Hooks in Books

Are your readers hungry for the next sentence of your story? Like a fisherman places bait on his fishing hook to urge fish to come closer, as writers, it is our responsibility to create sentences that urge readers to come closer, take a second look, and continue reading until the last page is finished.

No, we don’t have to write an enticing first sentence. But remember, most readers—agents and editors included—determine if our project is worth reading by the weight of the first few sentences. So we should attempt to write a good hook.  

I admit, developing that ‘hook’ sentence, it’s not the easiest thing to do. As a result, many great stories have died because the first sentence or two or three spanned dull and lifeless. If only the reader knew the rest of the book flamed with excitement, would pull them in and keep them reading.

Now, sometimes the first sentence, or the hook, does materialize without much effort. Grows inside your brain and you plant it on the page in minutes. Other times, though, writing a sentence to hook the reader is grueling—surgery without anesthesia and a licensed surgeon.

The good news is, it is possible for us to write a great hook, and another, and another. It is possible to come up with that first sentence that leaves our readers hungry for more. Is there a formula? I’m really not sure. But I do know there is one thing our hook sentence needs and once you’ve mastered it, no matter what your story line, you will hook your reader.

What’s the one thing? Suspense! Suspense is not reserved for thrillers and mysteries. Suspense appears in every genre and especially in that first sentence. In this case, suspense is creating an atmosphere of curiosity. Suspense raises questions in the mind of the reader. Even if you, as the writer, have implanted one question in your reader’s head, you’ve done a good job.

Here are some examples from three stories I like a lot. The first is my debut novel, Forgivin’ Ain’t Forgettin’. The first sentence of the prologue reads: She’d been taken.

That’s it. Three words. Three words that raise questions. One, who is the female who has been taken?  Is the person a child or an adult who perhaps has been kidnapped? Who has taken her? Where has the person been taken?

Let’s look at another work, The Darkest Child by Delores Phillips. This novel has a first sentence that leaves you with questions as well. The sentence: Mama washed the last dish she ever intended to wash. I am drawn to ask 1) Who is this woman Mama?  2) Why is this the last time she will wash a dish?  3) Has Mama decided this is the last dish she’ll wash because she’s angry or sick?  And how old is Mama? I immediately picture her as an older woman with graying hair, but is she?

I also read The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards, a story with a marvelous hook, in my opinion. Sentence one reads: The snow started to fall several hours before her labor began. So many questions here. First, is someone about to give birth? Who is it? What are the circumstances surrounding the birth, other than it appears a winter storm is in progress? Will the storm impede the mother’s trip to the hospital?  Maybe the snow isn’t a major player at all. Maybe the baby is a major player to come forward in the story considering the first sentence suggests something about the timing she or he was born.

Remember, even if the question the reader raises is totally off course for the book, the fact is you’ve got him or her asking a question or two. You’ve most likely gained their attention and probably gained a committed reader. So keep up the good work and work those hooks!

Write well,

Mata

Next time: Hangers in Books