How to Hook Your Readers
When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by darkness. I blinked my eyes as they attempted to adjust to the dim lighting filtering in through the window.
What time was it? Would I wake up at this time every night?
“Oh good, you’re finally awake. Same time as last night I see,” someone said.
An icy chill dripped down my spine as the words were spoken.
Who the hell was in my house?
Hooked? Whenever you are writing your story, you want to place hooks or cliffhangers throughout your book to make the reader want to keep reading.
Now the hook that I placed at the beginning of this article is something that could be placed at the opening of a story or the end of a chapter. This just goes to show that all of these parts are important to keep a reader's interest.
This is not to say that you need to have 12 million cliffhangers, however, taking a second look through your story could help you add some pieces that truly grab your reader's attention. So, now the question is, how can we do this as the Author?
Asking a question: Having your characters ask questions without answering them right away grips the reader's attention and makes them want to read to find out the answers.
Suspense: Throwing your reader into a suspenseful situation is a way to start them off running. When you end chapters this way it keeps your reader guessing and speculating.
Throw a curveball: Looking at your story to see where you can throw your readers and take them by surprise will not only make them want to keep reading but even need to go back and see if they saw it coming.
When you're looking for places that you want to keep your readers hooked, just reflect on what would hook you as a reader. What types of scenarios would you be interested in finding out what happens next? What are things that happen to the characters you care about that keep your attention?
Now that you have some ideas on how to hook your readers, you can help your readers to love your story the way you do.