Friday, November 20, 2015

Friday's Links to Writing & Marketing Blog Posts


By: The Magic Violinist

Hooking your reader can be extremely hard to do, so it’s good to keep a few things in mind as you’re writing. Here are three of my tips.

1. Have a fantastic first line

This is the hook that needs to grab your reader right away. With the right first line, you’ll have them interested as soon as they get to the end of the sentence. Write Practice contributor, Kellie McGann, posted an article about writing a great first line.

A lot of the time these hooks are crisp, clean, and intriguing, but not necessarily. You can have a longer starting line, too, one full of mystery that makes me think, “What happens next?” It all depends on your style. Here are a few of my favorites.
  • My mother thinks I’m dead. – Legend by Marie Lue
  • He’d stopped trying to bring her back. – Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
  • Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she’d been told that she would kill her true love. – The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
  • So we drank it—the two of us. – Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King

2. Introduce your main character as soon as possible

Your protagonist is the character your reader is going to spend the most time with, so if you show them who it is and what you’re in for right away, it’s easier to set up the story. This doesn’t necessarily include prologues. I personally try to avoid those as much as possible. But your first chapter and your first scene should include your main character.

3. Hint at what’s to come

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Happy writing and running, Kathy

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