Hook, Grab & Pull

Hook, grab & pull - that’s how we reel in our readers and keep them engaged in our stories. Of course, like many things in life, doing this sounds easier than it actually is! The August 2007 issue of Writer’s Digest magazine contains an excellent article on this topic by Les Edgerton. He writes:

 

“The opening of your story carries an awesome responsibility. Consider this: The goals of your opening scene are:

 

     1. To successfully introduce the story-worthy problem.

     2. To hook the readers.

     3. To establish the rules of the story.

     4. To forecast the ending of the story.

 

If your opening fails to accomplish any one of these elements, then guess what - your opening will fail.”

 

Wow! If you sit there and ponder these four points for a moment, you will realize just how much skill is required to write a compelling story opening. These four points were especially enlightening to me because I’ve just begun plotting out two novels. I went back and read the opening lines of several of my favorite novels to see how each author accomplishes these four objectives in his or her writing. Try it; it’s fascinating!

 

Questions? Comments? Tips for other fiction writers? If so, please post them here. Thank you!