Carol Rose
Basic
There has been discussion in the Colony lately about when to include the story hook in your novel. Simple answer. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Preferably in the first paragraph.
**NOTE** I'm not talking here about the elevator pitch - also called a hook. I'm talking about what hooks your readers in the actual story itself** See THIS THREAD for the elevator pitch.
Why should it come so soon in the story?
Well, let's start with what exactly is the hook?
To understand this, you first need to let go of the idea that what worked in 1876, 1919, 1934, 1952, 1968, or any other year beyond say, three years ago, will not necessary work TODAY. This is the most difficult concept for new writers (and sometimes seasoned ones) to let go of.
"So and so was nominated for a Noble prize in literature in 1969 and HE wrote this way, so why can't I?"
"All of [insert author's name here] books began like this, so mine can, too."
Throw it away. Toss it out. Don't use it.
One, this isn't 1972. Two, the author in question "got away with it" because he/she writes in such a way that it worked.
This goes back to the old adage of having know the rules before you can break them.
If you're trying to write like your favorite Victorian author, or one you admire whose books were published almost one hundred years ago, and still not getting anywhere in your queries, it's because you haven't hit that mark. What you're trying to do is not working.
So stop sabotaging yourself by clinging to something that worked for THAT author, at THAT time, and with THAT book.
Instead, grab your readers by the throat in the first paragraph and start that story in the middle of the conflict. That's a HOOK. And it's what agents and publishers are looking for TODAY. So break that habit and start a new one that will get you some requests for your manuscript.
Now .... let's move onto HOW do to it.
The Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 2: The Hook - Helping Writers Become Authors
"Because your ability to convince the reader to keep reading is dependent on your hook, it must be present as early as possible in your first scene. In fact, if you can get it into your first line, so much the better. However, the hook must be organic. Teasing readers with a killer opening line (“Mimi was dying again”) only to reveal all is not as seems (turns out Mimi is an actress performing her 187th death scene) not only negates the power of your hook, it also betrays readers’ trust. And readers don’t like to be betrayed. Not one little bit."
What I love about this blog post is she cites Jane Austen in one of her examples. Yeah. You know. From the 19th century! And yet it works because Jane, although quite wordy as writers were in those days, still HOOKED readers from line one.
And in fact, she cites only ONE example from this century, but they all prove her point. So all that stuff I said above? You can write like your favorite author from another century, but ONLY if you actually employ the same concept they did to pull in readers from line one. Otherwise you've missed the point.
A hook leaves readers asking questions. Simple as that. If your hook doesn't leave them wanting to find out what happens next, you haven't written a hook.
10 Ways To Hook Your Reader (and Reel Them in for Good) | WritersDigest.com
Begin at a pivotal moment
Add an unusual situation.
Add an intriguing character
Conflict
Add an antagonist
Change emotion
Irony and surprise
Make People Wonder
Dread Factor
Keep narrative voice compelling
https://rebeccazanetti.com/writing-craft/the-hook-of-your-book/
"Your first sentence has to GRAB the reader and not let go. Keep this in mind before you submit the work. First paragraphs are crucial as well. Many agents and/or editors will confess that they stop reading on the first page if they’re not hooked. It’s tough to hear, but when you calculate the sheer number of submissions they receive, it makes sense. To quote agent Kristin Nelson:
“…trust me, we won’t keep reading to get to the “good part.” The opening is everything when you are trying to get an agent’s attention.
A terrible and disheartening statistic is that for 90% of the submissions we receive, we won’t read beyond 2 pages. (I know. Ouch.) We know that quickly whether a) a manuscript is ready for an agent’s attention or b) if it’s right for us. Anything well-written, we’ll read all 30 pages of the submission before deciding to request a full or not.”"
Here's an example she uses:
"Clouds gathered across the heavens, thunder rolling, lightning hinting at oncoming strikes. Paul sighed, his thighs clenching the rushing horse. He had a job to do, but would rather be home with Sarah. He’d met her several years ago and hoped to spend the rest of his life convincing her that the one time he danced with Susy Jane at the Smith’s barn raiser; it was because his mother insisted upon it. His mother. The woman who taught him that duty called, a lesson he learned when he stole an apple from the Jones’…"
What’s wrong with it? Well…while the first sentence is kind of pretty, it’s about the WEATHER. Not the best hook in the world. Then the paragraph erodes into BACKSTORY and INTROSPECTION. Is Paul’s strong urge to fulfill duty important to the story? Sure. But does it have to go in the first paragraph? HECK NO.
A much better beginning:
"Hoofbeats and painful death pounded behind him. They were getting closer. Paul tightened his thighs on the stallion running full-bore, ducking his head as branches ripped sharp bark across his face. Faster. He must go faster. If they caught him, his friends would die. His country would fall. Moonlight glinted off a weapon through the trees, and he yanked on the reins. The horse trilled in protest. A shout sounded from a roadblock ahead. They’d found him."
This paragraph raises some questions. Who is Paul? Who’s after him? What happens now that they found him? How and why would his friends die and his country fall?
What NOT do to:
The first chapter is entirely backstory. Start with the NOW.
Over-setting the scene
Starting the story with the heroine or hero thinking about what's wrong with her or his life
**NOTE** I'm not talking here about the elevator pitch - also called a hook. I'm talking about what hooks your readers in the actual story itself** See THIS THREAD for the elevator pitch.
Why should it come so soon in the story?
Well, let's start with what exactly is the hook?
To understand this, you first need to let go of the idea that what worked in 1876, 1919, 1934, 1952, 1968, or any other year beyond say, three years ago, will not necessary work TODAY. This is the most difficult concept for new writers (and sometimes seasoned ones) to let go of.
"So and so was nominated for a Noble prize in literature in 1969 and HE wrote this way, so why can't I?"
"All of [insert author's name here] books began like this, so mine can, too."
Throw it away. Toss it out. Don't use it.
One, this isn't 1972. Two, the author in question "got away with it" because he/she writes in such a way that it worked.
This goes back to the old adage of having know the rules before you can break them.
If you're trying to write like your favorite Victorian author, or one you admire whose books were published almost one hundred years ago, and still not getting anywhere in your queries, it's because you haven't hit that mark. What you're trying to do is not working.
So stop sabotaging yourself by clinging to something that worked for THAT author, at THAT time, and with THAT book.
Instead, grab your readers by the throat in the first paragraph and start that story in the middle of the conflict. That's a HOOK. And it's what agents and publishers are looking for TODAY. So break that habit and start a new one that will get you some requests for your manuscript.
Now .... let's move onto HOW do to it.
The Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 2: The Hook - Helping Writers Become Authors
"Because your ability to convince the reader to keep reading is dependent on your hook, it must be present as early as possible in your first scene. In fact, if you can get it into your first line, so much the better. However, the hook must be organic. Teasing readers with a killer opening line (“Mimi was dying again”) only to reveal all is not as seems (turns out Mimi is an actress performing her 187th death scene) not only negates the power of your hook, it also betrays readers’ trust. And readers don’t like to be betrayed. Not one little bit."
What I love about this blog post is she cites Jane Austen in one of her examples. Yeah. You know. From the 19th century! And yet it works because Jane, although quite wordy as writers were in those days, still HOOKED readers from line one.
And in fact, she cites only ONE example from this century, but they all prove her point. So all that stuff I said above? You can write like your favorite author from another century, but ONLY if you actually employ the same concept they did to pull in readers from line one. Otherwise you've missed the point.
A hook leaves readers asking questions. Simple as that. If your hook doesn't leave them wanting to find out what happens next, you haven't written a hook.
10 Ways To Hook Your Reader (and Reel Them in for Good) | WritersDigest.com
Begin at a pivotal moment
Add an unusual situation.
Add an intriguing character
Conflict
Add an antagonist
Change emotion
Irony and surprise
Make People Wonder
Dread Factor
Keep narrative voice compelling
https://rebeccazanetti.com/writing-craft/the-hook-of-your-book/
"Your first sentence has to GRAB the reader and not let go. Keep this in mind before you submit the work. First paragraphs are crucial as well. Many agents and/or editors will confess that they stop reading on the first page if they’re not hooked. It’s tough to hear, but when you calculate the sheer number of submissions they receive, it makes sense. To quote agent Kristin Nelson:
“…trust me, we won’t keep reading to get to the “good part.” The opening is everything when you are trying to get an agent’s attention.
A terrible and disheartening statistic is that for 90% of the submissions we receive, we won’t read beyond 2 pages. (I know. Ouch.) We know that quickly whether a) a manuscript is ready for an agent’s attention or b) if it’s right for us. Anything well-written, we’ll read all 30 pages of the submission before deciding to request a full or not.”"
Here's an example she uses:
"Clouds gathered across the heavens, thunder rolling, lightning hinting at oncoming strikes. Paul sighed, his thighs clenching the rushing horse. He had a job to do, but would rather be home with Sarah. He’d met her several years ago and hoped to spend the rest of his life convincing her that the one time he danced with Susy Jane at the Smith’s barn raiser; it was because his mother insisted upon it. His mother. The woman who taught him that duty called, a lesson he learned when he stole an apple from the Jones’…"
What’s wrong with it? Well…while the first sentence is kind of pretty, it’s about the WEATHER. Not the best hook in the world. Then the paragraph erodes into BACKSTORY and INTROSPECTION. Is Paul’s strong urge to fulfill duty important to the story? Sure. But does it have to go in the first paragraph? HECK NO.
A much better beginning:
"Hoofbeats and painful death pounded behind him. They were getting closer. Paul tightened his thighs on the stallion running full-bore, ducking his head as branches ripped sharp bark across his face. Faster. He must go faster. If they caught him, his friends would die. His country would fall. Moonlight glinted off a weapon through the trees, and he yanked on the reins. The horse trilled in protest. A shout sounded from a roadblock ahead. They’d found him."
This paragraph raises some questions. Who is Paul? Who’s after him? What happens now that they found him? How and why would his friends die and his country fall?
What NOT do to:
The first chapter is entirely backstory. Start with the NOW.
Over-setting the scene
Starting the story with the heroine or hero thinking about what's wrong with her or his life
Last edited:
