Books need a hook, something to get readers reading the story all the way through. The question is...how?
Picking a hook at the beginning of a story is hard because readers aren't yet emotionally invested with the story or the characters(assuming it's a stand alone story and not part of a series...a successful series doesn't need as strong of a hook). That makes it hard to start with a death or a battle. It also means you can't drop someone into the middle of a story they don't care about. I'm not saying I have an answer, for each story is unique, but it's a consideration.
It's similar with shocks. Twists and turns help make a story compelling as long as it enhances the story and doesn't become the story. So how do you spin a twist that creates the right effect instead of making readers put your story down in disgust? It needs to fit and be shocking enough without being so far outside the realm of the story, or negating their happiness, that it makes folks want to read more. Each story requires its own twist, but you can't use the shock too often or it'll become cliche(look at M Night Shyamayan for proof of how easy it is to go from promising new director to running joke).
These are the tools we have to consider in our work. Hook and shock - a powerful combination.
Picking a hook at the beginning of a story is hard because readers aren't yet emotionally invested with the story or the characters(assuming it's a stand alone story and not part of a series...a successful series doesn't need as strong of a hook). That makes it hard to start with a death or a battle. It also means you can't drop someone into the middle of a story they don't care about. I'm not saying I have an answer, for each story is unique, but it's a consideration.
It's similar with shocks. Twists and turns help make a story compelling as long as it enhances the story and doesn't become the story. So how do you spin a twist that creates the right effect instead of making readers put your story down in disgust? It needs to fit and be shocking enough without being so far outside the realm of the story, or negating their happiness, that it makes folks want to read more. Each story requires its own twist, but you can't use the shock too often or it'll become cliche(look at M Night Shyamayan for proof of how easy it is to go from promising new director to running joke).
These are the tools we have to consider in our work. Hook and shock - a powerful combination.
No comments:
Post a Comment