He was almost naked when the light turned red. We all stopped, four cars in front, three women and one man. In the field to our left was a young worker-shirtless, muscular skin browned, and taunt at their task. The light turned green, and no one moved. I honked my horn. Life in the fast lane resumed with embarrassing speed. What just happened? Everyone was hooked.
You want your writing to accomplish this. These are the six basic themes that do it.
Sex
Forgive the cliché, but sex sells. Nothing grabs attention like naked, sweating bodies roiled together. You're not supposed to look, but readers can't help themselves. Careful not to get too graphic with the opening sentence unless you intend to write erotica. Opening with sex doesn't always mean intercourse. It can also be like the young man in the above example. Hints are often stronger than the event, but the fantasy is always more powerful than the reality.
Family Drama
Opening with this always works. Everyone has family drama so all can relate. And if readers can relate, you will hook them. It's strange, but people want to know someone has a family worse than theirs. There's comfort in it.
Violence
It's the car wreck you know you shouldn't stare at, but you can't help it. People are fascinated with violence. From the Roman Coliseum fights to the full-contact arenas today, people love this theme. Again, this can be subtle or visceral, but it does attract and fascinate.
Tragic Love
Themes on unfulfilled love are the biggest sellers. These go straight to the emotions and draw the reader to the inevitable. If you can make the reader cry, you'll have them buy your work again and again. Readers often want an emotional release, and opening with tragic love promises this.
Humor
This is the hardest to do because it requires timing and talent. If you make readers laugh on the first page or even the first sentence, you'll grab them. Like a good cry, everyone wants a good laugh. Humorous hooks and their books are rare, but their successful writers prove it works.
Death
Like violence, death attracts readers. It is the forbidden that repulses and intrigues. But, like humor, it's the hardest to pull off if flawed. Balance and skill are required to make opening with death work, but the shock draws readers into reading more.
The next time you open your writing, ask if any of these hooks are present. If not, you may want to reconsider your opening line. Remember if your reader is not hooked in the first line, chances are they won't read any further. And a closed book is an unpublished book. Remember that.
keep writing!
muah!