The most critical thing a writer has to do is quite basic.
You have to convince someone that they need to read your story. This is what is
referred to as a hook, or a narrative hook if you want to technical about it.
Creating one is not so easy. Mostly because you don’t have
a lot of time to get a reader interested. I know that's the way I am as a reader you got to get me quick, or I'm moving on.
So what is a narrative hook anyway?
A famous storyteller who had to keep her
audience “hooked” was Scheherazade from One Thousand and One Nights (Arabian
Nights). She has to keep a king interested, or hooked, by telling him stories
in order to avoid execution. Now that’s motivation for you. Thankfully writers
don’t have it that bad these days. At least I hope not.
However one of the best examples in a cozy mystery I’ve ever read came from
Agatha Christie. This particular tale featured the amateur detectives Bobby Jones and Lady Frances Derwent, or as her friends call
her, Frankie, Never heard of them? Well that’s because they were only in this
one book and I think it’s one of her best. Sorry Hercule and Miss Marple.
Here’s how she hooks you. A dying man is found by two
golfers, one (Bobby Jones) stays with him while his golf partner goes for
help. As he waits, the dying man opens
his eyes and says, "Why didn't they ask Evans?" Then he dies.
Got you interested? I know it did me.
That one line, which is also the title of the book, got me
totally fascinated. As it not only
posted the question of whom the victim was and why was he murdered, but WHO THE
HECK IS EVANS? That question drove me crazy, and I think I wanted to know
that more who done it.
Of course there are many methods writers use to hook their
readers. A dramatic moment, such as finding a dead body (a mystery favorite),
making it clear to the reader that they will need to follow the story all the
way through to understand what is going on, or a story within a story just to
name a few. Our jobs are to make it a good one, and don't worry, it won't hurt a bit.
Mystery writer C.L. Ragsdale is the author of The Reboot Files a
Christian Mystery Series. A California native, she loves to "surf"
the web to research plot details for her fun, quirky stories with just a bit of
whopper in them. She has a degree in Theatre Arts which greatly influenced her
writing style. Working in various fields as a secretary has allowed her to both
master her writing skills and acquire valuable technical knowledge which she
uses liberally in her plots. She loves to embroider and knit and is a big fan
of the old Scooby Doo cartoons.
Current
E-Books
THE REBOOT FILES: The Mystery of Hurtleberry House, The Island of Living Trees, The Harbinger of Retribution, and The Wrong Ghost.
THE REBOOT FILES: The Mystery of Hurtleberry House, The Island of Living Trees, The Harbinger of Retribution, and The Wrong Ghost.
www.shortmysteriesandtalltales.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/CL-Ragsdale219184744858421
http://www.facebook.com/pages/CL-Ragsdale219184744858421
Makes me want to read the book to find out about Evans!
ReplyDeleteDeborah Malone
"Death in Dahlonega"
Every AC book hooks me!
ReplyDelete~Nancy Jill