A description does not need to shout
Original practice source: a commentary about descriptive openings.
A dramatic opening can give a reader an immediate reason to continue. An unexpected action or striking image creates a question before the whole situation has been explained. Energy may be appropriate to the scene the writer wants to build.
A quieter detail can also invite attention. A small mark, an ordinary sound or an object slightly out of place may suggest a larger situation without announcing its importance. The beginning needs a direction, not necessarily the loudest event. A writer should consider what kind of curiosity the first detail creates and whether the rest of the piece can develop it.
A magazine for young writers is inviting articles on the statement: “Descriptions should always begin with something dramatic.”
Write an article for the magazine arguing your view. You may use ideas from the source and your own ideas.
60 exam-style questions on Oxford AQA IGCSE English Language 2.2.1 Writing for audience and purpose. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.