One purple day is the best way I have found to start a story. That's because on purple days, only the most wonderfully magical things can come to life. So if I'm trying to imagine something wonderfully magical, I begin by saying "One purple day..." and then follow that with the first thing that pops into my mind. It might go something like this...

One purple day I decided to fly to school.

...If I like the first sentence then I might be inspired to follow it with a second one...

I grabbed my bookbag, waved goodbye to my mom and walked to the bus stop as usual.

...and then I might just keep going...

When the school bus stopped and the door opened up, I said to the driver, "I've decided to fly to school today."

"Okay. Fine by me," the bus driver said.

I stepped onto the bus, found an empty seat up front and sat down. For a few minutes the bus didn't move. The bus driver mumbled to herself as she fiddled around with some switches. Suddenly the bus sputtered some pop pop sounds and great billowing clouds of smoke filled the air. When the smoke disappeared I could see out the window. We were hovering just above the treetops over my neighborhood. The bus driver stepped on the gas pedal and off we went to school.

Some stories end up being only a few sentences while others go on for pages and pages. It doesn't really matter how long it is. Each story is wonderful in it's own way. Sometimes I'll write a short story and then be inspired to draw a picture or two to go along with it. Other times I just let it be what it is in all it's glorious shortness and move on to the next idea. Here are a few more first lines. Feel free to use one of mine or write your own...

One purple day I woke up on a big fluffy cloud floating over a sparkling green sea.

One purple day I learned how to breathe underwater.

One purple day, while I was eating breakfast, a hundred butterflies landed on my head.

One purple day a troupe of parachuting fish fell silently past my window...