By: The
Magic Violinist
Hooking
your reader can be extremely hard to do, so it’s good to keep a few things
in mind as you’re writing. Here are three of my tips.
1. Have a fantastic first line
This
is the hook that needs to grab your reader right away. With the right first
line, you’ll have them interested as soon as they get to the end of the
sentence. Write Practice contributor, Kellie McGann, posted an article
about writing a great first line.
A
lot of the time these hooks are crisp, clean, and intriguing, but not
necessarily. You can have a longer starting line, too, one full of mystery that
makes me think, “What happens next?” It all depends on your style. Here are a
few of my favorites.
- My
mother thinks I’m dead. – Legend
by Marie Lue - He’d stopped trying to bring her back. – Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
- Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she’d been told that she would kill her true love. – The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
- So we drank it—the two of us. – Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King
2. Introduce your main character as soon
as possible
Your
protagonist is the character your reader is going to spend the most time with,
so if you show them who it is and what you’re in for right away, it’s easier to
set up the story. This doesn’t necessarily include prologues. I personally try
to avoid those as much as possible. But your first chapter and your first scene
should include your main character.
3. Hint at what’s to come
. . .
To
read the rest of the post, click here:
~*~
If
you missed my writing & marketing tweets and retweets yesterday, here they
are again:
- 5 Ways to Use Instagram as an Author | Jane Friedman http://ow.ly/UQ9Ik
- Three Ways to Write Good Beginnings http://ow.ly/UQFBg
- The 12 Fatal Flaws of Fiction Writing | Live Write Thrive http://ow.ly/UQFMA
- How to Use Twitter to Find and Engage Book Reviewers | Live Write Thrive http://ow.ly/UQGl4
- 7 Tips for a Writing Partnership — Guest: Jennifer Hale | Jami Gold, Paranormal Author http://ow.ly/UQGtE
- Seven Rules for Writing Historical Fiction, article by Elizabeth Crook http://ow.ly/UQH0u
- 5 Easy SEO Techniques for Writers | Writers In The Storm http://ow.ly/UQHix
- Ask
Becca: Three Ways To Pump Up Your Word Count - DIY MFA
: DIY MFA http://ow.ly/UQHol - Public Speaking for Writers - Elizabeth Spann Craig http://ow.ly/UQHtS
- 6 Tips to Grow Your Pinterest Marketing Results Social Media Examiner http://ow.ly/UQHDO
- How to Write a Short Story from Start to Finish http://ow.ly/UQHLM
- Flog a Pro: would you pay to turn the first page of this bestseller? http://ow.ly/UQHTg
- The Back-up Antagonist » Writeonsisters.com http://ow.ly/UQIjR
Writability : Some Pre-Debut Thoughts http://ow.ly/UQItl- NaNoWriMo? Avoid These Five Common Mistakes | Linda S. Clare http://ow.ly/UQIBp
- What the Heck is Content Marketing? - Rachelle Gardner http://ow.ly/UQIGe
- 6 Ideas for Getting Your Book More International Exposure http://ow.ly/UQKOs
- New Audiobook Distribution Service: Author's Republic Offers New Options for Authors and Publishers - http://ow.ly/UQLbd
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