Every story worth telling needs THE HOOK — those few sentences right at the beginning that grab us hard enough to bring us along for the ride. Bill Whittle describes a hook so powerful that thirty-five years later, he and master storyteller MIKE ROWE get hurled back into the story all over again!
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I’m in final edit of my first book. The hook has a large shadow cruising along underneath a guy swimming in a mountain lake. My next book’s hook has a car full of teenagers running over a witch’s cat. After years of trying to put stories together, I’ve found the hook to be the easiest to conjure.
I just noticed that the ASHOKAN FAREWELL from Burns’ CIVIL WAR is almost the same musical template of Alan Parson’s project’s TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD.
Just a thought; but I like it, too.
— Texas
What’s the hook in Story Mechanics? What drew me in? Star Power? Why should I stay for a while listening to Mike Rowe? I like Mike Rowe a lot. The old TV shows, the TED talks, the podcasts, the broadcast media pitches for his Mike Rowe Works Foundation. Why stick around with him chatting with Bill? What’s the hook? Am I watching this to learn how to be a better story teller? Oh and positive suggestion (versus constructive criticism) Mike Rowe is a bona fide star. It’s one thing to crack wise about Hot Mike, and while there’s probably no… Read more »
There is something amiss!
(I am being insincere)
In fact, I don’t mean any of this!
(But my confession draws you near!)
To confuse the issue, I’ll refer
to familiar heroes from long ago!
Because the Hook brings you back.
I ain’t telling you no lie…
A musical hook or barb that strongly resonated with me was John Huston’s use of “The Son of God goes Forth to War” (to the tune of “The Minstrel Boy”) in his 1975 film “The Man Who Would Be King”. It turns out that Rudyard Kipling actually included the lyrics of “The Son of God Goes Forth to War” in his novella. I vividly recall seeing a trailer for Huston’s film, not yet having read the book, nor even aware that a film version of The Man Who Would Be King was in the works. But as soon as I… Read more »
The hook that got me the hardest was the first line in a fantasy short story “The Rose Window” by Monty Cook: “I hope against hope that nobody ever finds this letter”. I thought ” Why would you write it if you don’t want it found?” The book did not let me down. And to top it off, you weren’t sure of the ending. It could end in in more than one way. And yet, the tale was very satisfying. More I cannot say without ruining it. Another thing. The letter, and the story ended with the following: “I am… Read more »