mbarker: (ISeeYou2)
[personal profile] mbarker posting in [community profile] writercises
 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!
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