Five Ways to Hook Your Readers

They say you have three to five pages to grasp a reader's interest. 

But in our fast-paced, information-driven, limited-attention-span world, I'd argue that's being generous. 

You might have one page. 

You might only have a paragraph or two.

This is why first pages are so important. It's where you cast your line, hook the reader, and reel them in. 

Photo by Domie Sharpin

Pulling a reader into your story from the very first page is easier said than done, but a strong story hook should be enough to grab their attention and keep them engaged.

So how do we write a strong story hook?

1. Start with action. Begin with something exciting, or with a character in the midst of conflict. Give your readers a taste of the suspense and excitement to come from the very first sentences.

2. Introduce your characters quickly. Give your readers just enough information about your protagonists and/or antagonists to pique their interest.

3. Use vivid imagery. Set the scene with descriptive language, transporting your readers into the story world right from the start.

4. Set the stakes high. Make it clear from the outset what's at stake for your character and why the reader should care about the journey that's about to unfold.

5. Don't give too much away. Your hook should tantalize readers and make them want to know more, but resolve your story question(s) slowly. This is what keeps those pages turning.

Bottom line: A hook should appear almost immediately within your story. To encourage your readers to continue reading, keep it interesting, unique, and specific to your story. 

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~

The First Chapter

The first chapter sets the stage for the rest of your novel. 

It introduces the key character and at least hints at the conflict to come, but it also lets readers know what genre they're working with (pay attention to those conventions and reader expectations!) and sets the tone.

It presents the character's world just before everything goes wrong.

The first chapter also includes the story hook.

A story hook is what captures the reader's attention. It's also where the writer makes a promise to the reader.  

What will happen next?

This is what drives readers to turn the page.

This is why the first few pages of your manuscript are some of the most important. 

Whether you're a pantser or a plotter or fall somewhere in between, it's nearly impossible to write a first chapter that's going to accomplish everything you need it to before the story is written.

My advice?

Skip the first chapter (or else write a "placeholder" chapter or jot down a few key notes or descriptions) then move on to the rest of the story. 

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

Since beginnings and endings often mirror one another (with the end highlighting how the character has changed), it's easier to think critically about the first pages after the story has unfolded. 

Why? Because...

• You know how the character will evolve, so you can set up a nice opposition. 
• You'll be in a better place to (subtly) present the theme. 
• You'll be in a better position to hook the reader based on what's to come. 

Writing is magical, and we can plot all we want, but our characters are likely to steer us in new and unexpected directions, affecting our story in all kinds of ways.

So don't worry about Chapter One just yet. You don't know where the story is going.

Jump into the action, write to the end, then come back to it later. 

And always...

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~ 

The Chance Encounter

If all stories begin with a disruption of routine, then the "chance encounter" is considered one of those potential disruptions. 

A chance encounter occurs when someone from your protagonist's past waltzes back into their world. He has not seen her for years, but, suddenly, there she is.

The chance encounter sets up a fairly deep story, automatically pulling problems from the past into the present. Not only will the reader need to know what happened before (i.e. how they met, some of their experiences together, what drove them apart, etc.), but also how they have changed in the weeks, months, and years it's been since they last saw each other. 

This feeds directly into the plot of the narrative, of course, or how the two of them will address and work through their shared history, and the baggage that may come along with this, in order to move forward. 

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~

The Disruption of Order

All stories begin and end in the same general manner: with a disruption and restoration (or acceptance) of order.

So, as writers, one of the first things we need to establish is how things were before versus how they have been, or will be, disrupted (as well as the subsequent effects of those disruptions).

Ideally, this will take place in the first chapter (or two), where you will also introduce the story question (a variation on "what's going to happen?"). 

Why does this work?

Because when your characters have a routine that is disrupted, they are forced to restore order. 

They may eventually accept the new disruption, but not before actively working against it, which will be most apparent in the choices they make and the actions they take. 

In The Guardian, Genesis is in a car accident that spurs Seth (her guardian angel) to step out of the shadows and into her world.

In Cross My Heart, Jaden is assigned a partner for a school project, forcing her to work with (and get to know) Parker.

In All I Never Wanted, Trent is required to spend time with Summer (community service) as she serves out her own sentence in rehab.

In All I Never Needed, Harley is unexpectedly sent to live with her dad, upending both her life and River's.

The stakes build from here, of course, as the plot progressively thickens from chapter to chapter, but that first initial push--where a carefully ordered world falls into chaos--is needed to set your unique story in motion. 

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~

Eliminating the Info Dumps

It can be tempting for new writers to want to begin a novel with a resume's worth of information about the main character.

This is what we refer to as the "info dump."

First chapters from new"ish" writers tend to overly present backstory and minutiae--details like the color of a character's hair or eyes, how she feels about her brother (whether or not he's an important part of the story), and the fifth-grade teacher who made her want to pursue a degree in veterinary science. 

After all, the reader needs context--to know more about who a character is and what she's been through--to better understand what she's about to face.

The problem, though, is that these often read like a laundry list of information and experiences and rarely kick-start a story. They contain the kind of writing readers tend to gloss over and skim to get to the more "exciting" parts.

The remedy?

1. Write the first three chapters of your story, then toss out the first. Find a way to incorporate the information presented in that first chapter into later chapters.

If the action does happen to begin in chapter one, then toss every paragraph leading up to that moment. 

or. . . .

2. Keep in mind from the moment you open that blank document that it's important to begin your story as close to the action as possible, then intersperse the backstory and character details as they become relevant.

An author will *always* know more about a character than should appear in an actual novel, but just because *we* know that her fifth-grade teacher had a profound influence on a character doesn't mean the reader needs to know this (unless he does). 

And remember: rather than telling (i.e. presenting that resume or profile directly to the reader), it's always best to show the character in action.

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~

P.S. This strategy isn't only limited to fiction. I tell my composition and non-fiction students that any introduction they write to their essays should serve as a placeholder only. After the piece is written, they should delete the intro and start over from scratch. 

The first attempt at anything is mediocre, at best.

Good writing is good revising.   

On Intellectual Curiosity

Curiosity begins with a question.

It is a writer's job to incite questions within the reader, and these questions begin with the inciting incident: what sets the story in motion.

How is this going to turn out?

This is the key question your reader will want answered by the time they set down your book.

But every scene should raise its own questions, as well, and it's this curiosity and concern for your characters that will encourage the reader to turn page after page to discover what will happen next.

These questions can be mystery or suspense-related. They can elicit anxiety, worry, fear, and even dread if the reader knows what awaits the character before the character knows himself. They can evoke anticipation or doubt until it's absolutely certain the two lovers will end up together. 

But an intellectual interest in your story is always rooted in curiosity, and curiosity is only as strong as the questions that are generated through the events your characters face. 

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~ 

On Beginnings (Of Stories)

*This originally appeared in my February 2018 newsletter. If you're not a subscriber yet, the link is in the sidebar. --> 

Do you remember Mary Katherine Gallagher (Molly Shannon/Saturday Night Live)? Her theory was that there were two ways to get into a pool.

The first?

Enter slowly, taking it step-by-step, adjusting to the water’s temperature. (I’ll be honest: this is me. Otherwise, I’m more of a lie by the pool with a good book kind of gal.)

The second?

Dive right into the deep end.

When it comes to writing and storytelling, it can be tempting to want to ease the reader in—start with the character waking up and getting ready for school or work or introducing the setting so we get a “feel” for the place—but jumping right into the action is the best way to make a splash (pun intended). 

According to Nancy Kress (Beginnings, Middles & Ends), we have about three pages to get an editor’s (or reader’s) attention.

Every word, every sentence, every paragraph matters, and each one should advance the plot and develop the characters in a surprising way. The truth is, many stories would be stronger if they started later in the chapter or if the first chapter were deleted entirely.

So grab that WIP (work in progress). Open that file. Print the first few pages. Do a bit of honest soul-searching.

Does the first page:

            Grab the reader’s attention through an interesting and relevant action?

            Introduce the character in a real and unique way?

            Pose some kind of question that the reader will want answered?

If the excitement on that first page is lacking, there are a few options:

            Delete it and open later in the story

            Relocate the information to a different page (open later in the story)

            Revise the current content to make it more exciting

            Write an entirely new beginning

This isn’t to say we have to start with explosions or bomb threats or car accidents (unless that’s the kind of story you want to write), but it does mean we have limited space to make the reader care, and this isn’t something to squander.

So . . . there are two ways to start a story: ease the reader into the narrative with a gradual build-up and hope they stick around, or dive right into the excitement, grabbing their attention from the very first page.

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~