Tuesday, July 13, 2010

The Hook - Part II

As I might have mentioned (hint: check yesterday's post and tune in tomorrow), I've been working on the hook - the one sentence that describes what my book is about.

Yes, this is a struggle . . . at least for me.

Here's some of what I've come up with so far . . .

Margarita Nights . . .

. . . is about a group of friends.

. . . is about a group of friends who get together once a month for margaritas.

. . . is about a group of friends confronting their own fears and insecurities.

. . . is about life in the gay lane: unexpected attractions, sudden break-ups, a drugged drink, confrontations, a brutal attack, acceptance of truth, and the realization that even the most meaningless of relationships, ironically, have meaning after all.

. . . details 2 years in the lives of a group of friends as they face life in the gay lane: unexpected attractions, sudden break-ups, a drugged drink, confrontations, a brutal attack, acceptance of truth, and the realization that even the most meaningless of relationships, ironically, have meaning after all.

. . . details 2 years in the lives of a group of friends as they face their own fears and insecurities and discover that even the most meaningless of relationships, ironically, have meaning after all.


As you can see, I've come up with quite a few different hooks. Well, I've come up with quite a few different sentences that might be hooks. Then again, they might not be.

So, based on the ramblings of a writer struggling to come up with a hook, which, if any, of the above sentences might make you (if you were an agent . . . or heck, just a potential reader) want to read more.

S

4 comments:

cleemckenzie said...

Good luck on that hook. FYI I think all writers struggle with that. In my last book I was ready to make the final sub to my editor, woke up in the middle of night, ran to the computer and rewrote the opening line around one a.m. That line sold the book. Give it time. It will come. Maybe after you've written the book.

Scott said...

Clee - the book is done and ready to query. I just have to finish my query. : )

Michelle D. Argyle said...

I think a good hook is so important, and possibly the most difficult thing to write! You know what I went through trying to get it right with Cinders. Finally, I came up with something good!

All of these are really vague to me, sorry. The only line that really sticks out to me that you can run with and use as a springboard is: "realization that even the most meaningless of relationships, ironically, have meaning after all."

That, to me, sounds like it's the core of your story. Build around that with concrete details that bring the story to life in a small amount of space.

Scott said...

Michelle - thanks so much! That's just what I needed to hear. Now, back to work on that pesky hook! Ha!