How to Hook Your Readers on Page One - Starting Your Book With a Bang

Hello friends, welcome! Today Abbie and I are breaking down one of the great mysteries of writing: that OPENING HOOK! How do we NAIL it? How to we draw our readers in, and craft a story that is unputdownable? We're breaking down our top advice for writing a captivating opening hook. So grab a notebook, and let's get into this!
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[@KAEmmons]

QOTD ✨ WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE OPENING HOOK EVER??

[@matirae8883]

"He began his new life standing up, surrounded by cold darkness and stale, dusty air." -James Dashner The Maze Runner.

[@ashlynohm4241]

I love the first scene(s) of the movie Frozen. I think it’s incredible how in such a short time you’re completely submerged in the characters’ internal conflict and backstory. Punchy and quick but without sacrificing the conflict.

[@ExploreEmbraceExpress]

I don’t have the book with me at the moment so I can’t it, but basically the first line was something like ‘ Seeing my sister on the news would be strange under any circumstances, but considering she’s been dead for over a year, you can imagine my surprise at seeing her walk across the screen’

[@milomazli]

"Erika was waiting all her life to be kidnapped"

[@billyalarie929]

"When he woke in the woods in the dark and the cold of the night, he'd reach out to touch the child sleeping beside him." -Cormac McCarthy, The Road.

[@Selmeras15]

"As soon as it becomes relevant to the protagonist". Thank you, I needed that.

[@nikkinewbie6014]

I’m reminded of Abbie’s video about world building where she says something like build the world as the characters experience it instead of info dumping.

[@ExploreEmbraceExpress]

I would love to see you do first line, first paragraph, or first page reviews. Would be super interesting to hear your take on these opening parts of the book.

[@KAEmmons]

I love that idea!!

[@ExploreEmbraceExpress]

@@KAEmmons Awesome! I love your channel and content, so definitely interested to hear your take on this.

[@nikkinewbie6014]

I second that! That would be awesome!

[@Amy_Mi6]

I have edited my first chapter so much at this point it’s beginning to resemble mud lol. This episode is exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you 🙏 . . . . Side note: Abbie isn’t draped in a cheery pastel?? What sort of dark, alternate universe is this? 🦹‍♀️

[@leonmayne797]

She's going through her dark transformation arc.

[@isthisatitleforayoutubecha3035]

Hook is plain and simple: Internal Conflict, there video done.

[@spacewhales2118]

Yes!!!! This is exactly what I need! I got stuck trying to form the vision in my mind of what I want for the first chapter. I need to play and investigate my M.C’s internal conflict. I’ve come up with some ideas but then I worry that they’re not a strong enough internal conflict. I wrote the first take of the first chapter but it wasn’t vibing with me at all. Luckily I had a small break through where I did a short reoutlining and I feel like I got the right vibes. So I’m just gonna play with my MC and write Take 2 🎬 and see how it goes. I’d say that sounds like a pretty good plan!

[@b.e.singletary1387]

I loved the examples given using your own novels because I think it puts it in better perspective and understanding of how soon certain elements should be introduced. I would love more examples like that!

[@barretthighschool9508]

I love it in "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" by Mark Twain, when the protagonist immediately and literally steps out of his 19th-century era and into King Arthur's world with all the "prithee" and "thou hath not sayeth to be so!" stuff. What's funny is that at first he thinks he's stepped into a psycho institution.

[@milomazli]

OMG this is exactly the information that I need!! I am currently reworking my first chapter.

[@sophiemelo9951]

I love how you differ reading a situation happening to a character and feeling as if it was happening with you. Great video! This is amazing!

[@igoldenknight2169]

This was a great reminder about Internal Conflict! For those watching remember that the Hook and the inciting Incident are two different things and not the same.

[@jacindaellison3363]

My favorite hook is the first 6 minutes in The Endless b/c it has 2 hooks: -external: One of the main characters finds a mysterious package left on his and older brother's doorstep. -internal: The older brother, Justin, and his younger one, Aaron, used to live in a commune/cult named Camp Arcadia but left after someone told one of them the camp members were going to commit suicide. This caused Justin to not only want to keep his he and his brother safe but wound up taking control over their livelihood. Nothing is working out, but Justin's insistent that things here are way better than being in the cult. Outside the cult, Justin sees this as they can think for themselves, but they're both miserable, particularly Aaron because Justin's being dismissive of his wanting to go back to the cult-the package they got was a tape one of the camp members had made, indicating they weren't dead. Justin's desire, fear, and misbelief are introduced in the 1st 6 minutes and including Aaron's side, we get their perspectives 9 minutes into the movie. This is one of my favorite movies that I've studied to learn how to write my stories!

[@r.harlansmith7282]

You might explain how the tone of the story is established in the first chapter. I'd say it's as important as the setting.

[@ashlynohm4241]

Love this! Thank you!

[@leo-author]

Amazing video again. Thank Kate an Abbie your both amazing. Keep up the great work guy.

[@lydireads9581]

Always looking forward to my favorite podcast every week :D

[@deborahmeyers551]

Awsome podcast 👌 👍 this was amaizing giving me inspiration to make decisions about my artwork and writing for the artwork I don't actually write books but take inspiration from your awesome channel thank you Kate and Abbie🥰🥰

[@meganjohnstone3458]

You have an excellent point about not needlessly introducing characters too early if they're not relevant yet. I know this isn't the standard medium you all talk about (books/movies/tv series), but there's an anime called Gundam 00 that introduces 2 pointless characters and gives them a ton of unnecessary screentime long, LONG, before they're relevant to the plot. I think the writers wanted us to go "Aww, what a cute couple!" and have us form some sort of attachment to them, but they were sooooooo out of place in the story. Between action scenes we'd get a 5minute scene of them being a couple doing mundane couple things, then we'd go back to the main chars and action scenes. It's Gundam, but these 2 chars were right out of a romcom series and slapped into a mecha-action show. It's not that these 2 chars didn't belong in the show at all, but they were shoved into scenes that took the viewer out of immersion and gave us action-whip-lash. We also didn't need to know this copious amount of information about them before their relevance came to be. SPOILERS FOR GUNDAM 00 BELOW!! They end up thinking the other is dead and go off on a rampage/emotional trauma episode and when they meet up, they're a bit in denial and join the main plot. Yes, they added good things to the plot in the end, but we really didn't need SEVERAL HOURS of their romcom lovey-dovey lifestyle from before their traumatizing incident. They could have just shown us that they were a couple and an episode about them before the attack that makes them think they're dead happens. We didn't need jarring exposition on them for several episodes leading up to that point that just took us out of the main plot and action to see them shopping or eating together. NOTE: It's been a few years since I've seen it, sorry for any inaccuracies in the details.

[@Amy_Mi6]

Soldier: Is it cool if I take a picture with you? Toni: Yes. It’s very cool. #classic ✌️

[@michaellayne-vw4jp]

Your videos have become a guide through which I can mold my characters desires

[@hanachelache66]

Another excellent podcast guys!

[@Catherine_Longstaff]

Great video! I always love listening to your podcast. You two have helped me so much with my own story. Your advice has helped me figure out some tricky parts of my story, but it has also helped me to see what I am doing well, even when imposter syndrome kicks in! Show recommendation for you both, if you haven't seen it, is Marvel's Daredevil. It is one of the most character driven shows I have ever seen, and I would be interested in hearing what you two think about it! Keep doing what you are doing!

[@michaellayne-vw4jp]

Wonderful

[@Thenoobestgirl]

This not a book, but the beginning of The Last of Us (the video game) is the best done example of making you cry over a character you've literally just met I can think of.

[@trinahisler9775]

I caved in and decided to check out 100 Days of Sunlight (not a romance fan) 😮😂❤❤❤❤❤ < yup glad I did 😮❤❤

[@authorkaitlynking]

Loved this! I tuned in because I’m trying to rework my first line. I started with a quick nightmare about my mc’s traumatic event then had them wake up. Then I heard a bunch of people say you shouldn’t start with a dream. I was fascinated to learn that Abby started her’s with a dream. Any advice for me?

[@valerierichardson5368]

Question: How do you show that the book is beginning with a flashback? Is there a more creative option than how mine begins currently?-- Main Character is in a dangerous situation, fleeing for his life and trying to figure out what to do. Next section begins "one week ago" and shows what lead to that scenario. Thank you everyone! This channel and community are so awesome!

[@SG-js2qn]

To keep people turning the pages, whatever situation you begin with or describe, it has to leave a question unanswered that keeps the reader looking for the answer. That's basic storytelling. Suspense. The audience has to keep asking, what's next? It can be very simple. "A man rings a doorbell." Who is the man? Why is he ringing the doorbell? Who lives at the house? The payoffs / rewards are the answers, which come slightly later, with more important ones usually coming significantly later. In the case of Harry Potter, a man uses a device to cause streetlights to go out. Then another character shows up, and they have dialogue. A third character arrives. They leave a baby at the doorstep, saying it is better that the child be raised away from a vaguely described situation. This opens a lot of questions for which there are no answers. So the reader turns the page ...

[@Thenoobestgirl]

11:40 that's called a 'cold opening'

[@isabelmhango3828]

i ended my novel with a cliff hunger i want to finish it with another part to the first book i was asking myself how to start the next book. would appreciate help from the both of you. thank you

[@alute5532]

Book hook: what capturws our eyes, first (and drag us us How: 1. Internal conflict 1:40 Example astoria Not 2.promotion book Genre: actiob-adventrue 3. World building: 2:22 World rules, lands, people Interal character: who is it? What are the internal conflict Why have to care about what ca Undwrstanfing characters & thrit internal conflict 9:4. What matyers to this character? Ehst their co flict What do they want? Thwsts their big fear? I missed: whsts their mis belief or fatal flaw?? (psychology archetype) Once a xlear goak appears your story takes off Maijncharactwr dwcidw on a clear goal

[@arnoldfossman1701]

You say: "It's going to come to you." Is that anything like for some of what I'm doing it seems to take on a life of it's own and seems to write it's self? I sometimes feel like parts of some of my work should be heralded in by someone saying "It's alive" with some sort of evil smile. Until I got stuck on my first attempt to write (I'm still stuck with that story) I sometimes told people that my computer was my "lah-BOHR-ah-tor-ee"

[@robynevershed9292]

I have a problem, I’m just learning to do tropes and I don’t understand how to use them since I’m a beginner, could you please help me and explain them better?

[@ShirleyVelazquez-fn5zt]

❤

[@kathyl6677]

“It is better to risk starving to death than surrender. If you give up on your dreams, what’s left?” - Jim Carrey

[@alishaanimations3058]

“Let’s start this Ramadan with a BANG”

[@kingultron8855]

Can someone give me suggestions about the best places to post my books online

[@LottajaPappa]

Hello lovelies, are you aware that your latest two podcasts aren't on Spotify yet? Eagerly waiting here! xx

[@KAEmmons]

Thank you, we'll check up on that right away!

[@melinaouzouni6151]

💖💖💖💖💖

[@michaelbjrklund9304]

What if the MC chase someone or some other action scene is the actual key to the entire story? You want to start with the bang, but at the same time you want keep the clues secret. Otherwise it risks becoming too formulaic and predictable, right?

[@michaelbjrklund9304]

And what if the MC's internal conflict has nothing to do with the main clue but these two storylines will become intrincsically entertwined sooner or later.

[@michaelbjrklund9304]

A question to provoke a bit, perhaps... doesn't it become dull for the author writing slavishly following the formulaic 3 point structure you are describing? Isn't it just the same story with different characters, faces and settings?

[@michaelbjrklund9304]

And what about chanign fears and goals during the book as the story changes their lives?

[@swedishmanguy]

What if your character has no redeeming qualities or morality, and we don't read any further because of that?

[@StudPuppy947]

Yoruichi from Bleach

[@taneikfai4718]

Tan eik fai l am 22 years malaysia loph😢👶🏡👯💪🏫hi 2022😁

[@constancegoldwing5867]

Eddard Starks deaths and The Red Wedding. Still angry about it.