+ Creative Beginnings How to Hook Your Readers

+ Why is this important? Writers want readers to read their stories. Why should we read it if it doesn’t grab our attention? Beginnings are where readers learn what your story is about.

+ Opening Paragraphs Set the scene Where does your story take place? We have to know! Introduce your main character We have to know who the story is about! Give your narrator a voice Can be done in first- and third-person! Introduce a conflict, even a small one

+ Setting the Scene Can be specific Fort Wayne, the Empire State Building, Maple Creek Can be broad A house, a school, a park Remember to set the time! Summer, April, dawn, night, present, future, past

+ Example Setting: Specific “The hot concrete burned my feet through my flip-flops as I waited to get into Jury Pool.” “I stared at the Eiffel Tower, wondering how anyone could think it was ugly.”

+ Example Setting: Broad “The park always looked more inviting when it was covered in snow.” “The layer of dirty clothes on the floor in my brother’s room was so thick I couldn’t even see the carpet.”

+ Introduce Your Character Should NOT be a formal introduction “Hi, my name is Ashlyn and I’m an 8 th grader.” NO. JUST NO. Tell/show readers about the character What are they like? What do they like/dislike? Who are their friends/family? What are they like?

+ Sample Introduction “Meredith slowly walked to her dad’s house. She took her time, stopping to admire the flowers she saw on the way. Daisies were always her favorite. She took a moment to touch them and then kept walking. She continued to walk slower the closer she got.”

+ Give Your Narrator A Voice “Emily snatched the cookie away from her little brother, glaring at him when he tried to steal it back.” “snatched” and “steal” “I breathed in the fresh smell of fall. It smelled like rotting leaves on the right breeze, but it usually simply reminded me of pumpkins and bonfires.”

+ Introduce a Conflict It can be your main conflict or something small. “Whenever JT opened his mouth, I remembered why I hated him.” “Jaxon groaned when he saw that all that was left for breakfast were his mom’s Mini-Wheats.”

+ Write an Interesting First Line! This is your first impression to readers. Make it count! Can use action, humor, conflict, a line of dialogue, a setting, and more!

+ First Lines I’ve Written “My father died on a sunny, cloudless day. I was eight.” “So far, college was easier than I’d thought it would be. Granted, I’d only been here three hours.” “Chris knew that one day, his father would ruin the family name. He just never thought it would be so soon.” “I smoothed out the napkin in my lap for the twelfth time since Austin and I sat down.”

+ Real Author First Lines “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” –George Orwell, 1984 “Someone was looking at me, a disturbing sensation if you’re dead.” –Laura Whitcomb, A Certain Slant of Light “The early summer sky was the color of cat vomit.” –Scott Westerfeld, Uglies “I crouch low to the ground, pressing my back to the ancient spruce tree, and raise my crossbow in one hand.” – Amy Plum, After The End