So let's consider what we do mean by a compelling hook. Let's say your opening scene takes place in a dentist's office, with your protagonist going in for a root canal. Probably your first inclination would be to begin with some straight-up information getting the character there: "Barbara Morris walked into the dentist's office and up to the receptionist's window to sign in for her root canal.
How, then, might we convey the same basic information -- we're in a dentist's office for a procedure -- that begins in the action of the moment and also holds enough mystery to convince the reader to keep going? Maybe something like this: "Barbara Morris breathed in the hissing gas and immediately felt her face sliding off her skull. But it puts us in the moment, with the reader feeling as if he has that little hissing mask on his face, too, already an improvement over the first.
Plus, in the first line we tried out, there's very little mystery involved; we know what's likely to come next the character is going to speak to the receptionist. But in the second one, we get the feeling that anything might still happen: Barbara Morris might panic and try to take the mask off; she might accidentally reveal her darkest secret while loopy on gas; she might look at those two hairy dentist's hands coming toward her and suddenly realize she's in love.
We don't know what'll happen next, but hopefully we're intrigued enough to read to the next line to find out. And all of this is accomplished by starting with something fairly general going to the dentist , considering what exact moment there we might focus on to begin, and finding a first line that conveys the moment in an interesting way and makes us, as authors, want to write the next line.
Grounds us in the protagonist's perspective. It's good to begin in a moment of action or interaction, something to grab the reader's attention right away, but it's important to remember that your reader experiences your fictional world as your protagonist does.
Thus a good opening scene is one that grounds us in the main character's perspective, shows us the world through his eyes, from the very beginning.
Immediate action that's not grounded in character is just Stuff Happening and can be disorienting for a reader. As an editor and teacher I see this quite a bit: stories that begin with a gun battle, for instance, with characters barking out orders and bullets flying and lots of Stuff Happening -- high action, the author thinks, this'll hook a reader -- but that offers no way for the reader to know whom to root for, whom to run from, what's important and what's just chaos.
And our reaction to such a scene at the beginning of a novel is much the same as if we'd been dropped into a gun battle in real life: Get me outta here.
This is the double burden of a solid opening: introduce the character and get us into his head and heart while simultaneously engaging us in action. But when you find that opening that does both of these things well, the chances are good that your reader -- not to mention your potential editor and publisher -- will be drawn into the story and will feel compelled to keep going. Has a complete arc of its own but also urges us toward the next.
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By leading with one, Will immediately intrigues his readers. There are other ways to be intriguing, too. To be perfectly clear, the idea is quite simple, the research behind it was incredibly complex, and the ramifications are profound. So, how does an Author cut through the noise? And then you tell them you have the data to back it up. But fair warning: you might not enjoy the process to get there.
More than once I wanted to quit. And it shows right from the first sentence. Just follow these steps and be on your way! And he can see them through it, even if it sucks.
Or picking it up at the bookstore and reading this first chapter—trust me, you should save time and go buy this now as I offer a percent refund guarantee at the end of this letter, so no need to worry! He immediately creates a connection and invites the reader in.
This makes the book feel more like a conversation between two people than something written by a nameless, faceless Author. How to Choose a Ghostwriter for a Finance Book. Book Writing. Many first-time Authors think they have to shock the reader to make them take note. How do you form that connection? The best hooks usually start in the middle of the highest intensity.
In other words, lead with the most emotional part of the story.
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