StoryCraft Novel Challenge Day 24: Draw your readers in with a dynamic hook!
It’s not easy drawing in readers in today’s market. There are so many great books out there, so how do you make sure people want to read yours? This is where developing a dynamic hook comes into play.
Your hook is the way you introduce readers to the world of your story, and generally serves as the metaphorical carrot that motivates someone to choose your book over someone else’s. It’s the element of your plot that would make someone say “ooooh,” and add it to their TBR list immediately.
It’s not enough anymore to write a great book with an exciting story and deep characters. You need to have that special element that makes you stand out among the giants of the publishing world. Finding this will come from your authentic voice as a writer and what your book has to offer that no other book does.
This is a great place to try ideation exercises to give yourself options. What are a few different ways you could introduce your readers to the world and characters, and which is the most compelling? Maybe it’s right in the middle of the action, or immediately following a devastating phone call. The more options you have, the more likely you are to find the best hook.
Work with your writing groups and feedback team on options here as you develop the idea. Getting feedback from trusted writer and reader friends can really help to tune in to the most exciting version. If you present three different hooks, which is the one that garners the most excitement?
Again, don’t worry if you don’t find the perfect version right away. Beginnings are often the last piece of the literary puzzle, but we need a starting place in order to figure out the rest. When in doubt, think about your ending. If you know where your characters end up, then think about the exact opposite of that for the beginning.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into the StoryCraft Process, you can access the Beta for our online course StoryCraft: Writing Your Novel for $150 off with SCBETA.
Use hashtag #StoryCraftNovelChallenge to share your progress and connect with other writers, and tomorrow, we’ll do our first real exploration of the prose of our novels.
Happy Writing,
Jess and Theo