Attention Getters

Hook Your Reader

Authors work hard to grab a reader’s attention. This is commonly referred to as a hook.  Here are a few tricks authors use for writing strong openers or hooks.

Quotation – Provide a quotation from a famous or notable person that ties into your piece’s purpose.
Example: Franklin D. Roosevelt stated, “Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.”  Roosevelt may not have been speaking to middle school students, but his advice relates strongly to the work we do every day.


Anecdote – Share a brief story that connects to the topic and engages the reader.
Example: I stood my ground on the gym floor, feet spread, arms out front, eyes alert, vainly hoping that the ball would fall into my hands.  As I tried to watch each of the twelve volleyballs, a stray one whirled toward me with astonishing speed.  My stomach turned into a magnet, the ball turned into metal, and POW! I recognized the value of physical fitness, but many current gym activities like volleyball, do not appeal to all students.  To help students enjoy the gym and to increase the physical well-being of all students, the middle school should provide an alternative gym class.


Interesting Fact or Statistic – Research a fact about your topic that grabs the reader’s attention with its uniqueness.
Example: High in space, mostly unseen by the naked eye, some fifteen thousand man-made objects are circling the earth (Carmor 52).


Interesting or Shocking Statement – Create a mood or unexpected scene that leads into your story or paper.
Example: A shiver of fear rolled up and down her spine, goosebumps erupted on her arms like an advanced case of chicken pox. Trembling, she approached the room and grabbed the icy knob just as an ear-shattering scream wailed from behind the door.


Ask a Question - Ask a thought provoking question that will get the reader thinking about your topic.
Example: Which of the spirits had the strongest influence on Scrooge in the novel, A Christmas Carol?


Description – Appeal to your readers’ five senses and paint a picture in their minds with your words.
Example: The too-bright light that blazed in through our bay window grabbed my attention as I wandered toward the kitchen for my breakfast.  Curiously, I turned to the window and saw a miniature mountain range of powder resting lightly on the window sill.  Eagerly, I rushed to the window, and a wintry snow scene greeted me.  The perfect white lawns, piled nearly a foot high with snow, remained undisturbed and sparkled like millions of tiny diamonds in the morning sun.  No footprint tracks or soggy grey road slush currently destroyed the peaceful scene.