4 Steps to a Boat Full of Fish
Ever been hooked? It tugs at first—a niggling, intriguing irritation you can’t ignore. With a splash and a surge, suddenly you’re racing along, gasping for breath, and barely aware you’ve taken the bait. You’re dragged, compelled, forced to flip the page, consuming the story as if you’re starved. When it’s all over, it’s four in the morning and you aren’t the person you were before. You’ve been on the ride of your life. It’s a difficult task to reel in readers this way, especially in our fast-paced digital world. The first 500 words (roughly the first page and a half) should be a sample of your absolute best writing, because they’ve got to get hooked before you can reel them in. (See the points below and try to tackle them all in the first 500 words of your next book. Even if you don’t leave them all in, challenge yourself to think creatively, to explore how it could be done subtly.) If your reader puts your book down, there’s a chance he may never pick it up again. On the