Let us learn here persuasive writing hooks.
How to hook in first from the vast sea?
There is a vast sea of articles and essays for a reader, and it is imperative to hook in your reader at the beginning, lest lose their attention. How do you do it? The same way you catch a fish! You reel your readers in by “hooking” them. There are various ways to reel in a reader and have them concentrate on your article.
The term hooks refer to a statement in persuasive writing that grabs the reader’s attention and makes them want to read more. There are many types of hooks that work for different types of writing. To gather a little insight, read these two sentences: “There are many different types of flora and fauna in the world as known by human beings.”; “Did you know? There are 8.7 million species of plants and animals?” While both sentences intend to convey more or less the same meaning, the latter seems more interesting to read. Using hooks in articles is very easy, let us first delve into the types of hooks that one can use.
Types of Hooks
Question Hook:
As the name suggests, this hook is one where you ask a question at the beginning of your article. It can either be a question to which the answer is there in your article and readers have to read your article to know the answer or a rhetorical question aimed at capturing the reader’s attention.
For instance:
How does one learn science without memorizing the formulae? Well, it is simple, there are many techniques to do so and you will find them in the following article!
In this case, the answer to your question lies in the article and so the reader will be interested to read more.
Do you think communication is an important part of your professional life?
This one is a rhetorical question and because the answer is one of popular opinion, readers will be intrigued to know what the article has in store for them.
Anecdote Hook:
Readers always love a good story. Weaving in a story at the beginning of your article will make the reader glued to the article. This is because stories have an innate sense of capturing the attention of readers and listeners, but proper care has to be taken into the relevance of the story to your article.
Her husband beat her again but she didn’t complain, all she did was pack up the chess board and vow to beat him at it someday. Just like how the start of the story was misleading, looks can be too.
The story in the beginning, although short, brings the attention of the reader and a smooth transition to the article will do wonders.
Astounding Fact Hook:
Beginning an article with an astounding fact or statistic can be a great idea since it immediately pulls the reader into the paper and compels them to read further.
Did you know? It is estimated that one-third of all adults go to sleep with a comfort object, like a teddy bear or pillow!
When an unbelievable fact is given to the reader, you can impress them and remember to use accurate information from credible sources.
Metaphor/Simile Hook:
Comparing the topic of your article with another thing is an innovative way to start an essay. Simple things like nature and everyday life are easier to understand and thus comparing your subject matter to such things will make it quickly understood and ensure it stays in the readers’ memories for a long.
For instance, this very article began with a little comparison to nature. Comparisons made with the words “like” or “as” become similes (as tall as a coconut tree is a simile). Comparing readers to fish and the various articles to the vast sea is a metaphor that means that there are a lot of articles for the reader to choose and read from.
Description Hook:
Sometimes, a vivid description paints a clear image in the minds of the reader. This would help a lot in making the reader want to know what comes next in your essay.
As the plane began its descent from among the dense white clouds, he gripped the armrest tight and shut his eyes. The beads of perspiration across his forehead were evidence of his fear.
But again, the relevance to the topic has to be present.
Quotation Hook:
Quotes by inspirational or well-known people have always been a great starter to speeches and essays. Having the proper quote for your article will indeed do wonders. It’s not without reason that this hook is a classic one!
For instance, Mark Twain once said, “Kindness is the language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”
Declaration Hook:
Making a statement at the beginning of the article will intrigue the reader to read more as there is no statement to confuse them or beat around the bush.
AI will take over the world within a few years.
This statement or declaration is direct and to the point, which will get the reader’s attention immediately.
Why are Hooks Important?
When writing long essays and articles, writers tend to forget to ensure the attention of the readers stays on throughout their essays. It gets redundant if there is just information put across without any device to seek the readers’ attention and hold on to it. Hooks are usually written in the introductory part of the essay and it is in this part that the reader decides to continue reading the article or not. Sparking curiosity and making the essay stand out are some of the most important reasons to write hooks in essays.
How to write a Hook?
Writing a hook is very simple, all that has to be kept in mind is that the hook has to be relevant to the topic and will have to somehow grab the eye of the reader and compel him/her to read further. Writing a hook can prove to be quite a challenge when you don’t get the correct statement but with practice, writing a hook can be as easy as writing your name.
FAQs
- How do I know I have used to right hook for my essay?
Upon completing the essay, when you give it a final read, check whether the hook grabs your attention. That is if you were a random reader checking out the article at hand, would you be intrigued to read the article? If yes, then the hook that you have used would work well.
- How will I know what type of hook to use in my essay?
When you write an article, you can try out different types of hooks and then decide which works best for your article. If not, you need to think of which one would work better than the others, on the bases of the tone, purpose, and target audience of your article.
- What can I do if I feel my hook doesn’t work well?
The easiest way to deal with this is to either rephrase your hook sentence so that it has a greater impact or to change your hook. Although, there are times when you might not appreciate your own writing, so give it some time and return to your writing with a fresh mind. That sometimes helps to gain a fresh perspective as well!
