Does Your Story Have A Good Hook?

What’s your story's hook? It’s one of those double-working assets that can be used in the writing + the marketing. One of my favorite kinds, really.

But today we’re focusing on the former half of it.

‍The hook weaved in your story - because I’d say it serves a greater purpose. A good marketing hook, elevator pitch, blurb - may get readers to purchase + open the book. First step ~ check.

‍But what keeps them in the book?

Good writing, yeah. Plot, characters, theme, pacing, dialogue — all the things.

‍But before that your hook serves as a (final) promise of things to come.

‍It’s backing up your blurb - like yeah this story is about to be a really good. I meant what I said. 😛

‍And if you weren’t hooked already — you’re hooked now.

‍A hook is not always intentional, it pairs well with the inciting incident.

‍A good inciting incident can serve as a hook. But it’s not the hook.

‍You’ll usually place your hook within the first few pages, or scenes of your book. Whereas your inciting incident tends to pop up after some exposition.

‍The hook works to grab your reader’s attention at the beginning of your story. It can:

• Build intrigue

• Provoke curiosity

• Introduce tension

‍Annnnd most importantly, compel your readers to keep reading.

‍I mentioned inciting incident here because often times the hook smoothly slides right into the inciting incident.

‍For example, the hook may introduce a high-stakes situation (e.g., a robbery in progress), while the inciting incident occurs when the protagonist gets directly involved (e.g., the robber shoots a family member, sparking the protagonist’s quest for justice).

‍In The Hunger Games: ((I haven’t read these books in so long, so I had to run over to my shelf to double check. 😜))

• The hook is the slow introduction to the the Hunger Games. This immediately grabs the reader's attention with its shocking premise and raises questions about that society.

• The inciting incident occurs during the reaping ceremony when Primrose Everdeen, Katniss's younger sister, is selected as the female tribute for District 12. Katniss immediately volunteers to take her place, changing the course of her life and setting the main plot in motion.

‍I want to make a clear distinction between the two. But do you also see how one leads to the other?

‍So in today’s editorial we’re studying the book hook, and a how to write yours. By the end of this editorial you’ll have a few ideas on how to come up with your own or some markers to take back to your draft and give it a test.

‍Let’s begin??

Does Your Book Need A Hook?

‍Hooks aren’t talked about a lot, sometimes their glanced over - because it’s one of those things that many writers do naturally.

‍But when you’re studying books (reading like a writer) you’ll notice almost every book has some kind of hook — whether it was intentional or not.

‍And it helps make the story stronger. It ((hooks)) duh.

‍So while not every book needs a deliberate, standout hook, having one can make your story much more compelling, especially at the beginning.

‍In terms of structure, a hook typically fits in the exposition or opening scenes—often within the first chapter or even the first few lines.

‍It introduces an intriguing situation, character, or conflict that grabs attention before leading to your inciting incident, which sets the plot in motion.

‍Going back to the Hunger Games example —

In the first paragraph, something called ‘the reaping’ is mentioned. ‘This is the first day of the reaping’. And that’s all that’s mentioned of it for now.

‍That’s a hook, questions are swirling, intrigue is placed.

‍In my writing room, I craft my hook with my structure outline. That’s after my brain dump - but before my full chapter-by-chapter outline.

‍In my structure outline I’m working with the bones/framework of my story. It fits snug there. Doing a structure outline takes me around 30 minutes. Sometimes less - sometimes more depending on the story.

‍I don’t like to spend a lot of time here - and the same with the hook. I jot it here, 5-10 mins tops because it doesn’t need much time.

‍You’ll see why in a moment.

‍Soo running in back rq. Your book doesn’t necessarily need a standout hook. You can skip it - you may end up naturally writing your hook. But giving it a little attention can enhance your story and as I mentioned can give you some early marketing material (which we love around here).

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How To Write Your Hook

‍If you’re peeping the game, here’s how to play.

‍As mentioned, a hook shouldn’t take long to write. It’s not thee most important part of your story, and chances are you’ll naturally write it.

‍But if you want to make sure your hook is hooking - I’ll go over a few ways I’ve written hooks. To note, always experiment with dif methods. Different things work for different books.‍

Here’s a few to try:

1. Staring with a Core Conflict or Mystery

• Ask: What is the central problem, question, or tension that drives the story?

• Focus: Highlight this in the first few lines or paragraphs to pull the reader in.

• Best For: Thrillers, Mysteries, Dystopians, Horror

2. Introduce an Intriguing Character or Situation

• Ask: Is there something unique or fascinating about the protagonist or the initial setting?

• Tip: Introduce a character’s struggle, strength, or flaw that immediately makes readers curious.

• Best For: Character Driven stories, Mysteries, Romance

3. Raise a Compelling Question ⭐️

• Ask: What question does the reader immediately want answered?

• Tip: Create curiosity by presenting a situation that begs further exploration.

• Best For: This could work across most genres — similar to a dramatic question. It's popular, and likely the easiest option.

Example: A hook might show a character on the run without explaining why, prompting the reader to keep reading to find out. OR mentioning the ominous 'reaping' without explaining what it is - just yet.

‍4. Use Strong Emotions or High Stakes

• Ask: Are the stakes clear and urgent?

• Tip: Ensure the hook conveys a sense of danger, emotional intensity, or life-changing stakes.

• Best For: Flashback scenes, or →  flash forwards In 2nd/3rd books in a series, it can be confusing to open with this in the first book. But if you can pull it off, pull it off.

Example: Opening with a character in danger, facing heartbreak, or about to make a big decision can pull readers in.

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Few More Markers:

• Keep Your Hook Brief and Focused — Is the opening too slow or overly descriptive? Additionally make sure to avoid long backstory or world-building at first; get straight to the interesting part. So no expo dumping.

• Test Your Hook — Get early feedback and share the opening with a reader or writing group to see if they are immediately intrigued or want to read more. And make sure you're also rereading your draft and asking yourself, “Would I keep reading this if I didn’t know what happens next?”

• Check for Relevance to the Overall Story — Here make sure the hook reflects the tone, genre, or theme of your book. Does it set up the central story? The hook should always give a taste of what's to come, not mislead the reader.

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Repurposing Your Hook For Your Marketing

‍One of the main reasons I spend a little 1:1 time with hooks is because they can easily be repurposed and used in your marketing materials.

‍I know a lot of writers don’t enjoy marketing or prefer to hand it off to a professional. I’m not a professional marketer.

‍But I’ve studied it enough to know its importance, how it’s done, and how to spot marketing opportunities in most things.

‍So yes, the same hook used in your opening scene can be repurposed for marketing materials.

‍To do this, the hook can be adapted into a concise, punchy blurb or tagline that appears on the book cover, in ads, or in shop descriptions.

‍Examples:

1. Condense the hook: Take the key element that grabs attention—such as a mystery, conflict, or intriguing character—and boil it down to a sentence or two.

   • Book Hook: A detective wakes up with no memory—and discovers a murder weapon in his hands.

   • Marketing blurb: "A detective with no memory. A murder weapon in his hands. Can he solve the crime before he’s framed for it?"

2. Highlight the stakes: Emphasize the tension or mystery from the book’s hook in marketing to get readers attention.

3. Use quotes: If the first lines or scenes are punchy, they can even be used as teasers in ads, giving readers a direct taste of the hook.

‍This consistency helps keeps your book's promise clear across your story and its marketing. This is good.

‍So while you don’t need to intentionally write your hook — it can be helpful to zero in on it and give it a little refinement. Especially because that same hook can be used in your marketing.

‍I shared a few tips on how to how to hook readers. Namely by raising a compelling question similar to a dramatic question - but not the same thing.

‍And you had a little marketing lesson on how to then take that hook and turn it into a marketing materials to use with your book launch (if you’re self-publishing) and possibly traditional publishing too.

‍I hope that helps! There’s a lot of writing bits + rules to tab up as a writer but as your skills grow a lot of this will become second nature. This is one of those things ;)

‍To keep this going → grab my margin notes - where I share behind-the-scenes in my writing room.

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