How To Hook 'Em

Photo by Karol Pomplin

So what's the secret? How do you get readers to care?

You know the feeling. It's 1 a.m. and you're curled up in bed and can't turn the pages fast enough. Or maybe it's twenty minutes until your hair appointment and the heroine is about to find out the answer you've been waiting for. So you decide to cancel your appointment. (Please DO NOT do this to your stylist—unless of course it's my book you're readingJ.)

Here are some things to think about when creating your hook:

·       Pique curiosity. Raise questions. Make them turn the pages to find out the why. I don't know about you but when questions are raised I find myself leaning in, wanting to read more. I have to know the answer. Before I know it, I'm a quarter into the book. Pique curiosity but don't forget to deliver.

     Curiosity plays a big part and so does suspense. Not knowing what will happen next will keep your readers wanting to know more. Think back to all your favorite books and analyze them. Write down why you feel they hooked you. You'll be surprised at what you can learn.

·       Rework that opening line until it sparkles. The world of wonder is a wonderful thing. Make them question your opening sentence. Here's a good example from Becca Fitzgerald's Hush Hush:

I walked into biology and my jaw fell open.

Now doesn't that make you wonder why her jaw fell open? There are a ton of great first liners. Feel free to share them in the comments section.

·       Give your character a unique voice and a unique name (but don't go overboard) and don't forget the flaws. Readers can relate to characters who have flaws. We all have them.

·       The inciting incident must be present. Did you catch that? Let's say that again:You MUST include an inciting incident. What's an inciting incident? It's the moment something happens. Something that makes your MC (main character) react. It's what gets the story going. The goal. A good goal makes for a good hook.

·       Nothing worthwhile comes easy. Make it tough for your characters. Really tough. Go ahead be cruel. Make them suffer. I give you permission. And don't forget urgency and stress are always a great combo. Keep raising the stakes. Which leads me to…

·       How high are the risks? Now, I'm not talking about a little threat. The stakes must be vital. It has to be something worthwhile. Something that forces your character into wanting (or not wanting it) so bad he'd/she'd do anything to either get it or get rid of it.

If it's not that important to the character then why should we care? After all, we are going through their journey in their POV.

·       White space makes for a faster paced read. Eyes travel down the page faster. Don't be afraid to add white space in there. Editors and readers love white space. So once you hook 'em, it's easier for them to stay hooked when the author makes for an easy read.

·       Always prompt your story forward. What's happening now? Backstory is b-o-r-i-n-g in large amounts. Sprinkle it in. Only a dab will do. Large info dumps will put your readers to sleep. Unless it's a How to Beat Insomnia self-help book, then you definitely do not want to invite a siesta.

    Think about all those wonderful stories that grabbed you by the throat and didn't let go. I'd bet most of them were written in a way that showed the story in the "now."

·       Give them a secret. Why not? Everyone has a secret or two. Besides, it'll pique curiosity and have readers wondering what he/she is hiding.

·       Rewrite a cliché. Be creative with metaphors but don't get too happy. I am learning that creative clichés and original metaphors really hook me. I don't know what it is about reading artistic similes, but they keep me wanting more.

    As I'm reading, it makes me wonder what else will the writer come up with. A good example is: Leanna Ellis's Forsaken (Coming to print this August 2011).

·       Be sure to NOT introduce too many characters at one time. This can distract your reader rather than hooking them. Think of it this way.

     If you are in a room full of a dozen people, it will be harder for you to get to know every single person at the same time. We want to create empathy for the main character. It's hard to do that if you introduce too many people at one time.

·       Ending lines. Always end at a place where the reader will wonder what will happen next. Again. Raise questions and pique curiosity. Add a tense situation/conflict/suspense. Don't you just love cliffhangers? Sure you do. It's what keeps you turning the pages.

Does the last line of chapter one hook you? If not, why not? Reshape it so the reader will want to know more. Think about news commercials and/or movie trailers. They always seem to know how to hook you. Why is that?

Because they make you wonder what will happen next. They are withholding valuable information hoping you tune in to find out. If you already know, then there is no suspense. Why even bother to read on?

What are some books that hooked you and wheeled you in and why?

BTW In Sept I'll be taking Lynnette Labelle's Hook, Line, and Sinker class. If you care to join me check it out HERE

SAVE THE CAT! Part 1

Okay, so I have to say that this blog post is loooooong overdue! I read Blake Snyder's Save the Cat! (book #1) last year and I can't believe I hadn't heard about it years ago.


SAVE THE CAT! is one of my top picks for recommended books for writers. I have to give a huge shout out to Alyson Noël. Thank you Alyson for introducing me to Save the Cat!


THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Seriously I can't thank you enough!! It's no wonder you dedicated one of your books to Blake. He truly is amazing.


I cannot emphasis how fabulous Save the Cat! is. I don't want to sound like an annoying parakeet but it's really THAT good. So what makes it so dang good?


Good question. What make a book a great read?


Let's see, there's the hook—the pacing—characters you can relate to—originality—and most importantly a voice you can't turn away from.


I think what makes Save the Cat! so fabulous is that Blake has a likable voice and when reading it, it doesn't feel like you're studying. You're actually absorbing and understanding what Blake has to say.


In his final interview (it saddens me deeply that he is no longer here) he talks about how and why structure is important. He points out that you are misleading yourself if you are shying away from structure because it’s formulaic or hampers your creativity.


I've always been a SOTP (Seat of the Pants) writer but after reading this book I found that not only did it spark ideas, but it gave me structure and guidance. As a SOTP writer, I like having the option of being able to change things around spontaneously and even though Blake shows you how to structure your story it really doesn't have to be set in stone.


So what is the first thing Blake suggests to do?


He stresses on the importance of creating a one to two sentence logline for your story. It must have irony and an adjective. And although Blake's beat sheet (The BS2) is well structured, I still feel I have the opportunity to change things around but yet it guides me just like a business plan does.


Next, you must think up a title for your story. Not just any title but a killer title that resonates. One that yells, "Hey, look at me!" Try it out on friends and strangers. Feel their reactions.


Did their eyes light up with excitement?


Did the title do its job?


Did they want to know more?

Are they hooked?


Make note of their reactions. If it didn't excite them as you hoped, maybe it's time to think up a few more titles.


Blake shares a ton more—but I'll shut up now so you can hear it all from the master himself. (Reading Save the Cat! is well worth it!)


So why the cat you say? Why not save the earth or save the giraffe? Well, I'm not one to give up spoilers so you'll have to read the book to find out. However, I can confidently say one thing though, you'll be thanking me later and you'll be glad that you've been introduced to Blake and his fabulous how-to guide.

Are you now anxious in finding out what Save the Cat! Is all about? You should be! With so much to cover, I've decided to break up the post into two parts. Tomorrow we'll talk about the Perfect Beast aka The Board. For now I will leave you with some great links you can learn from.


So your homework for today is to come up with a killer title and a killer hook. BTW in case you haven’t noticed Save the Cat! Is the first book in a three book series. I am anxious to read the other two and I can't wait to blog about them.




How about you? Have you read Save the Cat!? Have you heard about it? Please let me know if you are a STC fan and would be interested in future blog posts regarding STC.


NY best-selling author Jessica Brody raves about Save the Cat! After I heard about it from Alyson, I found that Jess loved it just as much and I was sold!


Author Vicky Dreiling shares an awesome post (mentioning Save the cat!) HERE Pitch Begins With Premise.

To Blake Snyder—such an inspiration to all writers.

You will be greatly missed! R.I.P

 Blake Snyder

1957-2010

To view Save the Cat part 2 click HERE

More Writing Tips

Photo by Martha Ramirez

What can I say, Camy Tang has some great info. That is why you may see lots of links on my blog directing you to her site. On this post she shares a great step by step reminder on how to set up your manuscript.

Visit her site HERE


Rachelle Gardner writes an excellent post on how to title your book.

Learn more about it HERE

Personal dos and don'ts

Ten Rules For Writing Fiction

What's a voice journal? How can you create one?
James Scott Bell teaches you 7 awesome Responses to The writer’s toolkit: A voice journal for character development.

HAPPY WRITING!!!!!!!!!!!!

POV

Photo by Karol Pomplin

What is POV?
Some see it as a work of art.

For others it may mean Privately Owned Vehicle, or Power of Veto. But for us writers it means one thing and one thing only: Point of View.

So what is it exactly? What are the rules? Which POV should you use?

Below I have listed some links that help explain and remind us writers what POV is all about.

Deep POV is hot. And why wouldn't it be?
It makes for a fascinating and emotional ride. Deep POV allows readers to get under the character's skin.

Here is some info on Deep POV:

Mastering Deep POV

Strong Emotive Writing

How to use Deep POV effectively
How do authors make their characters come alive using Deep POV?
Find out HERE
Camy Tang shows you tips that pull the reader deeper into the character’s point of view HERE
Making POV work for you
Limited Third Person/Deep POVNot sure what POV you want to write in?
Maybe this can help.
Gail Gaymer shows us how to select the right POV HERE

Writer's Corner

Photo by Geni White

"The river may run wide, but it can always be crossed."
~African Proverb

Need advice on how to write a novel? You can find a video HERE from a novelist.


Need some tips to help bring your settings to life?
Find some answers HERE

How about some advice from Best-Selling Authors

Or maybe you need some writing tips. 20 Writing Tips can be found HERE

And finally learning about Author Platform and Debut of Your Book

Synopsis Writing

Joe Moore shares what a synopsis is and how to get one done.
An excellent article if you want to learn how to write a synopsis.

Check out his article I'd Rather have a Root Canal HERE.