Guest Blogger: David Pereda: On Hooking the Reader…and not Letting Him Go

My guest today is award-winning author and college creative writing instructor David Pereda. He is going to talk to us about that essential element of any great story -- “the hook.” David is the regional director of Florida Writers Association's Western North Carolina division and the founder of Asheville Writing Enthusiasts (AWE). His latest novel, Havana: Top Secret, published by Eternal Press, has garnered him rave reviews and will be available in May.

Kathryn: What's a hook?

David: A first line so powerful that you absolutely have to keep on reading the story.

Kathryn: What are the primary objectives of a hook?

David: To interest the reader and to set the tone for the book.

Kathryn: What would you consider a good hook?

David: A good hook has the ability to grab you by the neck and plunge you into the story. A good hook goes beyond that initial encounter with the reader. It extends to the opening paragraph, the opening page, the first chapter, and the entire book.

Kathryn: What would you consider a bad hook?

David: A bad hook is like a piece of wood at a camp fire that stands alone and fizzles. There are two types of bad hooks – “not strong enough” or “too strong”: (1) If your opening line is “not strong enough,” the reader will close the book and go buy something else; and (2) If your opening line is “too strong” or “too good” for the rest of your story, you'll disappoint the reader too, and he’ll do the same thing.

Kathryn: Can you give us examples of good hooks?

David: With pleasure. Here are some examples from great writers:

"Maman died today; or yesterday, maybe, I don't know." The Stranger (Camus)

"As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect." The Metamorphosis (Kafka)

"Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins." Lolita (Nabokov)

"In the cold, nearly colorless light of a New England winter, two men on horseback traveled the coast road below Boston, heading north." John Adams (David McCullough)

Kathryn: Thank you for being my guest today, David. It’s been quite informative. Would you consider being my guest in the future again to discuss some more writing techniques?

David: It would be my pleasure, Kathryn. Thank you for inviting me to be your guest today.
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To find out more about David Pereda or his new novel: http://www.davidpereda.com/havanatopsecret.html
To become a Pereda Pal and read David’s musings at his Front Porch Chat: http://davidperedabooks.blogspot.com/