How to Hook a Reader's Attention From the First Sentence

Once a reader is hooked, she ideally shouldn't be able to stop reading.

"Brian didn't know he was going to die today." Interesting first sentence, right? Ideally, you're wondering just what sort of tragedy is going to befall this man. Your first sentence should always hook the reader and make him want to read more. No matter how good the rest of the content is, if he doesn't read it, does it matter? The reader should be into it from the beginning, because not everyone gives a book a long chance. Plus, it's helpful if you're trying to get published and attract an editor's attention.

Instructions

1. Avoid vanilla words when describing things. "Good," "very" and "many" should not be in your vocabulary. Push yourself to use colorful verbs and adjectives. This may be a bit time-consuming at first if you're just starting out and getting used to it, but over time your vocabulary will develop and it will become second nature. On the flip side, don't get too fancy for your own good. The reader should be engaged, but he shouldn't have to have a dictionary by his side, either.

2. Start at an important moment. The pace of your narrative may vary, but waiting too long to build up to the suspense or get to the point can turn your readers off. Setting the stage is important, but it can be done after you've hooked the reader's attention. Write the engaging sentence, then explain.

3. Pose a question. It doesn't have to be a traditional, direct interrogative statement either. The point is for the readers to wonder. For example, take the aforementioned sentence in the introduction, "Brian didn't know he was going to die today." Why is he going to die? What will happen to him? When will it happen to him? Are more going to die? Open-ended intrigue that spawns a litany of questions is quite effective for hooking the reader from the first sentence.

4. Avoid the obvious. For instance, if you're reviewing a rock band's album, don't say something like "Van Halen has a new album out right now..." Instead, add depth to it and get creative. Focus on the context and the big picture. A better first sentence would be "Maybe 22 years apart from the Van Halen brothers was just what David Lee Roth needed after all," assuming your review is a positive one.

References

• "Write it Sideways"; 6 Ways to Hook Your Readers from the Very First Line; Suzannah Windsor Freeman; January, 2010