By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
I bet you’re thinking that this article is about fishing. Well it is, and it isn’t.
We all have our favorite novels, rich stories that send us into the lives of our characters—and even become our friends. We’re walking with them, sharing their joys and sorrows, weaknesses and strengths. But how were we ushered into their lives?
By the carefully crafted words of the first line.
When you walk into a book store to purchase a new adventure, what is your pattern of selection? I bet it’s much like mine. You read the author. You look at the cover and make a snap decision as to whether it’s appealing. You flip the book over and read the back cover copy. You check the endorsements. If the book has passed all of those tests, you turn to the first page: chapter one, line one—the HOOK. And if the hook doesn’t snatch your attention, you move on.
All of that in about what? Ten seconds? Not much time when you consider the hours and hours spent on writing the book and polishing it for publication.
The opening line should be in the middle of action – arousing your reader’s curiosity to find the answers to some question. But this is merely the opening, a taste of the conflict to come. The writer has carefully chosen the bait to hook your reader.
I like to think of the beginning hook as an invitation to a party. The reader becomes excited about what is said in that critical first sentence. “Come along with me on this adventure. I promise that every word and sentence will be as thrilling as the first line.” None of us want to disappoint our readers. In actuality, the writer may never receive another opportunity to engage the writer into his/her story.
What can be incorporated in a good hook? It’s not so much the method as the words used to draw attention to your story. Does it pose a question? Surprise you? Alarm you?
Think about the following opening lines.
It was the best of times; it was the worst of times … Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
With the man’s first step, the others on the Row began a slow tapping on their cell doors. Riven by Jerry B. Jenkins
“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents.” Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charms as the Tarleton twins were. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.
Stealing is common here. It’s survival Scattered Links by M. Weidenbenner
So what does the writer need to know before the hook is crafted?
The genre.
The characters and their strengths, weaknesses, and goals.
A plot.
The writer has set the stage with: who, what, where, when, and why.
The writer understands the value of sensory perception and setting the stage.
The writer is then ready to write a dynamic hook.
That’s it for this month. Me? I’m going fishing. Got a bucketful of bait and I’m going to hook some readers.
Hooks, lines, and sinkers … How does your story measure up?
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. Her titles have 
appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall.
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Suspense Sister, and International Thriller Writers. She is co-director of The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and The Author Roadmap with social media specialist Edie Melson. She teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.
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