writercises | EXERCISE: Hooking your reader?

original posting 19 March 2012

Here we go, just for fun...

Over here, Sarah Hoyt is running an online workshop about starting stories.

http://madgeniusclub.com/2012/03/04/hooking-your-reader-workshop-i/

She's up to number 3 now, but for the moment, let's take a look at that first one.

The key here is surprising lines. Nonsense? Well, okay. Or just edgy. Some of the examples she gave included:

The Stealth Chickens were back again.

It was Tuesday, and Smith was dead again.

And the key here is that the line should pay off. It's a hook, yes, but the story relates to the line, it isn't just a grabber that then gets tossed aside. And in the end, it needs to pay off. There needs to be something at the end.

Okay? Tell you what, here's the line I ended up playing with when I read her posting:

801 moths filled the porch.

But, feel free to pick your own hook, your own starting line. And then write... let's say a page. And at least suggest where you think you're going with the story.

I'll post my draft a little later, too. But try it yourself!

Okay?
WRITE!