Guest Post By Author:  Linda Lee Blakemore

If a reader isn’t rapt in your first few pages, it’s unlikely he or she will buy your book. Truth is, without a great Grab, some readers won’t venture beyond the first few lines. With indie and traditional presses cranking out more and more prose, readers can afford to be choosy. Writers cannot.

Don’t worry. In five not-so-difficult steps, you can hone that exceptional hook.

Let’s examine a few great examples.

In The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls, opens with, “I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a dumpster”.

In Orange Is the New Black, Piper Kerman starts, “International baggage claim in the Brussels airport was large and airy, with multiple carousels circling endlessly. I scurried from one to another, desperately trying to find my black suitcase. Because it was stuffed with drug money, I was more concerned than one might normally be about lost luggage.”

In Nothing Was the Same, Kay Redfield Jamison writes, “Death forces cold decisions. Five years ago, as I waited in my husband’s hospital room the night before he died, I was numb with fear. The doctor in the intensive care unit has been blunt. “Mrs Wyatt,” he said, “we need to talk about what your husband would have wanted done.” I reached out instinctively to my husband, the person who had made bearable so many painful things over the years, and for a short while was reassured by the warmth of his hand. The reassurance was illusory, however, as any reassurance must be when it comes from the dyeing. The doctor and I talked about what had to be done.”

In The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins writes, “When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim’s warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattress. She must have had bad dreams and climbed in with our mother. Of course, she did. This is the day of the reaping.”

In each of these examples, through action (showing)—looking out the taxi window, scurrying from one baggage carrousel to the next, speaking with a doctor, or reaching across a cold bed—we discover five vital elements.

1.    We are quickly grounded in the setting of a great scene.

2.    We are introduced to a relatable character we would like to know better.

3.    We feel her urgency—she has something important at stake and we want to know how it will play out.

4.    Each of these stories has a distinct story-telling voice that sets it apart from other books.

5.    The question or quandary presented in the opening reflects the theme of the story and is connected to and answered at the end.

Good luck crafting an awesome Opening!

Guest Blog Post for Leonella Press: Write On by Linda Lee Blakemore.

Linda is an Author, Speaker, and Advocate. In addition to writing two books, articles written by Linda and about her first book have appeared in national magazines including America's Family Resource, Seventeen, and Teen Voices. Her books have been endorsed by professionals across the country and Linda has appeared on local, national, and international radio and television including The Montel Williams Show. Additionally, with her first book, Kids Helping Kids Break the Silence of Sexual Abuse, Linda traveled the country advocating for children. With her second book, Entrenched: A Memoir of Holding On and Letting Go, Linda will advocate for and educate women everywhere.  (Read an Excerpt)

Learn more about Linda's books at Our Authors and Our Books.  Learn More about Linda at Linda at LindaLeeBlakemore.com

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