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How to Write a BANGER Opening Hook For Your Story
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.ค. 2023
- Are you struggling to create an opening hook that truly grabs your reader's attention? Are you having trouble making your readers care about your characters and their desires? Do you feel like your world-building is getting in the way of your story? In this episode, we're discussing the key elements of a BANGER opening hook. We explore how internal conflict is the most important aspect of a story, as it pits a character's desires against their fears. We're also going to provide tips on how to use external events to bring the internal conflict to the forefront and show why it matters to the characters. To ensure that you're creating compelling internal conflict, we're also sharing a list of questions to ask yourself as you write your first chapter. Join us as we explore the art of storytelling and help you craft a brilliant opening hook!
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OKAY GUYS, Favorite opening hook of all time... go!! ✨📖
"They called me the Bitch Queen, the she-wolf, because I murdered a man and exiled my king the night before they crowned me."
- The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso
The opening line threw me off so much that I laughed out loud in the B&N before racing to the register to buy it. The book surpassed my expectations. A killer opener and a killer story (pun intended).
Any Nadine Brandes book! She always captivates me! (Romanov, the Out of Time series, and Fawkes! XD)
Because I feel I should say a first sentence, here's the first sentence from Nadine Brandes' YA fantasy Wishtress (which I can't believe I forgot in my first list): "I didn't cry until I was twelve years old."
That immediately hooked me!
So I have a questions for you guys. Would desire vs ability work as well as desire vs fear to develop initial conflict?
"All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
"Perfection is subjective."
I really needed that. ❤
There is a need for a playlist with every step of how to write a book with every video you've ever made!
I think there's one on her channel! It should be a new writer's playlist or something similarly named 😊
One of my favorite opening lines from a novel is the first sentence in Stephen King's Dark Tower series: "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed." It is so incredibly simple, yet it sets the stage, the tone, introduces main character/villain, and sets up conflict.
Great episode you two! I've gotten so much from both of your channels, not only practical advice but personal enrichment. Thank you for what you do!
I tell my students all the time that an external event can work as a "brick wall." The character has, somehow, been struck by it - either by their own wrong turn or as an obstacle - and the character from there has to make a decision on how to react, which is driven by their unique characterization and internal beliefs.
This was exactly what I needed. I was miserable with my expositiony first chapter and everyone in my writing group (very kindly) told me they knew I could do better. This happened to pop up on my TH-cam recommendations and it was everything I needed to hear. Thank you!!
"The black pickup truck flies through the red light, heading straight for us." That is my Fav opening hook so far. Thanks Abbie. I am getting to your books Kate don't worry 🙂
ABBIE’S “LIESL” DRESS!!! It looks lovely. 💛
Also, so excited to dig into the video as well! I always get so excited when I see “Sound of Music” vibe dresses IRL. ☺️
Ahh, you're so right!!! 😍
Although "timid and shy," she is not 🤘😊
Brevity is the soul of wit, ladies. 🙂
I read the first Harry Potter book to my daughter. After the first sentence, "Mr and Mrs Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much." I was intrigued. By the time I had reached the end of the first page, I was hooked. Apart from the first book in The Wheel of Time, I can't remember such a powerful grip to carry on reading.
I'm planning to write a novel. I already studied my characters and wrote the first outline. But writing the first draft, especially writing the furst chapter is what scares me. I've written stories before but I kept them hidden lol. But I thought of making something I can be proud of so I really want to make this novel possible
The first draft/first chapter is very scary. I suggest just jumping in and letting the character play around. Don't fret too much about the prose or the structure yet. Use your outline but don't feel bad about straying from it. See where the character takes you. It might lead you onto paths you never thought of. The story I'm currently writing started with a character who just wanted to learn about a culture he had never seen before. When I got to a scene where he needed to escape captivity, one detail threw the entire story on its head and turned him into a tragic killer in the end. It was nothing that I expected and way better than I planned.
@@BKPrice I can relate! Every time I read my first outline, I keep on adding more elements to the story which gets better over time. Thanks for sharing! I'll keep this in mind!
Relating! I'm not worrying too much about the first chapter yet, just writing scenes (hopping around) as I feel/see them and continuing to tweak the outline. I have some scenes from the first chapter but it will all come together and will get resolved via editing and tweaks over time.
Idea: write about your clear goal and your fears and you’ve got another book! 😅
My novel's first paragraph is more important than the first line.
The sun shines brightly as I leap up off my bed, my pajamas clinging to my skin. My dirty-blonde hair flies like swooping doves as I sprint to my parents’ bedroom, images of cake and gifts and happiness crawl through my mind in a swirl of sunshine. My fingers tingle with joy as they cradle the doorknob to their door, just imagining the year ahead of me.
This is right before trajedy strikes and kickstarts an aspect of the plot.
"Unlucky." That's the very first line of my prologue. Which oddly enough, very much describes the story. My first line of my first chapter is: "You won't truly live if you don't test fate."
I rather like the mood established in the opening paragraph of E. D. Baker's "The Frog Princess".
"Even as a little girl, I had thought that the swamp was a magical place where new lives began and old lives ended, where enemies and heroes weren't always what one expected, and where anything could happen, even to a clumsy princess. Although I'd believed this for most of my life, I had no proof until Prince Jorge came to visit and I met the frog of my dreams."
And then she kissed a frog that claimed to be an enchanted prince and the spell reversal amulet that was supposed to protect her from malicious magic kicked in and reversed the effect of the kiss, turning her small, green and web-footed.
On a side note: I really like your videos and wouldn't mind if you two wrote a book on your story building methods. There's a lot of valuable material in these episodes.
"Perfection is subjective!" I needed to hear that. Awesome video from you and your sister. I learn so much from both of you. ❤
perfection is sbjetive? what does it mean?
The incipit of the Alex Rider series: "When the doorbell rings at three in the morning,
it’s never good news.
Alex Rider was woken by the first chime."
i read one of them it's good :)
Thank you Abbie and Kate! I always worry about the hook the beginning if it will be strong enough or not. I keep revising over and over and going back to it, stressing. This video has helped me immensely. Thank you
I’ve heard many times that completing the last chapter of your first draft will often retro-dictate or inform how your story should start.
When I came across that concept, I gave myself permission not to stress too much when the time comes to start my draft. I can see how writing the last chapter might influence how the story should start.
This might be especially true if you want the beginning and end to mirror each other relative to the protagonist’s journey.
Super simplified example: your first chapter shows a woman who is a germaphobe cleaning her house in a way that makes it obvious she is clinically obsessed with cleanliness.
Her journey will involve discovering how she became a germaphobe (tied to her wound) and resolving the issue so that by the end of the story she’s no longer a germaphobe.
As a result of her journey, maybe your last scene shows her on her knees in the dirt of a new garden she designed and cultivated. She picks a cherry tomato off the vine, rubs it off on her shirt and takes a bite of it with a relaxed smile on her face.
That ending might inspire you to go back and change your opening hook / first chapter. Now instead of showing her obsessively cleaning her house, maybe you could show her fastidiously washing and wiping clean all the fruit and vegetables she just bought at the grocery store - with gloves on. 😂😂. That hits differently and will be a better bookend with the ending.
Corny scenario but I like the idea of showing opposing symmetry? 😂😂. Maybe it doesn’t have to be as obvious but symmetry is hard to resist. 😂😂😂
Sorry got carried away. But just allow for the possibility that finishing your draft will inspire you to rewrite an even better version of your first chapter - that might take the pressure off.
Obviously just my opinion. I’m still learning but having a blast!!
I love this video!
I’ve been looking for a podcast like this forever!! Subscribed immediately ❤
Just wait until you find her other channel.
A wise choice, my friend.
Excellent episode 👏💜! Keep'em comin', Kate 💫
Thank you so much guys, this is awesome and timely! I'm just making a video trailer for my book and the book cover/blurb so your advice is perfect. I love listening to you both and your fantastic insights. 🙂
Luv you gals! I’ve been waiting for this. I’ve been very busy growing as a writer and enjoying my creativity.
I’m on chapter two of my epic science fantasy novel, Song in the Void and I’m absolutely in love with it. I’m trusting in my creative intuition more and putting my faith in the spirit of this story that is very near and dear to me. It is actually going to be a trilogy and I’m excited because I get into flow much easier now so there’s nothing holding me back.
I'm on chapter 4 😅
My notes:
Internal conflict is THE hook!
Clash of character‘s desire vs their fear.
Characters’ clear goals can pull you in.
Their fear holds them back; external obstacles are blamed for their real obstacle: their internal fear.
Their internal conflicts drives their behaviors.
The thing you want to do requires stepping past your comfort zone borders.
These don’t have to be optic, can be from daily life.
Ok if you don’t write that out of the gate, but quickly build up to the moment of decision.
But you have to hook within five minutes.
What’s in their backstory that shaped their fears?
Worldbuilding: present the world as it matters to the characters.
Kate and Abbie, you're both such a treat. Thanks for the great vid.
Thank you so much for this amazing video Kate and Abbie. As I always say you guys are amazing but I only state facts. You never fail to deliver an incredible video every time. Keep up the amazing work you are both doing individually and together. Hope you guys always keep smiling in this world and in the hereafter. Stay Stocked Abbie. Rock On Kate. PEACE!!!
New episode got me stoked!
So I know this isn't related to the vid all that much but I was wondering if you could make an episode about how to include a prophecy in your story. See I'm a fantasy writer, I'm writing a story where the main character is like a lost hero and I don't want it to be too cliche (sorry if I spelled that wrong). This prophecy is really important to the storyline but I don't want it to be to “chosen one”-y. I love your videos and it would help so much if you could touch on this topic. Thank you for everything your teaching us!❤️
Another amazing video! Thank you for all the great info
I paused the video at 1:21 before I got my tea, and the moment was so beautiful.
The first line in my story is "it is like a dream, you don't know how you got there, yet end up in the middle of the action some how." And begins with internal conflict about a past relationship being rekindled. By the end of the chapter she gets blasted by a power in a hidden ancient temple in the basement. Fantasy but set in reality of my personal experiences with internal conflicts. Still self conscious I suck, though.
Oh, that's really interesting! The first line in mine is "sometimes death came as a whisper." 😊
@ashleymartin8093 from that line I'd still read on to see what the story had to offer. I may be cynical of myself but I LOVE other stories that connect me to things I've felt in myself. 💞💞🙏🙏
Returning champions Kate and Abbie - tag-teaming and dropping knowledge! 💯😄
Already preordered can’t wait love the cover
Amazing video! ❤❤❤
Awesome job, I love your content!
As for introductory lore dumps, I was quite appreciative of the fact Christopher Paolini put his lore and universe info dumps at the very end of To Sleep In A Sea of Stars
Best opening line in any novel (at least I think) A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains. In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels. Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees. The trunks of the trees too were dusty and the leaves fell early that year and we saw the troops marching along the road and the dust rising and leaves, stirred by the breeze, falling and the soldiers marching and afterward the road bare and white except for the leaves.
Kate and Abbie ...Kate seems introverted...Very adorable..
Intellectuals speak less. ❤
But both sisters are God's gift to this world.
Would like to Converse with them endlessly.
Blessed sisters. Be the way you are, Kate. Will you ?
Question! If we have a prologue that's just a flashback, would the hook need to be in the prologue, first chapter, or both? Super helpful video btw!
Hook is in the prologue. It's your opening line. If the prologue is disconnected enough from your story that you feel like you're wasting the hook, you might not want that prologue.
Your videos and their content are so valuable. Suddenly I can approach the classic authors with renewed interest and understanding,.Chas Dickens and Fyodor Dostoyevsky to James Joyce and G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown. Keep it going and many thanks.
Thank you so much for listening, and for your kind words!
I love this podcast alot💜🩶💜
Currently binging your videos 😅. My outline is all finished, but I actually took a moment to write out my characters goals at 7:03. Does my story have an overall goal?
It turns out it does, but at the start of the story, it's not my main characters' goal. In fact, their goal is the opposite. But my first chapter's inciting incident forces them to get involved against their will.
Thank you for such great episode again!
I’ve a small question about the hook,
In my hook it’ll be about the MC’s mother (before she was born yet) experienced a traumatic event, then through few events (after the MC was born), she started to get a bit better, while the turning point effects both MC and her mother.
Do you think it’s a good hook, or bad because it wasn’t directly related to the MC?
Extremely helpful
Is it okay to begin your first few lines with a funny scene? How well does that work..or not?😅
Here is a question I have been wondering about. I just wrote a five book series. I am publishing the first one soon. I feel that the first chapter of the first book has a good hook, it opens with a lot of mystery in it to get the reader interested. But subsequent books in the series don’t have as much of an opening hook. How important is a good opening hook in subsequent novels in a series? These books are meant for people who are fans of the series already and want to read more. So do you have the luxury of having a more slow opening in these books? Like one opens up at a Christmas party. Another opens up with two characters having a conversation and the story starts out quite slow but amps up the excitement later.
Oh I have another question. If the opening page, with the opening hook, of the book starts out with a bit of a mystery, like characters wake up in a strange room and nobody knows each other or how they got there, but is it as much of a hook if that mystery is resolved in the back cover blurb that you wrote to get the reader to pick up the book and buy it/read it? Because in the blurb you have to talk about what the story is about, like what the plot is.
The opening of mine is a little weak, and I've tossed it around a couple of times. It's a dystopian-type genre, and the hook is a little more descriptive. I talk about a pivotal moment in this family, as someone is turning 20 and this age is important in the society, and I describe everyone around the table at the birthday party briefly. I'm not sure if I need to switch it around or start with a prologue of some kind for some background...
Less exposition is better. What are the feelings you are trying to convey in the opening? What is the internal conflict you're trying to highlight? What can you do to highlight it or contrast it with the background? Subtract anything unnecessary; anything you focus on that isn't what you're trying to convey will distract the audience.
Good luck.
I've created a character, a bit like Harry Potter with how he was abused in his childhood, but a girl version of him and in a different scenerio. I will go into depth on her abuse but who do i still keep the story moving forward? What sort of tone should I use as it will be bad before it gets good? Should I start off with the abuse or comfort or reveal the abuse after the main plot point? Any help will be appreciated.
I think the tone and the pacing of the story should be based on the main plot of the story, and the abuse should be used as a side plot that helps us see more into your main character. So I'd suggest figuring out what actually drives your story and start from there. Her abusive upbringing can be sprinkled into it through her personality or how she reacts to different situations. For example, she might flinch if someone raises their hand too fast or shrink into herself if someone yells at her. Or she always wears long-sleeves to cover bruises. I feel like it'd be better not to outright say she's being abused but let her character and how she sees the world reflect the trauma she's been through and how/if she's coping with it. Does she put on a fake smile and hide her troubles from the world because she doesn't want to be a burden? Or is she burying anger at her circumstances and that causes her to lash out at people who are actually trying to befriend her? Hopefully you find some of that helpful 😊
Octavia Butler, Wild Seed
DORO DISCOVERED THE WOMAN by accident when he went to see what was left of one of his seed villages.
The Martian, by Andy Weir, has my favorite opening line. (Naughty langiage alert)
I'm pretty much fucked.
That's my considered opinion.
Fucked.
He's talking about getting stranded on Mars, so he isn't overselling the situation. You may argue that it is try-hard, but it is at least accurate.
The only negative is that the cursing may be a turnoff for some readers.
What if the MC wants to write a book and then the MC is prevented from writing it because of e.g. an asteroid smashes down on Earth forcing the MC and everybody else to fight for survival instead? Then the 'internal conflict' is irrelevant, right?
Well... I have listen too long now without you have been coming to the opening hook
I dont think they were drinking tea😅
It's from long island😅😂
"The small boys came early to the hanging."
- Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet
I'm worried about your repeated use of the word "fear" as the primary obstacle. There are many different kinds of obstacles and, in my opinion, fear is the least successful in writing because it is the one emotion/flaw that requires a stop in the action. Your "banger" opening is called a banger because it immediately shoves the story into full motion. You only get one bite of that apple. Stopping the motion with fear (again, my opinion) crushes the energy of a story.
I find instead that "massive ego" and "overdeveloped sense of justice" are two obstacles that allow for a "banger" opening and develop well into a good nail-biting plot thread.
君達は美からね。
Somewhat ironic that this video is about a Banger Opening and 8-minutes in, and we haven't really hooked me. This is long and drawn out without a lot of info.
😂😂😂
Get to the point, stop the bla, bla, bla! Thank You!!
your video has a terrible hook, ironic
I am loving this new set!!🤍
I don’t like to explain myself. Looks like that personality weakness has its strengths when it comes to character focused world building 🥲