It's All About the Hook

Betsy, being the genius that she is, stole my blogging hook without even knowing it this week. I, too, was going to talk about editing since we hadn't tackled that too much on Scribble Chicks, but cest le vie...

Since she did such a divine job of addressing the issue, (and believe me, she's right on track with her encouragement to fight for what you want editing-wise and the gorier realities of having copious notes scribbled on your glorious WIP), I'm going to default to my second writing choice this week: the oh-so-important hook.

Ever start reading a novel that seemed ever-so-promising only to be let down by the first line?

Yeah, me too. And while I've been forgiving enough to give most of them a chance to wow me with the next few pages, I still can't underscore the power of a good hook. It can be the difference from your reader actually turning the page or giving up altogether.

One of my favorite novels of late, Nick Hornby's Juliet, Naked (and no it's not as scandalous as it sounds, it's an album title) had a great first line: They had flown from England to Minneapolis to look at a toilet.

Now I don't know about you, but that's a pretty long flight for a glimpse at a toilet of all things, so I was hooked immediately. And low and behold, that toilet, an inanimate, seemingly insignificant object, actually became one of the novel's important minor characters.

And that's precisely why that first line you write is so incredibly important...so before you move ahead to the rest of the story, I'd highly encourage you to make it a memorable one...

Here are three suggestions for how to make your lead line really sing:

1. If your novel is more character-driven, you may want to introduce your main character in a way that's clever and highlights your narrative style. If your character is strong-willed like my protagonist Sydney Alexander is, don't be afraid to be a little sassy. If there's something unusual about your character (say, Benjamin Button's propensity to age backward), I'd go with that.

2. Don't start off with too many details—just enough to hook your readers. We don't need to know that your guy is 5'11 with an athletic build, dreamy brown eyes and a faux hawk. Simple and compelling is always better than crowded and well, not-so-compelling.

3. Allow your readers to wonder where you're going with it. For example, the lead line to my first novel, Around the World in 80 Dates, was "When Daniel told me he was in between jobs, I believed him." That line shows you a lot (rather than telling, which is the archenemy of great novel-writing) about your protagonist with just one little detail. She's trusting when it comes to love, and that may be a good trait—or a bad one—depending on where the story goes.