In today’s Writing Prompt Wednesdays post, we address the story hook. Hooks cannot be talked about enough. They are a vital component to all stories, long and short. Many authors, editors, and agents talk about the first sentence or the first paragraph. But I disagree. If the first few sentences are vital in grabbing a reader’s attention, every sentence that follows is equally important to keep that attention. If every sentence in a story isn’t a hook, why should the reader keep reading?
That’s why I believe that a novel’s entire first chapter (or the entire story if we’re talking short fiction) is one big long hook. Which leads us to today’s writing prompt exercise. Some people learn more by doing instead of reading, so here we go. Let’s “do.”
Da Prompt: Find your favorite book or story in the genre that you are writing. The closer this book is to your type of WIP, the better. Rewrite (in your own typing or own handwriting) the entire first chapter or section. As you write, pay close attention to the structure of each sentence, word choices (grammar) in both the non-verbal exposition and the verbalized character conversations, and POV conditions (close, far, first person, third person, omniscient, etc.). Consider how these technical details carry the plot and showcase characterization.
The exercise mission is to discover what about this story hooked you. The exact moment, the exact words, the bit of this favorite tale of yours that grabbed you by the scruff of the neck and forced you to keep reading. Basically, you are deconstructing another author’s work to see what they do and don’t do well. Since reading enjoyment is a matter of opinion, I leave it to everyone to figure out the Good, Bad, Ugly, and Surprising on their own.
Once you’ve figured out the details (what works for you and what doesn’t), go back to your own WIP and apply those lessons to your own words.
NOTE! Do not copy the author’s work or style into your own WIP. That will not help you, and it’s illegal to pass off someone else’s efforts in place of your own. This writing prompt is only meant to help you identify what in other author’s fiction appeals to you as a reader.
Da Wordcount: Not applicable.
Have fun! Let me know if you have any questions regarding this particular exercise.
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Writers are frequently asked the question “Where do you get your ideas?” The question is a hard one to answer because we all find our inspiration in different places. Some people need to be given prompts, little snippets of ideas to spark their imaginations.
With that in mind, I am posting Writing Prompt Wednesdays. The goal is to inspire writers with exercises meant to train their skills and fire up the creative juices. There are rules. Most prompts will have associated word counts or style instructions. These are not meant to restrict the writer, but give the writer a chance to explore different ways of writing.
If you are an author in search of that one juicy idea, I hope these posts help. If you have ideas for writing prompts, please let me know.
Da Rules:
1) Anything goes so long as you stick to the spirit of the prompt.
2) I ask that if you do publish something based on one of my prompts, that you post the good news (and the link) in the comments of the prompt that inspired your success. You want other people to help you celebrate, right?
#sfwapro
