HOW TO GET A READER’S ATTENTION HOOKS OR HOW TO GET A READER’S ATTENTION

Good writing starts with a good Hook Good writing starts with a good Hook. Whether it is a Narrative, a Response to Literature, or a Research Paper, there is no excuse to bore your reader! Besides, if you can’t prove to your reader that you can write an interesting hook, why would they want to read on?

WHAT PAPERS USE THEM? EVERY GENRE OF PAPER NEEDS A HOOK OF SOME KIND. IT’S JUST UP TO YOU TO CHOOSE THE ONE THAT IS MOST APPROPRIATE. THIS IS BASED ON THE INTENT OF THE ESSAY AND THE AUDIENCE. YOU NEED A HOOK FOR: NARRATIVES PERSUASIVE ESSAYS LITERARY RESPONSE EXECUTIVE SUMMARIES

White Fang by Jack London Examples from books: “The eyes of the starving wolf pack gleamed like hot coals in the blackness of the frozen Arctic forest. They stared hungrily at the two man-animals and their dog-sled team huddled around the campfire. These man-animals had fish and they had meat. To a starving wolf-pack, who had had little to eat in months, the dogs and the man-animals were meat, too.” White Fang by Jack London

Bridge to Terabthia by Katherine Paterson Examples from books: “Ba-room, ba-room, baripity, baripity, baripity – Good. His dad had the pickup going.” Bridge to Terabthia by Katherine Paterson

Beware, Princess Elizabeth by Carolyn Meyer Examples from books: “ ‘The king is dead.’ Those four words, cold as marble and sharp as flint, were uttered by the thin, cruel lips of Edward Seymour, the king’s privy counselor and my brother’s uncle. In this way I learned of my father’s death.” Beware, Princess Elizabeth by Carolyn Meyer

POSSIBLE HOOKS: Fact/Statistic Simile/Metaphor Nearly 1/3 of the population of Europe was killed by the plague. Tone/Mood The bodies piled up in the streets of London, untouched, uncared for, mourned by the frightened masses that were left behind wondering when it was going to be their turn to die. Simile/Metaphor The Black Death swept across the land like a broom brushing away people as it would dirt. In the Middle of the Action The trebuchet cranked back slowly, then released suddenly, launching the stone up and over the walls of the city.

POSSIBLE HOOKS: Dialogue Definition The Black Death was an unstoppable disease caused by the fleas carried by the rats that co-habitated with the people of Medieval Europe. Dialogue “I see there’s been no improvement,” the apothecary sadly admitted, looking at the small girl trembling and sweating with fever before him. Onomatopoeia Sssssss. Sizzle. The fever burned through the victim’s body.

POSSIBLE HOOKS: Lyrics Staccato three word lead Rats. Sewers. Filth. London was not a city of great cleanliness. Lyrics “Ring around the rosie. Pockets full of posies. Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!” Theme Some people believed that the Plague was sent to punish the evil on Earth, but they would soon learn that the disease knew no such ethics. It did not distinguish its victims.

5 Paragraph Essay the Formula Introduction with thesis as the last sentence Paragraphs 2, 3,4: Body Paragraphs Paragraph 5: Conclusion

Paragraph 1: The Introduction Catchy opening/Hook/Grab reader’s attention Give a few brief sentences of summary about story/time/place Last sentence of the introduction =THESIS The one sentence that states what the entire will essay will prove – The premise or central argument The most important sentence in the essay Usually 3 pronged The magic number is

Introduction: Moves from the General to Specific Thesis

Introduction: From the General to the Specific Begin generally. Begin with a hook: Anecdote, Quotation, Question, Statistic GENERAL Explain how your hook applies to the specific story. SPECIFIC Give some brief background information on the plot, setting, and characters. THESIS Thesis: Your specific argument. Thesis is the last sentence of the introduction.

Sample Essay Prompt and Thesis Sample prompt: Who is to blame for the tragedy in “The Veldt”? Thesis re-states the prompt The magic number is 3 Pronged Thesis: Sample Thesis: The psychologist, the children, and the parents all play a role in the tragedy that occurs.

Hooks Begin with: A provocative question A startling statement An anecdote An interesting quotation An intriguing definition

Anecdote as Hook In June 2008, a fifteen year old heiress, daughter of actress Ellen Barkin and Revlon owner Ron Perelman, Caleigh Perelman, sued her mother for not allowing her to have more computer time and won. While this situation seems far-fetched, we are now living in a topsy-turvy world where some children seem to have more power than their parents. This scenario is precisely the one depicted in Bradbury’s “The Veldt.” In this story, the parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hadley, are murdered by their children, Peter and Wendy, who premeditate their parents’ demise after being forbidden to continue to play in their high tech nursery. The parents make the decision to close the nursery at the suggestion of their psychologist. Ultimately, the psychologist, the children, and the parents are all to blame for playing a role in this tragedy.

Quotation as Hook http://www.quoteland.com (click here) “A boy or girl who knows that love abounds at home will not resent well-deserved punishment. One who is unloved or ignored will hate any form of discipline.” -Dr. James Dobson Explain the quotation. Then explain how it applies to the story.

Startling Statement as Hook Technology is ruining our lives.

Provocative Question as Hook How come parents just cannot say no to their children anymore? Does technology help us or harm us?