6 January 2016 - HOOKING YOUR READER




HOOKING YOUR READER

G'day folks,


Hooking your reader can be extremely hard to do, so it’s good to keep a few things in mind as you’re writing. I've often mentioned this to my students, but here are three tips from the 'Magic Violinist'.



1. Have a fantastic first line

This is the hook that needs to grab your reader right away. With the right first line, you’ll have them interested as soon as they get to the end of the sentence. Write Practice contributor, Kellie McGann, posted an article about writing a great first line.

A lot of the time these hooks are crisp, clean, and intriguing, but not necessarily. You can have a longer starting line, too, one full of mystery that makes me think, “What happens next?” It all depends on your style. Here are a few of my favorites.

My mother thinks I’m dead. – Legend by Marie Lue

 He’d stopped trying to bring her back. – Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she’d been told that she would kill her true love. – The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

So we drank it—the two of us. – Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King.



2. Introduce your main character as soon as possible

Your protagonist is the character your reader is going to spend the most time with, so if you show them who it is and what you’re in for right away, it’s easier to set up the story. This doesn’t necessarily include prologues. I personally try to avoid those as much as possible. But your first chapter and your first scene should include your main character.



3. Hint at what’s to come

And finally, at the end of your first chapter, there should be some kind of foreshadowing about what’s going to happen in the next chapter, or even in the rest of the book. My rule of thumb is I try to have a good hook at the beginning of a chapter and at the end.



Clancy's comment: Hope this has given you a few thoughts. And, a few tips from me: Cut to the chase, don't waffle, cut, cut, cut when revising, and keep your story moving.

I'm ....







 



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