Hooks
How are you going to grab the reader’s
attention right from the start?
Open with the setting
Vividly describe where
you were. Use
imagery (5 senses)
“On September 5, 1999, I
was sitting in the Heart
Hospital in Austin, Texas,
surrounded by family and
close friends when my life
changed forever.”
Open with a bold statement
Make a bold
statement about your
story. Say something
that will really make
your reader think!
Then briefly explain
what you meant.
“When faced with death, life
becomes so clear. When
my dad lay in the hospital
room, his heartbeat fading
with every second, I saw a
man who had no regrets
about life.”
Open with how you felt
Describe to your
reader EXACTLY
what you were feeling
emotionally and
physically. Don’t just
say I was happy-describe yourself
being happy.
“Tears burned in my eyes,
my throat tightened, and my
stomach was so completely
twisted into knots that I
thought I would never eat
again. I couldn’t even speak
the words, ‘I love you’.”
Opening with Dialogue
Conversation between two people that must
be meaningful and create suspense.
Opening with a Sound
Effect
Must be relative to the story!