tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post1371234450076088311..comments2024-01-27T16:10:28.502-08:00Comments on Tara Maya's Tales: HooksTara Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09095632631554776002noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-83223086955698341732009-04-05T19:50:00.000-07:002009-04-05T19:50:00.000-07:00I spend way too much time on hooks. In the end it ...I spend way too much time on hooks. In the end it is going to change so many times, it should probably be the last thing I write.Jessie Oliveroshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06232456334069794107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-62021463722223825492009-04-04T16:21:00.000-07:002009-04-04T16:21:00.000-07:00Hooks are so important. I am doing a post on this...Hooks are so important. I am doing a post on this very topic for my Writing a Novel series on Monday. I was interesting to get your take on it. Thanks for the post!Cindy R. Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13488732331021750408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-58085801280557468522009-04-04T10:40:00.000-07:002009-04-04T10:40:00.000-07:00Beautiful mermaid, and great point about the hooks...Beautiful mermaid, and great point about the hooks. I think we all stress about the opening because people are impatient and you really need to give them a good reason to stay with your story. It's a lot of pressure!Sherrie Petersenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11670339498152684137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-52444120262932891832009-04-03T18:07:00.000-07:002009-04-03T18:07:00.000-07:00Great post! I agree with Glam...it brings us back ...Great post! I agree with Glam...it brings us back to doing what is best for our book. It is our creation after all. I can't even count the number of amazing books that I have read that did not hook you in the first sentence. Or even in the first chapter at times. <BR/><BR/>I have been studying lit for years and writing seriously for just a short time. Sometimes I am quite surprised at the rules that are in place for writing a good book. Especially when I can name many SUPERB books that didn't follow these rules. <BR/><BR/>:-)Tracihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16399764927137200395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-42080475590224023362009-04-03T17:30:00.000-07:002009-04-03T17:30:00.000-07:00Tara Maya:Yay, endings! I am seriously considering...Tara Maya:<BR/><BR/>Yay, endings! I am seriously considering writing my next book from back-to-front. That will require a pretty solid outline, but that's the point.scott g.f.baileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05726743149139510832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-32732456924041265612009-04-03T16:35:00.000-07:002009-04-03T16:35:00.000-07:00So ironic--I literally just started reading Neil G...So ironic--I literally just started reading Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book TODAY, about three hours ago, and I thought to myself, "Wow, what a great hook."<BR/><BR/>Perfect timing!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11431700962951592287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-57185492185414466112009-04-03T16:15:00.000-07:002009-04-03T16:15:00.000-07:00Very nice post. I think writers sometimes drive th...Very nice post. I think writers sometimes drive themselves crazy trying to hook <I>everyone</I> with the same hook. As you pointed out, it won't work out. We're all different types of readers, so it's important to know who you're aiming the hook at. :)Danyelle L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10366276085080565870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-79528321234145196992009-04-03T13:47:00.000-07:002009-04-03T13:47:00.000-07:00I love to think that my first sentence and my last...I love to think that my first sentence and my last sentence in my my book are the best. But that's just me :DAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05283503033516504436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-20085131683890960152009-04-03T13:30:00.000-07:002009-04-03T13:30:00.000-07:00thanks for the 'second' i feel much better now :)thanks for the 'second' i feel much better now :)Banhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15450115293974960761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-41596022281351545682009-04-03T12:19:00.000-07:002009-04-03T12:19:00.000-07:00Lisa and Laura - Yes, the first page and the last ...Lisa and Laura - Yes, the first page and the last page are the two I sweat over the most.<BR/><BR/>Janet C. - I think agents are even harsher judges of the first page than ordinary readers.<BR/><BR/>PurpleClover - I'm snickering. Not gonna go there! LOL<BR/><BR/>Davin - I had in mind the two possible opening you shared with us a while ago. Both of them, it seemed to me, had a hook, even though one involved boys playing and the other a murder.<BR/><BR/>SunTiger - Oh no! A literal hook. LOL. And, hm, spend LESS money? That's going to take some Deep Thought. Now if you had asked me to suggest three ways to waste MORE money...<BR/><BR/>Scott - I completely agree, you have to know the ending before you can find your true beginning. Which is why, for me, the beginning of a book, the REAL beginning is often the last thing I write. I start a book somewhere, just to start writing, but I know I won't know if this is the real beginning of the story until I've written the end. That's why my next post will be on endings, even though I haven't written my book yet. :)<BR/><BR/>Lady Glamis - It makes perfect sense. That's just what I was trying to say.<BR/><BR/>Ban - I agree, your story draft starts in the wrong place; you don't need to give all the background you do up front. But don't feel bad. As I mentioned above, you often don't know where your story really ought to start until you write it. In revisions you can find your real beginning and work on slipping your lovely world building into other parts of the novel, bits at a time.Tara Mayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09095632631554776002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-67028761381793363732009-04-03T11:39:00.000-07:002009-04-03T11:39:00.000-07:00oooo, another good one. love the painting btw, saw...oooo, another good one. love the painting btw, saw your other works so i just assumed it was yours. i like a lot of what was said. was told myself, recently, that i should rethink my opening as it didn't start where the story started ... had to ponder that awhile but i realize it was good advice. i was spending too much time 'setting up' the story. that is probably because i first started writing for my benefit not a readers'.Banhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15450115293974960761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-48012071962695690252009-04-03T11:04:00.000-07:002009-04-03T11:04:00.000-07:00Ah, yes, I received a comment on Authoress's blog ...Ah, yes, I received a comment on Authoress's blog that said something about the beginning being boring because the character was just standing there thinking. I assume the reader thought it was boring because I then went on with a fight scene. I have since changed that because the focus was in the wrong place.<BR/><BR/><B>The "hook" has to be a hook for what the book is, not just a hook to reel the reader in to something that isn't there.</B> If that makes sense.<BR/><BR/>Great points made here!Michelle D. Argylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09696465137285587646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-59797159573361959002009-04-03T11:00:00.000-07:002009-04-03T11:00:00.000-07:00This is an excellent post, and got me thinking abo...This is an excellent post, and got me thinking about my first chapter, which I revised about a month ago and am about to rewrite because you brought up the fine advice to "Begin As You Mean To Go On." This gave me a Bright Idea (and an email this morning from Young Mr. Bowman also gave me a push) and now I must make notes.<BR/><BR/>But first, yes you are right. You must focus on the theme of the story right away. You don't need action or excitement, but you do need to begin telling your story by Telling Your Story. Your mention of "The Kite Runner" is a great example of this, and also I think points out why it's hard to write beginnings: too often when we start out, we don't yet know what the story is about, so we don't know <B>what</B> we're beginning. Which gives me the opportunity to say yet again that we should Know How Our Stories End Before We Start Writing Them. I know people think that sucks all the creativity out of writing. Those people are mistaken.scott g.f.baileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05726743149139510832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-27742302519137693032009-04-03T10:21:00.000-07:002009-04-03T10:21:00.000-07:00How about THIS for a "hook" in the beginning . . ....How about THIS for a "hook" in the beginning . . . <BR/><BR/>Tugging the wire with a pair of pliers only aggravated the accidental piercing further. Edwina began to howl. How did she ever step behind the fisherman at the precise moment he would throw back his cast and catch her cheek with with his fishing lure?<BR/><BR/>{Not my best writing . . . but I loved your suggestions and thought it might be fun to put a literal HOOK into it.}<BR/><BR/>IF you don't mind and it's not too off-topic for your blog . . .<BR/>You are now tagged. You must now blog at least 3 suggestions for saving money. It’s not because we all have LESS money than we did two years ago. We just all want to save money where it doesn’t hurt so we can SPEND more cash -- or donate it – on much more worthwhile projects and experiences.<BR/>Ideas can range from using half as much toothpaste and just see if your teeth don’t remain just as pearly white as before to saving cash by shopping for coffee on Amazon. We don’t care WHAT your three ideas for money-saving is all about (just that you share it).<BR/><BR/>Brightest blessings. Look forward to reading your “save money” content soon.SunTigerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06598114139320753890noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-48503449716899853882009-04-03T09:58:00.000-07:002009-04-03T09:58:00.000-07:00Yes, it's one of my mermaids. :PYes, it's one of my mermaids. :PTara Mayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09095632631554776002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-24907911339308697022009-04-03T09:30:00.000-07:002009-04-03T09:30:00.000-07:00Great post. I agree with you completely. The God O...Great post. I agree with you completely. The God Of Small Things comes to mind. I think that starts with a rather long description of the rain.Davin Malasarnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09385823575081492949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-69900654793118578502009-04-03T09:13:00.000-07:002009-04-03T09:13:00.000-07:00Forgot to ask - is that an original Tara mermaid a...Forgot to ask - is that an original Tara mermaid adorning your post today? I love it.Janethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13297537075103893956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-13926237070211560032009-04-03T08:24:00.000-07:002009-04-03T08:24:00.000-07:00The hook is something I struggle with myself. I ap...The hook is something I struggle with myself. I appreciate your post about this. It can make a big difference when trying to captivate a reader and like you said...you tend to write the types of books you read and therefore the hook will be accordingly. <BR/><BR/>Hooking is definitely an art. ...and I mean the book hooking...not the other one. Although I don't know. Maybe it is. I'm not a hooker so I can't say. buwahahahaha. (that was my steve colbert impression by the way)PurpleCloverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07933014134696608557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-58952095711298539272009-04-03T07:26:00.000-07:002009-04-03T07:26:00.000-07:00I always manage to comment after Lisa and Laura - ...I always manage to comment after Lisa and Laura - and usually come up with the pithy response of 'ditto' :)<BR/><BR/>The first sentence, first paragraph, first page has taken on such importance as agents' inboxes are fuller than ever before. And since discovering MSFV, I realize that the hook at the beginning of the book is different for each reader.<BR/><BR/>But, for me, that first page must set the tone for the rest of the story. <BR/><BR/>I'm glad you continued your discussion of beginnings, Tara. Thought provoking as usual.Janethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13297537075103893956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-23624176089780161012009-04-03T06:19:00.000-07:002009-04-03T06:19:00.000-07:00I think the perfect opening is very difficult to c...I think the perfect opening is very difficult to come by. We always end up rewriting our first 250 words about a million times before we settle on something and I'm sure that if an editor ever got a hold of it, they'd want even more changes. I always love reading the first sentance of a book because I know a lot of thought and heartache went into writing it.lisa and laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18144863275895761642noreply@blogger.com