HOOK ‘EM

Lynnette Jalufka

This month’s topic is about hooks. A hook is the opening of a story that captures the readers’ attention enough to keep them reading the rest of the book. It usually means the first sentence.

I have been to several writing workshops that have used the opening line of Ken Follett’s The Key to Rebecca to illustrate a good hook: “The last camel collapsed at noon.”

Here’s another example from one of my favorite novels, Tahn by L. A. Kelly: “Tahn crept up the stone wall like a reptile silent after its prey.”

Would either of these openings make you want to read the next sentence, the paragraph, the entire chapter? Maybe, even the whole book? I have never read past the first chapter of The Key to Rebecca, but I’ve read Tahn many times.

Take a look at your favorite books. Were you hooked from the first sentence? Why or why not? Seeing how other authors opened their novels is the best way to learn how to capture your readers.

Due to health issues, I will be taking a break from this blog and hope to return later this year. Thank you for following Wordsmith Six.