Life ran away with me. In fact, I forgot where to find this blog.
So, here's the deal, I'm focused on writing and publishing these days, BUT I'm teaching again a couple days a month. When I do, I don't toss out word prompts and photos. I give lessons on the art of writing. Every day I learn more about this art.
I'm thinking maybe I'll put some ideas from lessons here in case it might be of benefit to anyone else.
This week I'm talking about HOOK SENTENCES.
Hook sentences encourage the reader to remain interested in continuing to turn pages. There are opening hooks and closing hooks.
There is a hook sentence at the beginning of a book, which includes the first sentence of the first chapter, which is also the first sentence of the first scene. But, wait, there's more!
The author needs to put a hook sentence at the start of every chapter, and every scene. If you have five scenes in a chapter, that's five opening and five closing hooks which include the opening and closing chapter hook.
Why are hooks important? They make a reader want to continue with the story.
Let's look at the first sentence of Andy Weir's book, The Martian: I'm pretty much fucked. If that doesn't make you want to find out what happens next, I doubt anything ever will.
Jill sat on the couch. Yeah, that's no hook sentence ever.
Of course, it isn't as simple as putting in hook sentences and then following up with badly spelled, punctuated, and boring drivel. We have to write to reader expectations of the genre. The hook sets the reader's expectations. Without the hook, the reader might not bother reading more than a line or two.
Imagine: I'm pretty much fucked. Dad took the car keys and I'm grounded for life. Guess I'll go upstairs and watch the Kardashians. Makes you want to dive right in, huh?
You, dear author, must write with your book arc, chapter arc and scene arc in mind AND make sure you have strong hook sentences at the beginning and end of each segment, be it book, chapter, scene, or short story.
Thus far, it's been the opening hook I've addressed. The next type is the last sentence in every scene that makes the reader want to continue reading to see what happens. If it wraps everything up in a nice, tidy bow, then why bother?
Remember the first sentence of The Martian? I'm pretty much fucked. The closing hook of the first scene is: I don't blame you, and I'm glad you survived. There are other people out there. Where are they?
What is the hook in the next scene of the first chapter? I guess I should explain how Mars missions work, for any layman who might be reading this. The reader is going to learn something, so they read on. That scene ends with: You can imagine how disappointed I was when I discovered the MAV was gone. And we're back to him being in trouble. It increases the tension and the need to read more.
The next scene in chapter one begins: It was a ridiculous sequence of events that led to me almost dying, and an even more ridiculous sequence that led me to surviving. Again, it increases tension, and the reader wants to know what happened. This scene ends with: The last thing I remember was seeing Johanssen hopelessly reaching out for me. Oh, no, then what happened? More tension.
I won't go through all the scenes in the first chapter. Buy or borrow the book. It's a great read. What's important is how Weir uses each scene to increase tension, give backstory, and propel the story arc forward and uses powerful opening and closing sentences to hook the reader into reading further.
Today I compiled six pages of opening hooks from books by trad published authors and popular indie authors.
Here are a few:
- I write this sitting in the kitchen sink. – Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle
- Don't look for dignity in public bathrooms. – Victor LaValle, Big Machine
- Men, Sima thought, can't live with them, can't beat them to death with a nine iron. – J.D. Robb, Festive in Death
- The building was on fire and it wasn't my fault. - Jim Butcher, Blood Rites.
- If at first you don't succeed, try again with a bigger gun. – Seanan McGuire, Chaos Choreography
- The little man in the synthetic tweed jacket didn't look like a bomb. – Jack Chalker, Lilith: A Snake in the Grass
See if you can find great hooks, average hooks and lousy ones and see how well the book did, whether indie or trad pub.
Keep writing!
