5 Proven Hook Formats I Use In My Stories To Grab The Readers’ Attention
These are go-to hooks for my stories
What’s the finest way to grab the readers’ attention (except headlines)?
Let’s face it: If you can’t grab the reader’s attention in the first 15 seconds of opening the story — you’ve lost their attention — Almost always!
This means you have only 15 seconds to grab the reader’s attention.
Now the question is: how to grab the readers’ attention in the first 15 seconds of opening the story?
A Hook!
Truth be told, I spend most of my time writing the hook in my stories. Because I believe a hook is the most powerful element of any story.
Now you might be wondering and asking: “What do you mean by a hook, Har?”Okay, I get it. Let me tell you what it is.
A hook is a sub-section in the Introduction part of your story. A hook can be anything from one sentence to a few paragraphs long.
Once the reader clicks on the headline, he/she first reads the hook — the first few sentences or paragraphs of your story.
So if you want their attention, it’s your job to grab their attention.
Here are the 5 ways to do it:
Way #1: Ask A Thought-Provoking Question
Did you notice how I started this story?
If you’re reading this story at this point, I probably have successfully grabbed your attention, haven’t I?
And this is why asking questions works so well as a hook. When you ask a question as a hook, the reader subconsciously answers the question, which ultimately helps you grab their attention.
But make sure that the question you ask should be:
- Thought-provoking
- Relatable to the topic
- Interesting and makes sense to the reader
If you ask off-topic questions, or if your question isn’t good enough — you may lose the readers’ attention. Remember this.
Here’s how I use it:
Way #2: Tell An Anecdote Story
Want to take it to the next level?
Tell stories. Steve Jobs once said:
The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.
So true, right?
People relate to stories. People trust stories. People take action by reading stories. Stories change people’s lives. Stories are powerful. So why not use it as a hook? Of course, you should!
When you begin writing a Medium post, start by telling a story that can be related to the topic. If you don’t have your own story, find stories of your friends, family, or other people.
You can tell these stories in anything from a few sentences to a few paragraphs long, and you should try to condense them into less than 200 words.
Remember: Writing a long story as a hook can also bore the reader, especially if the story isn’t good — so try to keep it as short as possible while delivering the message.
The story is a trailer, not a picture!
Here’s how I use it:
Way #3: State A Strong Point
Want to evoke the readers’ emotions?
Here’s what happens: If you state a strong point, the reader immediately thinks of any of them:
- Wow, I didn’t know it!
- Lol, this isn’t true!
- What the f*ck is this!
- This is so true though!
- Let me find out more about it!
You can write your hook stating a strong point in one line or a few sentences, which can evoke the reader’s emotion and make them feel either of them:
- Angry
- Annoying
- “A-ha” moment
Point to be noted: Make sure the strong point you state is related to the topic you’re writing about.
You can’t just say “Science has just cured the cancer” and talk about cryptocurrency. Makes no sense, right?
So it has to be relatable to the topic you’re writing.
Here’s how I use it:
Way #4: Show Statistics And Data
According to U.S. census data:
Over 70 million men, over 50 million women, and almost 20 million children snore!
The above data can be pretty interesting to someone who’s going through some sleep disorders. Why? Because they’d think that they’re not alone. And it makes them feel good about themselves.
And this is why showing statistics and data works.
So doesn’t matter which topic you write about, do your due diligence and find some interesting facts, stats, and data related to the topic you write about.
You can use these data as a one-liner hook or in a few sentences by explaining why it is what it is.
Here’s how I use it:
Way #5: Use Quotes And Lines
People love quotes and lines.
It especially becomes so powerful when the quote is from a famous individual. The reason? People find the quote interesting not because of the quote itself but because of the person who said it.
You can’t just put any quote and expect it to grab the reader’s attention. So be selective when choosing quotes as a hook.
It has to be good, unique, and powerful.
Quotes from Steve Jobs, Winston Churchill, Elon Musk (and other smart people) can always hook readers and make them curious to read more.
When I showed these tactics to one of my Medium Masterclass students she said “You’re playing it at the next level, Har.”
At the same time, it also blows my mind that people aren’t aware of these tactics/strategies that can exponentially help them grow on Medium.
Here’s how I use it:
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