“If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book.”
And so we begin the story of A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. Does it grab your attention? It should!
It’s a tool of the trade, the glue to the eye, the hook of the book. And it should draw you in and get you interested in a story right away.
Good hooks will do that.
That’s all good and well, you may say. But you’ve never done it before. How do you create one in your story? Here are three tips on how to create your sure-fire hook to capture the attention of anyone reading your story.
- Start off running—begin your story in the middle of the action. “Where’s Papa going with that ax?” zips into the action in Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White. We’re instantly transported to the Zuckerman’s farm and the immediate problem of Charlotte’s pet pig, Wilbur’s, fate. Not only does it start in the action, you’re left wondering what’s going to happen to poor old Wilbur.
- Create an emotional connection. It can be big or small. Dr. Suess’s The Cat in the Hat sets a mood and creates a connection: “The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house. All that cold, cold, wet day.” I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling sorry for the characters already. It’s not life or death, but everyone can identify with this situation. I’m sure you already have an emotional connection to the characters and what’s going on.
- Make a surprising statement. Take Fly Away Home by by Eve Bunting, “My dad and I live in an airport.” Who lives in an airport? Why is it just him and his dad? This kind of a hook makes the reader ask all kinds of questions. They want to read on to find the answer. You’ve hooked them.
So first, you have to ask yourself what your story is going to be about. Then you need to decide how you’re going to hook your audience. Here are three situations that will make you think about how you can hook your reader:
- A boy on his bicycle that comes upon a mysterious package by a bus stop. Where would you want to start the action in that scene? Can you make them question who left the package and what’s in it?
- How about a painfully shy girl who suddenly wins an award and has to face everyone she comes across wanting to congratulate her or talk with her? How can you give us an emotional connection so we can empathize with her situation? What emotion does the girl feel that you can get across to the reader?
- What if a dog has lost his owner and he’s driving a scooter around the city to find them? What words can you use to surprise the reader when you open this story up in the first sentence? What reactions is the dog getting from the other people driving and walking around?
Once you fashion a crazy good beginning hook to your story, your next mission is to keep that momentum going. Keep your reader on the edge of their seat as they follow your characters through the rest of their journey!