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Birdie's Quill

Birdie

Setting the Hook

A light breeze rippled across the surface of the placid bay. My fingers anticipated the tug on the line as I waited for the first strike. I’d lived in Florida for 18 years, and had yet to catch my first Snook. This game fish known for their fight and tender delicious flavor had eluded my list of fish brought to the boat. Why? In the past, my bait captured the attention of the fish, but I missed the opportunity to set the hook. I experienced the momentary thrill of a strike, only to be disappointed when it spit the hook and swam off in search of other tasty morsels.

It’s no different when writing. The writer’s goal is to choose the right bait, a title or blurb. It works to garner the reader’s attention, but once they start to read, if the hook isn’t set, attention wanders. If you don’t grab their interest at the start, you may lose them all together.

What Is the Hook?
Reading is not a passive exercise. Good writers engage the reader’s imagination and interest. It causes them to want to know more. If the writer fails to generate questions about what happens next or why something occurred, within a short time interest wanes and the “boring” piece is set aside. If the hook works, it engages the reader to want to know more or stirs the imagination to consider the possibilities. It keeps them reading.

Think of it like fishing. Titles and cover blurbs work as bait. They catch the attention enough to pick up the story or article and scan it. Does it meet their expectations? Is the writer giving them what the bait promises to deliver?

Editors, like the elusive Snook, sift through piles of manuscripts looking for the bait that holds their attention. When you receive a positive response to a query, you know your bait piqued their interest, but when you send your manuscript—that’s the time to set the hook. Your writing works to reel in the deal.

Setting the Hook
Consider the hook as the DNA of your story or article. On popular crime scene television shows, a daub of this chain-like chemical can solve a baffling case. DNA is found in the nucleus of all cells. Segments of this chain contain genetic code that guides the development of every cell. It’s no different when writing. Your hook contains the code that guides the development of the storyline. Paragraph to paragraph, the storyline stems back to the hook.

Ask yourself, “What’s the reason for this story?” Based on your answer, write the hook or read your existing pages to find it. The hook is usually a question or comment that evokes an emotional response from the reader. It snags the attention long enough to keep them reading.

Once you hook a fish, it’s important to keep the tension on the line just right. It’s no different when writing. After you’ve set the hook, your goal is to keep them looking for more. As you satisfy the reader’s curiosity, create a new question or two. Evoke another emotion. Keep the reader hungry.

Example:

Amanda slapped the stack of hundred dollar bills on the table in front of her husband. The flame of the cinnamon scented candle flickered accentuating his high cheekbones while painting hollowed shadows hiding his deep-set eyes.

“How do you explain this, Brian?” Amanda crossed her arms in front of her oversized tee shirt.

Brian slammed his fist spilling his beer. The jar holding the candle bounced off the edge of the table and crashed into tiny shards. Hot wax sprayed across Amanda’s shins and bare feet. Inky darkness swallowed the room. Amanda didn’t move. Brian’s chair screeched against the wood planks. The crunch of glass under his feet warned her to run.

The flame of the cinnamon scented candle flickered accentuating Amanda’s husband’s high cheekbones while painting hollowed shadows hiding his deep-set eyes. She slapped the stack of hundred dollar bills on the table.