Hi everyone,
It’s that time again for the monthly Insecure Writers Support Group, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh. The Co-hosts for June are Charity Bradford, S.A. Larsen, AJ Lauer, Tamara Narayan, Allison Gammons, and Tanya Miranda.
Like most, if not all of you writers, I’m concerned about hooking the reading early. This can be accomplished by having that awesome first line. But a great first line isn’t necessarily necessary. But you should try to hook the reader by the first paragraph, the first page, or the first chapter if possible.
I want to keep this post short, so here is the first sentence along with an abbreviated version of the first page from Salem’s Daughters, due out October 1st, 2015:
This was a hell of a way to hold a monthly meeting and welcome newcomers to the coven ... Emily Livingston ran faster and harder than she thought possible. Her body’s defenses kicked into rapid, automatic responses as the cacophony of her pursuers’ shrieking blasphemy blasted through the late autumn night ...
Behind her, the mob from surrounding villages and towns had flushed out their coven at the midnight hour. They’d been compromised by one of her closest followers. Olivia Shepherd. I should have known, Emily thought between exasperated breaths. She’s so weak and frail of mind and heart. It probably took those bastards less than an hour to force her to surrender our secret place. Then kill her ...
Though Emily’s senses were heightened and her awareness of the surroundings at peak levels, she could not find her younger sibling Sarah in the mass panic of dozens of young women running to save their lives; all daughters of those hung at the Salem Witch Trials and other untold witch hunts in the following years.
What I Finished Reading: I finished the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series series. All five books. Rick Riordon did an amazing job using Greek mythology to write a modern day epic story. These five books have been a tremendous inspiration for a series I’m currently writing in the same genre. Reviews forthcoming.
What I’m Reading: White Fire by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, book 13 in the Pendergast series. It’s been far too long since I caught up on Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast. The last book I read from the dynamic duo (outside of the total dud Gideon’s Sword and we won’t waste our time with that) was Fever Dream. So it’s been a lot of fun catching up on one of the best character-driven series I’ve ever read.
Question: How do you feel about hooking the reader early on? Do you have that one great first line? If so, please share it in the comments. And what are you reading this summer?
Like most, if not all of you writers, I’m concerned about hooking the reading early. This can be accomplished by having that awesome first line. But a great first line isn’t necessarily necessary. But you should try to hook the reader by the first paragraph, the first page, or the first chapter if possible.
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| Click Salem's Daughters Tab Above |
I want to keep this post short, so here is the first sentence along with an abbreviated version of the first page from Salem’s Daughters, due out October 1st, 2015:
This was a hell of a way to hold a monthly meeting and welcome newcomers to the coven ... Emily Livingston ran faster and harder than she thought possible. Her body’s defenses kicked into rapid, automatic responses as the cacophony of her pursuers’ shrieking blasphemy blasted through the late autumn night ...
Behind her, the mob from surrounding villages and towns had flushed out their coven at the midnight hour. They’d been compromised by one of her closest followers. Olivia Shepherd. I should have known, Emily thought between exasperated breaths. She’s so weak and frail of mind and heart. It probably took those bastards less than an hour to force her to surrender our secret place. Then kill her ...
Though Emily’s senses were heightened and her awareness of the surroundings at peak levels, she could not find her younger sibling Sarah in the mass panic of dozens of young women running to save their lives; all daughters of those hung at the Salem Witch Trials and other untold witch hunts in the following years.
Question: How do you feel about hooking the reader early on? Do you have that one great first line? If so, please share it in the comments. And what are you reading this summer?
I'm happy to segue my way into a beautifully- descriptive story rather than a full action adventure...think To Kill a Mockingbird. Just as well we all like different styles. :-)
ReplyDeleteFirst lines are important as is the whole first page. I like your first line and am intrigued by what you shared. I'm venturing a bit into reading adult fiction this summer instead of just MG and YA. I'm reading one of Sue Grafton's mysteries right now.
ReplyDeleteNatalie. thanks for your words of encouragement and best wishes to you!
DeleteI'll have to read what that meeting was all about!
ReplyDeleteCheryl, if interested, I'll be happy to forward you an ebook.
DeleteI need to be hooked by the first few pages, not necessarily the first line, but if by the end of the first chapter I'm not hooked,I probably will put the book down. I just finished the Reluctant Midwife by Patricia Harman; found it very good :)
ReplyDeletebetty
That was a great hook!
ReplyDeleteExcellent hook. Character running for their life definitely catches my attention. Just starting the revision for my current project, so a good first line is foremost on my mind right now. Wish me luck!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great first sentence. I'm looking forward to this book. I thought Gideon's Sword was a dud too but I never miss a Pendergast novel.
ReplyDeleteSusan Says
Thanks Susan for your interest!
DeleteGearing up to enter contests (or querying agents) with a posting of the first chapter or first 250 words really helps to hone that hook! Rick Riordan has a way of hooking us early:)
ReplyDeleteJennifer, amother good reason to hook them early as agents often want a very short sample with the initial query letter.
DeleteI do my best to hook readers in the first page, but I also know from experience even if you don't hook the reader, if they really want to read the story, they will keep going even if the first page is a bit meh. (When I read Teeth, a YA, the first page didn't really get me, but I loved the story idea, so that's what kept me reading. It didn't disappoint.)
ReplyDeleteGreat hook! Personally, I don't mind if books take a little bit longer to get into, though I have to be hooked by the end of the third chapter :).
ReplyDeleteThe first page is a good hook. I have always struggled with that first paragraph.
ReplyDeleteDiane, fortunately I write a lot of action, so I have no shortage of material to try and hook the reader with a fight for life scene.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI believe the hook is very important, but sometimes I think it has become a tool that keeps us from giving the reader a good description. By that I mean that we go from one action to the other without painting a picture or giving a descriptive scene that leads up to the hook. Of course I want the reader to say this book is a page turner, however a book that is a page turner has more than a good hook. Usually the writer has built up his story with excellent scenes.
I hope I'm making sense here and you understand what I mean.
Good luck on your book launch in October.
Shalom,
Patricia
Great first line. I think beginnings are uber important. I spend the most time on the first chapter.
ReplyDeleteYou hooked me! I can't wait for it to come out! I love witches and would love to at some point write a ya witchy story. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Sharon. Salem's Daughters has thirteen witches, all with a unique ability to keep the reader engaged.
DeleteI'm a pretty harsh judge of opening lines. It usually tells me whether or not I'm going to keep reading. :) Yours was pretty good. Good job!
ReplyDeleteThanks Loni. I'm happy with pretty good as I just don;t have that one dynamic first line. Hopefully the action scene that starts the book is enough to hook the reader.
DeleteIt doesn't have to be the first sentence or paragraph for me, but I should be interested by the first chapter.
ReplyDeleteHooking the reader early is essential. With so many books, a story has to grab me right away or I'm on to the next one. Life is too short to read lousy books.
ReplyDeleteDiane IWSG #99
Yes, that first page. Check out my post as I lamented on that very subject and subsequent near-death results - near death for the manuscript, LOL. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteI love a great first line, but it is rarely the thing that hooks me as a reader. I need a couple pages to really be hooked. I usually give a a story concept the benefit of the doubt for at least three chapters though. Unless the writing is very bad.
ReplyDeleteI agree the hook doesn't have to be the first sentence, but something should tickle the back of the reader's mind by the end of the paragraph. I like how ordinary your first sentence begins but ends with the word coven. Very nice.
ReplyDeleteI loved the Percy Jackson series!
I think the author owes it to the reader to let them know right away what the book is about. That way if this is not what they want to read, then can quickly move on to something else.
DeleteI think it's important to hook the reader early on. But then I write poetry and short stories so there isn't much of a 'later' do hook readers in. And I'd add a second thing--- it's important to hook THE RIGHT KIND of readers early on. If a writer is writing for Catholic/Christian readers, you don't want a hook that thrills the angry atheist crowd but doesn't appeal to the kind of readers who will like the whole work.
ReplyDeletehttp://myantimatterlife.wordpress.com
I hopped onto your blog cursing through the ISWG line-up. Interesting blog and books! The first page is a good hook for me. If I stopped reading after the first line that didn't hook me, I would have missed out on a great book!
ReplyDeleteLisa@justlittlecajunme.blogspot.com
Thanks Lisa for the feedback! I really appreciate it.
DeleteNice hook, Stephen! Hooks are no more than asking a question that makes the reader want to read on to discover the answer. Every book needs a hook early on. It can be an action hook like yours, or something as subtle as a protagonists’s internal reflection. That said, I do think too much emphasis is given to the first line/first page. Too many fledgling writers obsess over these to the detriment of their manuscript. An opening doesn’t need to be earth shattering. Pose a compelling question, readers will turn the page.
ReplyDeleteVR Barkowski
Ah, I wish I had that one perfect line! Still working on coming up with it, or even a great first paragraph.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I think it's important to hook the reader as soon as possible. Easier said than done for us writers, but a worthy goal. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteI'm a fan of the Pendergast series as well. The perfect first line? I wish. I probably fiddle with the first page of a novel 50 times and then again every time I submit a new batch of queries. I like the action of your opening. The quick phrasing matches pace of someone running.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tamara for stopping by and thanks for your support!
Deletefirst lines are tough! I think I rework mine dozens of times before I'm happy :)
ReplyDeleteGood job on the opening!
You know, people say to try to hook in the first sentence, but as a reader I always give the book at least a chapter or two before judging whether I want to finish it or not. I say your starting paragraphs are pretty interesting and intense! I'd continue reading it just after that!
ReplyDeleteI loved the Percy Jackson series. I'm going to be starting the Heroes of Olympus series soon and I can't wait until his Norse mythology series comes out!
Madilyn, I'm going right into the Olympus series too.
DeleteAll is not what it seems is a good opener for cracking the ice.
ReplyDeleteFirst lines and first pages are very important for hooking the reader. I like your sample!
ReplyDelete