1. How to grab your reader’s attention in the beginning
HOOKS
How to grab your reader’s attention in the beginning

2. Vivid Description I grew tired after dinner.
WRONG – “TELLS”
CORRECT – “SHOWS”
I grew tired after dinner.
As I leaned back and rested my head against the top of the chair, my eyelids began to feel heavy, and the edges of the empty plate in front of me blurred with the white tablecloth.

3. Vivid Description (contin.)
Planning your vivid description:
Best way to “show” reader –
5 senses
What or who do you want to describe?
What is your reason for writing your description?
What are the particular qualities that you want to focus on?
sight
sound
smell
touch
taste

4. Anecdote Brief – 1-2 sentences Relevant to topic Entertaining
Criteria
Example
Brief – 1-2 sentences
Relevant to topic
Entertaining
Can involve quotes
My grandfather preached paying kindnesses forward. “Don’t ever just take, take, take. Give back to someone one day what’s been given to you.” THESIS…

5. Rhetorical Question
Criteria
Example
Thoughtful – no “yes” or “no” questions; use WWWWWH?
Does not require an answer
What would the world be like without hatred?
Who would replace all the teachers in the world?
How would children survive without the help of loving parents?

6. Definitions WARNING: Can be boring and not hook reader
Criteria
Example
WARNING: Can be boring and not hook reader
Use only if you can make entertaining/relevant
If the definition of peace is “the normal, nonwarring condition of a nation, group of nations, or the world,” humanity should reconsider its definition of “normal.”

7. Similes and Metaphors Life, he realized, was much like a song.
Life is like a box of chocolates—you never know what you’re going to get.
Life is a three-ring circus.
Life is a minefield.
Life is a roller coaster.
Life is a puzzle.

8. Humor Sarcasm Hyphenated Modifiers Humorous Anecdote
Criteria
Examples
Sarcasm
Hyphenated Modifiers
Humorous Anecdote
Sarcasm must come from you/be your voice or sense of humor.
HM- My do-it-my-way-or-it’s-wrong older sister means well, but she can be a bit controlling.
HA- Falling face-first into a mud puddle is no way to start the day, but…

9. Quote- Quote Walk
“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.”
― Elbert Hubbard
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
― Winston Churchill

10. Fact or Statistic WARNING: Can be boring and not hook reader
Criteria
Example
WARNING: Can be boring and not hook reader
Use only if you can make entertaining/relevant
Use only if TRUE; DO NOT make them up
Over six million people died as a result of the Holocaust.
Such-and-Such professional athlete makes over $12M annually.

11. Practice
Using the following prompt, let’s come up with as many different types of hooks as we can.
Some people think of the United States as a nation of “couch potatoes.” Let’s come up with hooks that will grab reader’s attention and persuade them to be more physically active.

12. Independent Practice
On the back of your hook sheet, think back to the prompt you selected for your Persuasive Practice essay and create better hooks using your notes and examples.