WOW: 7 Hooks?

[mbarker]

 Original Posting 5/13/2020

Over here https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/critique-7-possible-hooks-for-your-opening-chapter/ there's a column about seven types of hooks you can use to start your story and get your readers engaged. Hooks? Something interesting, that makes readers curious about your story. Implicitly, a question... but which ones?

1. The "Why" hook. If you can get readers to ask, "Why is this happening?" you've got them hooked. Now reel them in...
2. The "Character" hook. A protagonist that the reader can identify with? Yes!
3. The "Catastrophe" hook. Kaboom! Wow! What happened?
4. The "Setting" hook. A really good, interesting place can work. 
5. The "Contradicting Emotions" hook. Wait a minute, this and that? No...
6. The "Inherent Problem" hook. There's trouble right here in River City...
7. The "Goal" hook. I'm going to climb that mountain...

There you go. I love lists like this. When you're looking at your beginning, trying to make it grab the reader, try taking this list and think about working those hooks into your beginning. Which ones do you have already? Can you add a little more bait? Go ahead, set those hooks out and catch yourself a reader or two!

TECH: Shape and Sharpen Your Fiction (Moldy Oldie!)

[mbarker]

 Original Posting 5/15/2020

Writer's Digest, February 1991 (Wow! Almost 30 years ago!) had an article on pages 34-37 by Michael Bugeja. The subtitle suggested "Your story's success depends on three key elements. Here's how to identify each element, hone it to a razor edge, and fit all three together to create the sharpest fiction you've ever written."

He starts out by suggesting that we've all had a story where the sentences are smooth, the characters sharp, and the conflict is well-established and resolved, but... "The story just doesn't work." How do you fix it? Well, Michael suggests looking at three keys. 

Persona: the speaker who narrates the plot.
Point of view: the position from which the story is told.
Resolution: factually closed or suggestively open?

Narrative persona? Hey, it takes the right storyteller to make the campfire story a good one! You need to match the voice of the narrator with the story. It sets the tone, and blends with the topic. "To find that storyteller, ask yourself what type of person would feel comfortable with the topic of your story. Imagine that storyteller sharing his tale..." Then make a list of the traits of the persona. Describe that voice. Make sure the persona is aligned with the subject matter.

Point of view? Which character is the main character? This works with the persona, but unless you are doing first-person, they are not the same. You may even have them play off each other! You need a POV character with the most clout, the most unusual viewpoint, or the one who changes the most (or is changed the most) by the story. Don't just use the most convenient character, pick the one with the most power for this story. "To find your point of view character, ask yourself who will lose or gain the most from the story's events." Oh, and avoid headhopping? Switching POV often loses readers.

Resolution! Stories can have either an open or closed ending. Open? Suggestive, a sense of the situation, but... readers get to think about it. Closed? Factual, loose ends tied up, and the door closes. "The final words satisfy readers, sate curiosity or alleviate suspense." Here, again, match the persona, the point of view, and the story. 

Oh! And he tosses in a "Whetstone Checklist" with four questions about each of these elements. He suggests giong through the checklist once to sharpen the three elements, then go back and check that the answers work with the other parts. So... here's his checklist:

Narrative persona
– Am I inventing a storyteller or simply telling a story in my everyday voice?
– What type of adjectives would best describe the voice of a storyteller narrating my fiction?
– Do those adjectives set the proper mode for the content of my story?
– Would such a persona understand the subject matter and be comfortable in the setting?

Point of View
– Which character will tell my story with the most clout?
– Am I choosing a character for point of view merely because I relate as a person to him or her?
– Is the voice of my first-person story compatible with the main character? Does the persona of my third person story further the plot or enhance the theme?
– Will I be able to develop a plot or theme through my main character, without knowing another character's thoughts or seeing events through another set of eyes?

Resolution
– What type of ending would best resolve the main character's plight or situation?
– Is my persona capable of achieving such an ending, given his or her personality traits?
– Would my persona want to sum up the facts for a closed ending or, by nature, intrigue us with an open one?
– If I were reading my story in a magazine, would I want to feel reflective upon finishing it (open ending) or satisfied (closed)?

There you go. If you want an exercise, take a story you've done or one you're working on, and take a look at his three elements and his checklist. I have to admit for myself, point of view and resolution are something I think about, but I haven't thought much about persona, who is telling this story, in most cases. Something to work on, I guess.

In the meantime, don't forget to write!