The hook, as is often forgotten in many self-published titles, is the authors attempt to “reel in” the reader to continue on with the book.

I was reading a breakdown of different hooks found across the genre spectrum, and decided to do a breakdown of my own “hook” in my first two books I’m working on.

The Boy and the Stick:

The forest shadows lengthened in the morbid moonlight. Two men, standing in an open glade, watch a pile of dust fade away as the evening wind blows mournfully.

Self-Analysis: So I have a bit more information on what a hook needs and what it displays. The first two words describe the setting, the moonlight being morbid describes the tone. The two characters are unnamed, allowing for a bit of mystery, and the dust fading away with mournful wind creates a foreshadowed idea of the darkness inherent within the book.

Response: So my hook works for what I intended with the book, as I wrote it this way. I am going to consider changing mournful wind as I feel it’s a little too on-the-nose with morbid moonlight in the prior sentence.

Creation (working title):

Walker Rohe stepped out of the quack’s office, and took a turn down a new pathway.

Self-Analysis: I’ve only started writing creation in the last month, but already I’m loving the book. Each day I have enough time to sit down and write, I’ve knocked out at least 1k words, as it’s just so fun to get into. The analysis of this sentence is rather simple. Walker Rohe is the protagonist, he doesn’t think much of psychiatry for whatever reason, and the odd phrasing in the last portion implies something unique within the sentence.

Response: I don’t want to give too much away, but this is a very important sentence. I’m a big one for foreshadowing, so I place hints left and right to give ideas to what may eventually happen, as well as all the different ways it may not happen.

Categories: Abnormal Thoughts Thoughts and Tips

Tagged as: blog fantasy jd mullenary the hook writing tips

abnormalvaverage

I'm a high school English teacher in Texas. I also hold degrees in radiography and radio and television broadcasting. Though I obtained certain knowledge and skills from my prior degrees, I do not currently use them.