Follow Us
Article Sections
Article Categories
First of all, what is a hook line?
A hook line is exactly what it sounds like – a line that will hook someone into wanting to read your book. It is basically the same thing as a log line, which is a one line summary of a screenplay or script. Since we are creating these for a novel instead of a script, we’ll call them hook lines. They can run two or three lines, but no more than that.
Why do you need one?
Your hook line, like a log line, takes a story full of complex plot lines and high-concept ideas and breaks it down into a simple sentence that can be quickly and easily conveyed to a wide range of people. Your hook line is your first pitch in getting someone interested in your book. It can be used as the first line in your query letter, to help hook the agent into reading the rest of the letter and requesting information. And it is especially useful for those pitch sessions at conferences or lunches. When a prospective agent or editor asks you what your book is about, your hook line is your answer. Because it is a simple line or two, it is also handy for those family dinner parties when Grandma asks what your book is about.
How do you create a hook line?
This is actually easier than it sounds. You do not need to condense your entire book into one sentence. But you do need to give enough information that the agent/editor/curious acquaintance you are addressing gets the gist of your book and is interested enough to want more.
Elements of a Hook Line
- Characters – Who is the main character? What does that main character want? What is his/her main goal?
- Conflict – Who is the villain of the story? Or what is the main obstacle to the main character obtaining their goal?
- Distinction – What makes your book different then all the rest? What is the unique element of your story that makes it stand out? Is your book a romance between a young man and woman? What makes them different?
- Setting – for a novel, adding a little about the setting, time period, and possibly genre (if it’s not obvious) is a good idea. For example, the hook line for my book, which is an historical romantic suspense, could begin “A young woman in Victorian England…”.
- Action – Your hook line needs to have action, excitement. For example, which hook line catches your interest more?
- A woman has an affair and runs off with her new beau.
- A neglected wife and mother has a torrid affair with an ex-con and kidnaps her children as she flees across the country with her lover.
Examples:
Here are a few examples of log lines from well known movies. (Yes, I know we are creating hook lines for a book, but the concept is the same, and examples of log lines are easier to find).
- When a Roman general is betrayed and his family murdered by an insane and corrupt prince, he comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge. (Gladiator)
- In a future where criminals are arrested before the crime occurs, a cop struggles on the lam to prove his innocence for a murder he has not yet committed. (Minority Report)
- A 17th Century tale of adventure on the Caribbean Sea where the roguish yet charming Captain Jack Sparrow joins forces with a young blacksmith in a gallant attempt to rescue the Governor of England's daughter and reclaim his ship. (Pirates of the Caribbean)
- A young man and woman from different social classes fall in love, must outwit her abusive fiancé, and find a way to survive aboard an ill-fated voyage at sea. (Titanic)
- A comedic portrayal of a young and broke Shakespeare who falls in love with a woman, inspiring him to write "Romeo and Juliet. (Shakespeare in Love)
- An archeologist is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis. (Raiders of the Lost Ark)
- After a twister transports a lonely Kansas farm girl to a magical land, she sets out on a dangerous journey to find a wizard with the power to send her home. (logline by Brian A. Klems, found at http://blog.writersdigest.com/qq/What+Is+A+Logline.aspx)
- Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first woman she meets, then teams up with three complete strangers to kill again. (Log Line attributed to Richard Polito of the Marin Independent Journal, who writes humorously sarcastic briefs for the paper's daily TV listings)
but the first probably gives a better idea of what the film is about. It might take a little while to get your hook line perfected, but if you stick to the main elements of your story (the main character, the villain or conflict, what is unique about your story, and spice it up with a little action), your hook line should almost write itself. Just to show you that ANYONE can do this, (because if I can do it, anyone can), the hook line for my book is below.
A young woman in Victorian England is swept into an illicit affair with a reformed thief and must find a legendary necklace to ransom her life and the lives of those she loves from a corrupt lord.
Can you spot the elements?
- Characters – a young woman and her love interest who is a reformed thief.
- Conflict – a corrupt lord (the villain) is threatening her life and the lives of those she loves unless she can find a legendary necklace.
- Distinction – my story is not just a romance, but has a big dose of suspense and mystery thrown in. The love interest is not a typical man but an ex-thief, and while the romance comes in with the affair, it is an “illicit” affair (implying something out of the ordinary, something forbidden).
- Setting – Victorian England. And the description of the story gives obvious clues to the genre – Victorian England = historical; illicit affair = romance; a treasure hunt/mystery and lives threatened = suspense…. Genre = historical romantic suspense.
- Action – instead of saying my story is about a girl and guy who fall in love and search for a necklace, I describe the love story as an “illicit affair;” the necklace is “legendary,” the lord is “corrupt,” the love interest is “a reformed thief.” All these little elements help make the hook line more exciting, more interesting. And that is what will help hook the interest of potential agents, publishers, and readers.
She is also a contributing author on the Operation Awesome Blog, The Naked Hero, and Pots & Pens Blog, and maintains a personal blog. She has a B.S. in History, a M.A. in English, an insatiable love of books, and more weird quirks than you can shake a stick at.
The newest addition in the best-selling Homework Helpers series is a fun, user-friendly guide that takes the confusion out of writing essays and papers for students of all ages. Unlike other books that are so full of technical jargon they confuse more than help, Homework Helpers: Essays and Term Papers uses straightforward language and simple steps to guide students through the essay-writing process.
Homework Helpers: Essays and Term Papers describes in detailed "plain English" each element and step involved in writing a dozen different types of essays; includes a rough, edited, and final draft sample of each type of essay discusses; explains the necessity of proofreading and citing sources, providing tips and instruction on how to accomplish these tasks; presents step-by-step instructions on how to write a great SAT essay; and discusses what students can expect when they reach college-level courses
Students of all ages can find help on writing essays for every major subject in high school or college. Neophytes will find guidance on the basics, while those further along in their educational careers can adapt the detailed instructions for more in-depth assignments.
(This is the Amazon link, but the book is available everywhere) http://www.amazon.com/Homework-Helpe...8234538&sr=8-1
*Edited by Teresa Crumpton*
Member Spotlight
