Hooking and Keeping Readers

What is a hook?

A hook is an intentionally placed sentence that grabs readers and keeps them reading.

Where are hooks used?

The most important place to use a hook is the first sentence of the work. You want to grab readers right away and make them keep reading to see what happens next. Unless you are writing for personal pleasure or in an office setting, the first professional people to see your work will probably be an agent or editor. These are the people who will decide if your work is professionally published. You want to hook these readers with the very first sentence because you must draw them in and keep them interested. Agents and editors are inundated with submissions. They don’t have time to keep reading to see if your work improves. And you have given them an excuse to reject your work.

If you’re writing fiction, you also want to plant hooks at the end of scenes. Avoid nice quiet scene endings and force readers to keep turning pages. It’s much better to end a scene with a hook than allowing a character to go to sleep, even after a love scene. By letting the characters take a nap, you are providing an opportunity for readers to put the book down and do likewise.

Use hooks at the end of chapters. This is another place that provides an easy excuse for readers to put the book down and do something else unless you make them want to keep reading.

These aren’t the only places you can use hooks. The end of every paragraph is an opportunity to use a hook. The more hooks you use, the better.

Examples.

In each set, one sentence hooks and one doesn’t. Which would be most likely to keep you reading?

1. The summer sun blazed down on her.
2. The warm water relaxed her, soothing her raw nerves, then the fin broke through the water and bore down on her.

1. She turned another page in her book and took a sip of sweet tea.
2. Oh God—I’m gonna die.

1. He turned his head and smacked at a bothersome gnat.
2. He turned his head and screamed.

1. He pulled his car to the curb and waved to a friend.
2. A woman leapt in front of his car—he couldn’t stop.

In each set of samples, the second one leaves the door open for the reader to keep moving forward to see what happens next while the first example in each set doesn’t.

Hooks are a great way to keep the reader wanting more and enjoying your book. If readers like your book, they might buy the next one as well. A book that doesn’t hold the reader’s attention might be put down and never opened again. Worse, the reader won’t be looking for your next book.

Hooks will help you keep readers (including agents and editors) engaged and wanting more. Maximize your chances of success and use hooks at every opportunity.