remember that your whole essay will be based on this statement. So, when crafting the thesis statement, make sure that you will be able to prove it. Make it sound logical – your statement shouldn’t be based on some blind guesses. Readers should understand your point and what they will find in the following paragraphs. Feel free to list your arguments, but don’t overdo it with extra details. Save more room for in-depth thoughts that will be covered in body paragraphs.  

Tip 5: Start Persuasive Essay Briefly

Start a persuasive essay with some brief information on what one will learn from the text. Choose the main theses, provide them in a concise way, so as not to overload the reader’s mind. Mention the importance of your topic – your reader should be convinced that this essay is worth reading. Although your opinion should be arguable, this doesn’t mean that you can write vague sentences. Refer to those facts that resonate with your central statement. Long story short, be concise and stay on point. Buy essay online  that may be of help to you if anything seems too vague right now.  

Tip 6: Be Convincing in Your Persuasive Essay Introduction

When you try to start a persuasive essay, chances are that you will come across advice to use credible references. While this is all good and well, we suggest focusing more on the convincing arguments – your personal opinion. Indicate that your paper has been written based on personal experience and resulted from your own research. With this approach, the fact that it includes your thoughts won’t surprise anyone. You shouldn’t write about the truths known to everyone interested in this topic. You should better provide your ideas on why your thesis is correct. Explain why you have decided on this position. This is a polemical style that will trigger a number of debates.  

Persuasive Essay Introduction Examples

If you don’t know how to start a persuasive essay, examples will surely be useful for you. After all, this is a good opportunity to get acquainted with successful patterns and include the best of them in your text. For instance, you can see ways of structuring arguments in an actual example and use it as the basis for your own essay. Still, you should choose your own arguments related to the topic. It all may sound complicated. For this reason, we will introduce an example of what a convincing introduction structure may be like.  

How to Start a Persuasive Essay About a Book: Example

Before finding out how to start a persuasive essay about a book, decide on the literature. However, regardless of any genre and author, your topic will be dedicated to providing your opinion. Focus on your position and provide 3 arguments that you will discuss further. Our example will help you make it clear.

Persuasive Essay Introduction on Gun Control: Example

Your opinion on such an important topic as gun control should sound convincing. Before deciding on how to start a persuasive essay on gun control, make readers believe you have chosen some weighty thesis to develop further. Let’s look at an example.  

How to Start Off a Persuasive Essay About Debates: Example

It is not difficult to work out the topic of debates. But before you find out how to start off a persuasive essay about debates, highlight the thesis that you support. You should specify the purpose of an essay in an introduction and avoid unsupported value judgments.  

Starting a Persuasive Essay on Too Much Homework: Example

Before deciding on how to  write a persuasive essay  on too much homework, you should keep in mind that this topic is quite unusual. To define your position, you should prepare strong arguments; statistics will make an especially good hook.  

Writing a Persuasive Essay on Starting a Colony: Template

To write an introduction of a persuasive essay on starting a colony, you should take on a strong stance on this matter. Be clear and convey the need for this action. Give general arguments, referring to historical practice – this will convince an audience to accept your point.

Final Thoughts

An introduction of a persuasive essay should be effective. After all, it’s the first thing that the readers will see. So, to make a persuasive essay introduction informative and convincing, you should make arguments clear and prepare your arguments. Include such elements in your introduction:

• Hook to attract the readers’ attention
• Personal opinion and proprietary research
• Thesis statement.

By using the above-listed recommendations, you will create a really high-quality introduction for an essay, where you will specify your position and convince readers of the topic's importance. BTW, a free essay maker might help you generate a persuasive essay. Use it to simplify the process.

If you are struggling with your persuasive essay, entrust this task to our academic writers. Share your requirements and our experts will work miracles in a timely manner.

FAQ About Persuasive Essay Introductions

1. what comes first in a persuasive essay.

When writing a persuasive essay introduction, you should indicate the problem you are going to cover. Specify some types and characters that are important to readers. Don’t forget about presenting your personal achievements and opinions. But make sure that you don’t dilute your first paragraph. An introduction should be to the point, just like the rest of writing.

2. How to start a persuasive essay about littering?

Before deciding on how to start a persuasive essay about littering, you should  outline  the issue. In our case, this is litter that pollutes our planet, with its influence having already been proven by hundreds of studies. Highlight the fact that litter doesn’t only harm our planet in general, but also does affect us directly. Prove it by an argument that it accumulates in the environment. These can be the places we work, live and have fun in, which is harmful to our health.  

3. How can I create a hook for an essay about refugees?

Many people ask how to start a persuasive essay with a hook when it comes to writing a paper about refugees. We recommend describing some feelings and loneliness that this category of people experiences. Make an emotional hook to evoke the readers’ moral side. This will work, and you will get readers interested. After all, this is the most important aspect of any type of writing.

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

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